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Minnesota: invasive & noxious plant laws
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture's official noxious weed list (Minn. Stat. §§ 18.75–18.91) was last updated in January 2026, and the next update is due January 2029. Prohibited-eradicate weeds must be eradicated and may not be sold or propagated. Prohibited-control weeds must be controlled, and their propagating parts may not be transported. Restricted noxious weeds may not be imported, sold or transported. Specially regulated plants carry plant-specific conditions such as warning labels, male-only cultivars or production phase-outs. All listed species include hybrids, cultivars and varieties unless specifically exempted. Federal noxious weeds are also prohibited.
Official sources
Prohibited – eradicate (Minn. Stat. § 18.771; MDA list) — no sale, propagation or transport (17)
| Scientific name | Common name / notes |
|---|
| Cynanchum louiseae | black swallow-wort |
| Centaurea jacea | brown knapweed |
| Dipsacus fullonum | common teasel |
| Dipsacus laciniatus | cutleaf teasel |
| Linaria dalmatica | Dalmatian toadflax |
| Centaurea diffusa | diffuse knapweed |
| Heracleum mantegazzianum | giant hogweed |
| Lonicera japonica | golden honeysuckle vine (formerly Japanese honeysuckle) |
| Digitalis lanata | Grecian foxglove |
| Humulus japonicus | hooked hair hops (formerly Japanese hops) |
| Sorghum halepense | Johnsongrass |
| Cynanchum rossicum | pale swallow-wort |
| Amaranthus palmeri | Palmer amaranth |
| Thladiantha dubia | red hailstone |
| Microstegium vimineum | stiltgrass (added 2026) |
| Ailanthus altissima | tree of heaven |
| Centaurea solstitialis | yellow starthistle |
Prohibited – control (MDA list) — must be controlled; no transport of propagating parts (16)
| Scientific name | Common name / notes |
|---|
| Polygonum x bohemicum (syn. Reynoutria x bohemica) | Bohemian knotweed |
| Cirsium arvense | Canada thistle |
| Berberis vulgaris | common barberry |
| Tanacetum vulgare | common tansy |
| Polygonum sachalinense (syn. Reynoutria sachalinensis) | giant knotweed |
| Polygonum cuspidatum (syn. Reynoutria japonica) | Japanese knotweed |
| Euphorbia virgata and E. esula | leafy spurge |
| Centaurea x moncktonii | meadow knapweed |
| Cardamine impatiens | narrowleaf bittercress |
| Phragmites australis ssp. australis | non-native phragmites |
| Carduus acanthoides | plumeless thistle |
| Conium maculatum | poison hemlock |
| Lythrum salicaria | purple loosestrife |
| Celastrus orbiculatus | round leaf bittersweet |
| Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos | spotted knapweed |
| Pastinaca sativa | wild parsnip (except non-wild cultivated varieties) |
Restricted noxious weed (MDA list) — no import, sale or transport (22)
| Scientific name | Common name / notes |
|---|
| Lonicera maackii | Amur honeysuckle |
| Elaeagnus umbellata | autumn olive (added 2026) |
| Lonicera x bella | Bell's honeysuckle |
| Robinia pseudoacacia | black locust |
| Pyrus calleryana | Callery pear |
| Rhamnus cathartica | common/European buckthorn |
| Alopecurus arundinaceus | creeping meadow foxtail (added 2026) |
| Miscanthus sacchariflorus | creeping miscanthus (formerly Amur silvergrass) |
| Securigera varia | crown vetch |
| Alnus glutinosa | European alder |
| Alliaria petiolata | garlic mustard |
| Frangula alnus | glossy buckthorn (and all cultivars) |
| Berberis thunbergii | Japanese barberry — listed cultivars banned now; all non-exempt cultivars may be sold through Dec 31, 2028 and are banned from Jan 1, 2029; some seedless cultivars exempt (see exemptions) |
| Ficaria verna | lesser celandine |
| Lonicera morrowii | Morrow's honeysuckle |
| Rosa multiflora | multiflora rose |
| Ampelopsis brevipedunculata | porcelain berry |
| Tamarix ramosissima | saltcedar |
| Caragana arborescens | Siberian peashrub (exemption: Green Spires® 'Jefarb') |
| Lonicera tatarica | Tatarian honeysuckle |
| Daucus carota | wild carrot / Queen Anne's lace |
| Euonymus alatus | winged burning bush (exemptions: ZeroSeed Blaze™, Fire Ball Seedless™ 'NCEA1') |
Specially regulated plant (MDA list) — sale allowed only under the conditions shown (7)
| Scientific name | Common name / notes |
|---|
| Phellodendron amurense | Amur corktree — only named male cultivars may be sold |
| Acer ginnala | Amur maple — sale allowed with required warning label |
| Petasites hybridus | common butterbur — 3-year production phase-out; restricted from 2029 |
| Petasites japonicus | giant butterbur — 3-year production phase-out; restricted from 2029 |
| Acer platanoides | Norway maple (all cultivars) — sale allowed with required warning label |
| Sorbus aucuparia | rowan mountain ash — 3-year production phase-out; restricted from 2029 |
| Acer tataricum | Tatarian maple — sale allowed with required warning label |
Exempt cultivars (8)
These named cultivars are exempt from the listing above (official source). The species itself remains listed.
| Scientific name | Common name / notes |
|---|
| Berberis thunbergii 'UCONNBTCP4N' Crimson Cutie® | exempt |
| Berberis thunbergii 'UCONNBTB039' Mr. Green Genes® | exempt |
| Berberis thunbergii 'UCONNBTB048' Lemon Glow® | exempt |
| Berberis thunbergii 'UCONNBTB113' Lemon Cutie® | exempt |
| Berberis thunbergii 'NCBT1' Sunjoy Mini Maroon® | exempt |
| Euonymus alatus ZeroSeed Blaze™ | exempt |
| Euonymus alatus 'NCEA1' Fire Ball Seedless™ | exempt |
| Caragana arborescens 'Jefarb' Green Spires® | exempt |
Check plants against Minnesota 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.
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