Massachusetts: invasive & noxious plant laws

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) prohibits the sale, import, trade, purchase, distribution, propagation and related activities for every plant on the Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List, including all cultivars, varieties and hybrids. Newly added species get a phase-out: nurseries may no longer import or begin propagating them, and existing stock may be sold until a deadline (1 year for herbaceous plants, 2 for shrubs, 3 for trees). This page transcribes MDAR's list (151 entries, CSV dated May 2026; page last updated February 27, 2026).

Official sources

Prohibited plant (MDAR Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List) — no sale, import, trade, purchase, distribution or propagation (151)

Scientific name	Common name / notes
Aeginetia spp.	aeginetia
Lycium ferrocissimum	African boxthorn
Digitaria abyssinica; D. scalarum	African couch grass
Pennisetum macrourum	African feathergrass
Alectra spp.	alectra
Drymaria arenarioides	alfombrilla
Limnophila sessiliflora	ambulia
Phellodendron amurense	Amur cork-tree
Lonicera maackii	Amur honeysuckle
Egeria densa; Elodea densa; Anacharis densa	anacharis, Brazilian waterweed, Brazilian elodea
Eichhornia azurea	anchored water hyacinth
Avena sterilis	animated oat
Prosopis strombulifera	Argentine screwbean
Sagittaria sagittifolia	arrowhead
Leptochloa chinensis	Asian sprangletop
Celastrus orbiculatus	Asiatic bittersweet
Elaeagnus umbellata	autumn olive
Lonicera x bella [L. morrowii x L. tatarica]	Bell’s honeysuckle
Commelina benghalensis	Benghal dayflower
Aegopodium podagraria	bishop's weed, goutweed
Alnus glutinosa	black alder, European alder — phase-out: import/propagation ended 12/8/2025; sales allowed until 12/31/2028
Robinia pseudoacacia	black locust
Cynanchum louiseae	black swallow-wort, Louise's swallow-wort
Ligustrum obtusifolium	border privet
Spermacoce alata	borreria
Imperata brasiliensis	Brazilian satintail
Najas minor	brittle water-nymph, lesser naiad
Lepidium latifolium	broad-leafed pepperweed, tall pepperweed
Non-native Orobanche spp.	broomrape
Oryza rufipogon	brownbeard rice, red rice
Euonymus alatus	burning bush, winged euonymus
Cardamine impatiens	bushy rock-cress, narrowleaf bittercress
Pyrus calleryana	Callery/Bradford pear — phase-out: import/propagation ended 9/19/2024; sales until 12/31/2028 (limited orchard exceptions)
Homeria spp.; Moraea spp.	Cape tulip
Cabomba caroliniana	Carolina fanwort, fanwort
Mimosa pigra	catclaw mimosa
Setaria pallidifusca; S. pallidefusca; S. pumila	cattail grass, yellow foxtail
Caulerpa taxifolia	caulerpa
Miscanthus sinensis	Chinese silver grass, Eulalia, maiden grass — phase-out: import/propagation ended 12/8/2025; sales until 12/31/2026
Tridax procumbens	coat buttons
Tussilago farfara	coltsfoot
Berberis vulgaris	common barberry, European barberry
Rhamnus cathartica	common buckthorn
Crupina vulgaris	common crupina
Phragmites australis	common reed
Ranunculus repens	creeping buttercup
Lysimachia nummularia	creeping Jenny, moneywort
Potamogeton crispus	crisped pondweed, curly pondweed
Ageratina adenophora	crofton weed
Euphorbia cyparissias	Cypress spurge
Hesperis matronalis	dame's rocket
Emex spinosa	devil's thorn
Non-native Cuscuta spp.	dodder
Ottelia alismoides	duck-lettuce
Myriophyllum spicatum	Eurasian or European water-milfoil, spike water-milfoil
Frangula alnus; Rhamnus frangula	European buckthorn, glossy buckthorn
Sparganium erectum	exotic bur-reed
Butomus umbellatus	flowering rush
Myosotis scorpioides	forget-me-not
Alliaria petiolata	garlic mustard
Mimosa diplotricha; M. invisa	giant false sensitive plant, false sensitive plant
Heracleum mantegazzianum	giant hogweed
Salvinia auriculata	giant salvinia
Salvinia molesta	giant salvinia
Salvinia biloba	giant salvinia, eared watermoss
Salvinia herzogii	giant salvinia, kariba-weed
Galega officinalis	goatsrue
Salix cinerea	gray willow, rusty willow
Festuca filiformis	hair fescue, fineleaf sheep fescue
