Massachusetts residents have endured another annoyingly long winter season and spring is finally here!

With the help of a few unseasonable warm 70-degree days this past week, we are ready for the warm weather to stay. Folks all over the state are fully embracing their favorite springtime activities and that of course means getting the yard and garden in order.

Whether or not you're a seasoned green thumb or you've decided to embrace the hobby this year, there is a TON you need to know. Unfortunately, we're not just talking about fertilizer and sunlight, we're talking about plants that are illegal to grow in Massachusetts.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Cultural Resources, there is a large, LONG list of plants that are illegal for Bay State residents to grow import, sell, or trade of plants because they've been determined to be invasive in Massachusetts.

 

Common NameScientific Name
aeginetiaAeginetia spp.
African boxthornLycium ferrocissimum
African couch grassDigitaria abyssinica; D. scalarum
African feathergrassPennisetum macrourum
alectraAlectra spp.
alfombrillaDrymaria arenarioides
ambuliaLimnophila sessiliflora
Amur cork-treePhellodendron amurense
Amur honeysuckleLonicera maackii
anchored water hyacinthEichhornia azurea
animated oatAvena sterilis
Argentine screwbeanProsopis strombulifera
arrowheadSagittaria sagittifolia
Asian sprangletopLeptochloa chinensis
autumn oliveElaeagnus umbellata
Bell's honeysuckleLonicera x bella
[L. morrowii x L. tatarica]
Benghal dayflowerCommelina benghalensis
Bishop's weed; goutweedAegopodium podagraria
black locustRobinia pseudoacacia
black swallow-wort; Louise's swallow-wortCynanchum louiseae
Border privetLigustrum obtusifolium
borreriaSpermacoce alata
Brazilian satintailImperata brasiliensis
Brazilian waterweed; anacharis; Brazilian elodeaEgeria densa; Elodea densa; Anacharis densa
brittle water-nymph; lesser naiadNajas minor
broad-leafed pepperweed; tall pepperweedLepidium latifolium
broomrapeNon-native Orobanche spp.
brownbeard rice; red riceOryza rufipogon
burning bush; winged euonymusEuonymus alatus
bushy rock-cress; narrowleaf bittercressCardamine impatiens
Cape tulipHomeria spp.; Moraea spp.
Carolina Fanwort; fanwortCabomba caroliniana
catclaw mimosaMimosa pigra
cattail grass; yellow foxtailSetaria pallidifusca; S. pallidefusca; S. pumila
caulerpaCaulerpa taxifolia
Chinese waterspinach
*Permit required - contact Department*
Ipomoea aquatica
coat buttonsTridax procumbens
coltsfootTussilago farfara
common barberry; European barberryBerberis vulgaris
common buckthornRhamnus cathartica
common crupinaCrupina vulgaris
common reedPhragmites australis
creeping buttercupRanunculus repens
creeping Jenny; moneywortLysimachia nummularia
crisped pondweed; curly pondweedPotamogeton crispus
crofton weedAgeratina adenophora
Cypress spurgeEuphorbia cyparissias
Dames RocketHesperis matronalis
devil's thornEmex spinosa
dodderNon-native Cuscuta spp.
duck-lettuceOttelia alismoides
Eurasian or European water-milfoil; Spike water-milfoilMyriophyllum spicatum
European buckthorn; glossy buckthornFrangula alnus; Rhamnus frangula
exotic bur-reedSparganium erectum
Flowering rushButomus umbellatus
forget-me-notMyosotis scorpioides
garlic mustardAlliaria petiolata
giant false sensitive plant; false sensitive plantMimosa diplotricha; M. invisa
giant hogweedHeracleum mantegazzianum
giant salvinia; eared watermossSalvinia auriculata
giant salvinia; kariba-weedSalvinia molesta
giant salviniaSalvinia biloba
giant salviniaSalvinia herzogii
goatsrueGalega officinalis
gray willow, rusty willowSalix cinereaSalix cinerea ssp.oleifolia
