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Invasive plants regulated in Michigan
Michigan regulates 19 invasive plants under MCL 324.41301 as amended by MDARD Invasive Species Order Amend. No. 1 of 2026. The table below reproduces that list in full, showing each plant's status in the state's own words. Michigan's list is a trade restriction, which governs what may be sold, propagated, or moved within the state.
Compiled from the rule itself, retrieved July 20, 2026. Law changes; if you spot a listing we have wrong or stale, tell us at [email protected].
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Check a plant against your county →4 of these listings are phasing in. The species is named in the rule, but the sale ban has not taken effect yet, so Michigan nurseries may still legally sell it today. The dates are shown in the table.
2 of these plants are native to part of the United States, marked US native below. Nativity is regional. Black locust is native to the Appalachians and regulated in New England; Palmer amaranth is native to the Southwest and listed as an agricultural weed in the Corn Belt. A listing tells you what Michigan regulates, not where a plant belongs. The county checker answers the second question.
Regulated and invasive are two different findings, and this page shows them separately. 15 of the 19 plants below carry both: Michigan names them in statute and GRIIS lists them as invasive in the United States. The other 4 are regulated by Michigan without appearing on that register. The reverse is far more common still: most plants GRIIS calls invasive are named in no state’s statute at all and are sold freely, so an absent chip is never a clean bill of health.
| Plant | Scientific name | Status | Michigan’s determination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Fanwort US native | Cabomba caroliniana | Prohibited | Michigan lists Carolina Fanwort under “Prohibited in Michigan.”Plant instead: Star Sedge, Inland Sedge, Yellow Fumewort |
| Common Frogbit | Hydrocharis morsus-ranae | Prohibited Invasive | Michigan lists Common Frogbit under “Prohibited in Michigan.” |
| Giant Hogweed | Heracleum mantegazzianum | Prohibited Invasive | Michigan lists Giant Hogweed under “Prohibited in Michigan.” |
| Japanese Knotweed | Fallopia japonica (potentially invasive weed) | Prohibited Invasive | Michigan lists Japanese Knotweed under “Prohibited in Michigan.” |
| Oxygen-Weed | Lagarosiphon major | Prohibited | Michigan lists Oxygen-Weed under “Prohibited in Michigan.” |
| Water Chestnut | Trapa natans | Prohibited Invasive | Michigan lists Water Chestnut under “Watch List - Prohibited in Michigan.”Plant instead: Velvet Bentgrass, Little Green Sedge, Kentucky Bluegrass |
| Water Lettuce US native | Pistia stratiotes | Prohibited | Michigan lists Water Lettuce under “Watch List - Prohibited in Michigan.”Plant instead: Velvet Bentgrass, Little Green Sedge, Kentucky Bluegrass |
| Water Soldiers | Stratiotes aloides | Prohibited | Michigan lists Water Soldiers under “Watch List - Prohibited in Michigan.”Plant instead: Velvet Bentgrass, Little Green Sedge, Kentucky Bluegrass |
| Waterthyme | Hydrilla verticillata | Prohibited Invasive | Michigan lists Waterthyme under “Watch List - Prohibited in Michigan.”Plant instead: Star Sedge, Inland Sedge, Yellow Fumewort |
| Yellow Floatingheart | Nymphoides peltata | Prohibited Invasive | Michigan lists Yellow Floatingheart under “Watch List - Prohibited in Michigan.”Plant instead: Nodding Lady's Tresses, American Vetch, Pale Purple Coneflower |
| Autumn Olive | Elaeagnus umbellata | Restricted Invasive | Michigan lists Autumn Olive under “Restricted in Michigan.”Plant instead: Chokecherry, Red-Barked Dogwood, Redosier Dogwood |
| Callery Pear | Pyrus calleryana | Restricted Invasive phasing in | Michigan lists Callery Pear under “Restricted in Michigan.”propagation January 1, 2028 · sale January 1, 2028Plant instead: Western Catalpa, Paper Birch, Cockspur Hawthorn |
| Common Buckthorn | Rhamnus cathartica | Restricted Invasive phasing in | Michigan lists Common Buckthorn under “Restricted in Michigan.”propagation January 1, 2028 · sale January 1, 2028Plant instead: Bog Birch, Rough-Leaf Dogwood, Common Witch Hazel |
| Curly Pondweed | Potamogeton crispus | Restricted Invasive | Michigan lists Curly Pondweed under “Restricted in Michigan.” |
| Eurasian Watermilfoil | Myriophyllum spicatum | Restricted Invasive | Michigan lists Eurasian Watermilfoil under “Restricted in Michigan.” |
