PRISM is targeting common invasive plants in the Blue Ridge. More than 90 nonnative plants are listed as invasive by the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation – these plants are established in many areas throughout the Commonwealth and clearly have the potential to become established in other areas.
Click on the name of an invasive plant to go to a detailed downloadable fact sheet. Each fact sheet contains information about the plant including habitat preferences, identification, and control options.
Blue Ridge PRISM Fact Sheets
- Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
- Callery (Bradford) Pear (Pyrus calleryana)
- Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
- Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
- Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum)
- Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata)
- Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)
- Mile-A-Minute (Persicaria perfoliata)
- Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
- Asiatic Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
- Wavyleaf Grass (Oplismenus undulatifolius)
- Porcelain-berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata)
- Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense)
- Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
- Spotted Lanternfly which prefers the tree-of-heaven
If you are unfamiliar with a control method mentioned in an invasive plant fact sheet, you’ll find it described in detail in one of the three fact sheets listed below. The fact sheets on using herbicides are helpful when it comes to understanding how herbicides work and how to use them safely.
Use these fact sheets in conjunction with PRISM’s invasive plant fact sheets:
- How to Control Invasive Plants: Manual, Mechanical, and Biological Methods
- Herbicide Basics
- Controlling Invasive Plants Effectively & Safely with Herbicides
- Virginia Department of Forestry Herbicide Recommendation Chart
Invasive Plant Fact Sheets and Resources from Other Organizations
- Chocolate Vine / Fiveleaf Akebia (Akebia quinata) – from Invasive.org
- Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) – from Penn State Ext Office
- Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) – from Penn State Ext Office
- Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) – from Penn State Ext Office
- Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis & Wisteria floribunda) – from Invasive.org
- Wisteria (Wisteia sinensis & Wisteria floribunda) – from Cabi.org
- Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) – from SE-EPPC
- Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) – from UCONN Extension
- Joint-head Grass (Arthraxon hispidus var. hispidus) – USDA Forest Service Weed of the Week
- Bamboos (Phyllostachys spp. and Bambusa spp.) – Clemson Cooperative Extension
Garden Escape Artist
Many of the worst invasive plants plaguing our natural and agricultural areas began their careers in home gardens or landscape settings. Some were – and most still are – sold in nurseries and garden centers. This fact sheet discusses the problem of garden plants going wild and lists the most common invasive plants that we recommend you remove from your garden and/or do not plant.