hair fescue; fineleaf sheep fescueFestuca filiformis
hairy joint grass; jointhead; small carpetgrassArthraxon hispidus
hairy willow-herb; Codlins and CreamEpilobium hirsutum
horned poppy; sea poppy; yellow hornpoppyGlaucium flavum
hydrilla; water-thyme; Florida elodeaHydrilla verticillata
itchgrassRottboellia cochinchinensis
Japanese BarberryBerberis thunbergii
Japanese honeysuckleLonicera japonica
Japanese hopsHumulus japonicus
Japanese knotweedFallopia japonica; Polygonum cuspidatum; Reynoutria japonica
Japanese sedge; Asiatic sand sedgeCarex kobomugi
Japanese stiltgrass; Nepalese browntopMicrostegium vimineum
jointed prickly pearOpuntia aurantiaca
kiaweProsopis pallida
kikuyugrassPennisetum clandestinum
Kodo-milletPaspalum scrobiculatum
kudzu; Japanese arrowrootPueraria montana
Kyasuma grassPennisetum pedicellatum
large gray willowSalix atrocinereaSalix cinerea ssp. oleifolia
leafy Spurge; Wolf's MilkEuphorbia esula
lesser celandine; fig buttercupRanunculus ficaria; Ficaria verna
liverseed grassUrochloa panicoides
longstamen rice; red riceOryza longistaminata
Malabar melastomeMelastoma malabathricum
melaleucaMelaleuca quinquenervia
mile-a-minute vine or weed; Asiatic TearthumbPolygonum perfoliatum, Persicaria perfoliata
mile-a-minute; bittervineMikania micrantha
mile-a-minute; heartleaf hempvineMikania cordata
Miramar weedHygrophila polysperma
missiongrassPennisetum polystachyon; P. polystachion
monochoriaMonochoria hastata
Morrow's honeysuckleLonicera morrowii
mosquito fernAzolla pinnata
multiflora roseRosa multiflora
murain-grassIschaemum rugosum
Norway mapleAcer platanoides
onion weedAsphodelus fistulosus
Oriental/Asiatic bittersweetCelastrus orbiculatus
oxygen weedLagarosiphon major
pale swallow-wortCynanchum rossicum
parrot-feather; water-feather; Brazilian water-milfoilMyriophyllum aquaticum
pickerel weedMonochoria vaginalis
pilipiliulaChrysopogon aciculatus
plume grass; Amur silvergrassMiscanthus sacchariflorus
(also covers Miscanthus x giganteus, a hybrid of M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis)
porcelain-berry; Amur peppervineAmpelopsis brevipedunculata
purple loosestrifeLythrum salicaria
red riceOryza punctata
reed canary-grass, ribbon grassPhalaris arundinacea
serrated tussockNassella trichotoma
sessile joyweedAlternanthera sessilis
spotted knapweedCentaurea biebersteinii; C. stoebe ssp. micranthos
sycamore mapleAcer pseudoplatanus
tall mannagrass; reed mannagrassGlyceria maxima
tansy ragwort; stinking WillieSenecio jacobaea
Tatarian honeysuckleLonicera tatarica
three-cornered jackEmex australis
tornilloProsopis reptans
tree of heavenAilanthus altissima
tropical soda appleSolanum viarum
turkeyberrySolanum torvum
variable water-milfoil; two-leaved water-milfoilMyriophyllum heterophyllum
velvet fingergrassDigitaria velutina
velvet mesquiteProsopis velutina
water yellowcress; great yellowcressRorippa amphibia
water-chestnutTrapa natans
wetland nightshadeSolanum tampicense
wild blackberry complexRubus fruticosus
wild blackberryRubus moluccanus
wild chervilAnthriscus sylvestris
wild safflower; jeweled distaff thistleCarthamus oxyacanthus; C. oxycantha
wild sugarcaneSaccharum spontaneum
wineberry; Japanese wineberry; wine raspberryRubus phoenicolasius
witchweedStriga spp.
wormleaf salsolaSalsola vermiculata
yellow floating heartNymphoides peltata
yellow IrisIris pseudacorus

 

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To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

 

LOOK: 20 tips to help your houseplants survive the winter

 

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