| Flowering Rush | Butomus umbellatus | Restricted Invasive | Michigan lists Flowering Rush under “Restricted in Michigan.”Plant instead: Crimsoneyed Rosemallow, Showy Milkweed, Hairy Lespedeza |
| Glossy Buckthorn | Frangula alnus | Restricted Invasive phasing in | Michigan lists Glossy Buckthorn under “Restricted in Michigan.”propagation January 1, 2028 · sale January 1, 2028Plant instead: Rough-Leaf Dogwood, Common Witch Hazel, Speckled Alder |
| Japanese Barberry | Berberis thunbergii | Restricted Invasive phasing in | Michigan lists Japanese Barberry under “Restricted in Michigan.”propagation January 1, 2028 · sale January 1, 2028Plant instead: Crimsoneyed Rosemallow, Harvestlice, Hairy Lespedeza |
| Purple Loosestrife | Lythrum salicaria | Restricted Invasive | Michigan lists Purple Loosestrife under “Restricted in Michigan.”Plant instead: Crimsoneyed Rosemallow, Showy Milkweed, Hairy Lespedeza |
Where this comes from
- Michigan listings
- MCL 324.41301 as amended by MDARD Invasive Species Order Amend. No. 1 of 2026. Read the rule.
- Invasive status
- GRIIS, the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species, via GBIF. A scientific register with no legal force; it is cited separately from the statute above because the two disagree far more often than they agree.
- Status wording
- Each determination is written as a sentence, with Michigan’s own term for the plant reproduced verbatim inside it. The Prohibited / Restricted / Listed chips are Ezina’s normalisation across 42 states and are not the legal term.
- Nativity
- USDA PLANTS county distribution layer, surfaced through the county checker.
Regulated next door, but not in Michigan
Plants that two or more states bordering Michigan regulate, and Michigan does not. A listing is a legal act rather than an ecological one, so a plant can be a documented problem here and still be sold here.
- Amur Honeysuckle Lonicera maackii regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Asiatic Tearthumb Polygonum perfoliatum regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Cutleaf Teasel Dipsacus laciniatus regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Dames Rocket Hesperis matronalis regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Fuller's Teasel Dipsacus fullonum regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Louise's Swallow-Wort Cynanchum louiseae regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Morrow's Honeysuckle Lonicera morrowii regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Nepalese Browntop Microstegium vimineum regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Nodding Plumeless Thistle Carduus nutans regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Oriental Bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Poison Hemlock Conium maculatum regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Reed Canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
- Spotted Knapweed Centaurea stoebe regulated in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin
Questions
What plants are illegal to sell in Michigan?
19 plants are regulated under MCL 324.41301 as amended by MDARD Invasive Species Order Amend. No. 1 of 2026. Plants marked Prohibited may not be sold, propagated, or moved within Michigan. Plants marked Restricted carry narrower limits set by the rule.
Is my plant invasive in Michigan?
Search the table on this page, or enter the plant's name in Ezina's checker to get its Michigan status alongside whether USDA records it as native to your specific county. Every answer links the record it came from.
Does a plant missing from this list mean it is safe to plant in Michigan?
No. This page reproduces what Michigan regulates, and a state list is a legal instrument rather than an ecological verdict. Plenty of plants spread aggressively without ever being listed, and states add species years after the problem is documented.
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Add a plant
Snap a photo or type the name. The app pulls 4,000+ species from peer-reviewed horticulture data and starts a care plan tailored to your zone, the local weather, and the time of year.
Get a care plan
A schedule built from local rain, temperature, and sun, not a fixed weekly cadence. You get a single notification when a plant actually needs water. Easily add treatments for diseases and pests.
Explore new options
Our garden planner Dig helps you understand what works best for your location and makes suggestions based off your long term goals.
Compiled from peer-reviewed research, USDA documentation,
and direct scientific observation across the 48 contiguous states.