Arthraxon hispidus	hairy joint grass, jointhead, small carpetgrass
Epilobium hirsutum	hairy willow-herb, codlins and cream
Glaucium flavum	horned poppy, sea poppy, yellow hornpoppy
Hydrilla verticillata	hydrilla, water-thyme, Florida elodea
Rottboellia cochinchinensis	itchgrass
Berberis thunbergii	Japanese barberry
Pinus thunbergii	Japanese black pine [Limited exceptions for bonsai growers, contact MDAR for details]
Lonicera japonica	Japanese honeysuckle
Humulus japonicus	Japanese hops
Fallopia japonica; Polygonum cuspidatum; Reynoutria japonica	Japanese knotweed
Carex kobomugi	Japanese sedge, Asiatic sand sedge
Aralia elata	Japanese Angelica tree — phase-out: import/propagation ended 5/11/2026; sales until 5/11/2029
Microstegium vimineum	Japanese stiltgrass, Nepalese browntop
Rhodotypos scandens	jetbead — phase-out: import/propagation ended 12/8/2025; sales until 12/31/2027
Opuntia aurantiaca	jointed prickly pear
Prosopis pallida	kiawe
Pennisetum clandestinum	kikuyugrass
Paspalum scrobiculatum	Kodo-millet
Pueraria montana	kudzu, Japanese arrowroot
Pennisetum pedicellatum	Kyasuma grass
Salix atrocinerea; Salix cinerea ssp. oleifolia	large gray willow
Euphorbia esula	leafy spurge, wolf's milk
Ficaria verna; Ranunculus ficaria	lesser celandine, fig buttercup
Urochloa panicoides	liverseed grass
Oryza longistaminata	longstamen rice, red rice
Melastoma malabathricum	Malabar melastome
Melaleuca quinquenervia	melaleuca
Polygonum perfoliatum	mile-a-minute vine or weed, Asiatic tearthumb
Mikania micrantha	mile-a-minute, bittervine
Mikania cordata	mile-a-minute, heartleaf hempvine
Hygrophila polysperma	Miramar weed
Pennisetum polystachyon; P. polystachion	missiongrass
Monochoria hastata	monochoria
Lonicera morrowii	Morrow’s honeysuckle
Azolla pinnata	mosquito fern
Rosa multiflora	multiflora rose
Ischaemum rugosum	murain-grass
Acer platanoides	Norway maple
Asphodelus fistulosus	onion weed
Lagarosiphon major	oxygen weed
Cynanchum rossicum	pale swallow-wort
Myriophyllum aquaticum	parrot-feather, water-feather, Brazilian water-milfoil
Monochoria vaginalis; Pontederia vaginalis	pickerel weed
Chrysopogon aciculatus	pilipiliula
Miscanthus sacchariflorus (also covers Miscanthus x giganteus, a hybrid of M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis)	plume grass, Amur silvergrass
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata	porcelain-berry, Amur peppervine
Lythrum salicaria	purple loosestrife
Oryza punctata	red rice
Phalaris arundinacea	reed canary-grass, ribbon grass
Symplocos paniculata	sapphire berry, Asiatic sweetleaf — phase-out: import/propagation ended 5/11/2026; sales until 5/11/2028
Cytisus scoparius	Scotch broom
Nassella trichotoma	serrated tussock
Alternanthera sessilis	sessile joyweed
Centaurea biebersteinii; C. stoebe ssp. micranthos	spotted knapweed
Acer pseudoplatanus	sycamore maple
Glyceria maxima	tall mannagrass, reed mannagrass
Senecio jacobaea	tansy ragwort, stinking Willie
Lonicera tatarica	Tatarian honeysuckle
Emex australis	three-cornered jack
Prosopis reptans	tornillo
Ailanthus altissima	tree-of-heaven
Solanum viarum	tropical soda apple
Solanum torvum	turkeyberry
Myriophyllum heterophyllum	variable water-milfoil, two-leaved water-milfoil
Digitaria velutina	velvet fingergrass
Prosopis velutina	velvet mesquite
Mycelis muralis	wall-lettuce
Rorippa amphibia	water yellowcress, great yellowcress
Trapa natans	water chestnut
Ipomoea aquatica	water spinach [PERMIT REQUIRED – contact MDAR]
Eragrostis curvula	weeping lovegrass
Solanum tampicense	wetland nightshade
Rubus fruticosus	wild blackberry
Rubus moluccanus	wild blackberry complex
Anthriscus sylvestris	wild chervil
Carthamus oxyacanthus; C. oxycantha	wild safflower, jeweled distaff thistle
Saccharum spontaneum	wild sugarcane
Rubus phoenicolasius	wineberry, Japanese wineberry, wine raspberry
Striga spp.	witchweed
Salsola vermiculata	wormleaf salsola
Nymphoides peltata	yellow floating heart
Iris pseudacorus	yellow Iris

Check plants against Massachusetts 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.