PlantLegitKansas: invasive & noxious plant laws
Under the Kansas Noxious Weed Law (K.S.A. 2-1314 et seq.), landowners must control the noxious weeds the Secretary of Agriculture designates in K.A.R. 4-8-44, grouped in categories A (exclude or eradicate), B (control where established, eradicate elsewhere) and C (manage). Counties may add county-option weeds. The Kansas Seed Law (K.S.A. 2-1421) bars selling agricultural seed containing noxious weed seed, but the noxious weed law itself is a control duty, not a ban on selling nursery plants.
Official sources
- KDA — Kansas noxious weed list
- K.A.R. 4-8-44 Designation of noxious weeds (LII)
- K.S.A. 2-1421 Seed law unlawful acts
- Federal Noxious Weed List, 7 CFR § 360.200 (USDA APHIS) — applies in every state
Category A noxious weed (K.A.R. 4-8-44), control list — exclusion/eradication — not a sale ban (6)
| Scientific name | Common name / notes |
|---|---|
| Lepidium draba | hoary cress |
| Euphorbia virgata (syn. E. esula) | leafy spurge |
| Elymus repens | quackgrass |
| Rhaponticum repens (syn. Acroptilon repens) | Russian knapweed |
| Pueraria montana var. lobata | kudzu |
| Hoffmannseggia glauca | pignut |
Category B noxious weed (K.A.R. 4-8-44), control list — not a sale ban (1)
| Scientific name | Common name / notes |
|---|---|
| Cirsium arvense | Canada thistle |
Category C noxious weed (K.A.R. 4-8-44), control list — not a sale ban (5)
| Scientific name | Common name / notes |
|---|---|
| Convolvulus arvensis | field bindweed |
| Carduus nutans | musk thistle |
| Lespedeza cuneata | sericea lespedeza |
| Sorghum halepense | Johnsongrass |
| Ambrosia grayi | bur ragweed |
Check plants against Kansas law →
Informational only, not legal advice. Lists change; always check the official source linked above before you buy, sell, plant or move a plant. Lists checked 2026-10-14.