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Tennessee
Is European (common) privet banned in Tennessee?
Yes. European (common) privet (Ligustrum vulgare) is on the Tennessee list “Pest Plant List (Chapter 0080-06-24 Pest Plant Regulations)”. Listed plants may not be propagated, sold, offered for sale or released in Tennessee.
Photo: Fall foliage along the Bote Mountain Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Tennessee rule says about European (common) privet
This is the entry that bans European (common) privet from sale in Tennessee, with the rule text as recorded.
| Plant as printed | Ligustrum vulgare (common privet, European privet) |
| List | Pest Plant List (Chapter 0080-06-24 Pest Plant Regulations) |
| Agency | Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industries (now Consumer and Industry Services) |
| Citation | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 |
| Rule date | April 13, 2009 |
| Printed with the entry | Retail: January 2010; Wholesale: January 2012 |
| What the rule says | Listed pest plants "shall not be propagated, sold, offered for sale, or released within the state" (0080-06-24-.02(1)); permits only for research/propagative purposes under a compliance agreement, safeguarded from sale or release (0080-06-24-.03). Some entries carry phased dates printed in the rule (Retail / Wholesale). Authority T.C.A. 43-6-104 and 43-6-106(9). |
Text recorded from the official rule, read November 12, 2026. Scientific names are copied as printed.
Is European (common) privet banned in other states?
| State | Common Privet banned from sale? | List |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Yes | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 |
| Georgia | No | Not on any official list read |
| North Carolina | No | Not on any official list read |
| Texas | No | Not on any official list read |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | 3 Pa.C.S. Ch. 15, Class B Noxious Weed |
| Ohio | Yes | Ohio Adm. Code 901:5-30-01 |
States on this site. Each answer comes from that state's official lists; follow the link for the details.
Other plants people ask about in Tennessee
- Bradford (Callery) pear
- Chinese privet
- Amur bush honeysuckle
- Multiflora rose
- Purple loosestrife
- Autumn olive
- Cogongrass
The Tennessee invasive plants list has every plant on the state ban lists with a filter, the advisory lists and what each rule means.
European (common) privet in Tennessee: questions
Is European (common) privet banned in Tennessee?
Yes. European (common) privet is on the Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 list in Tennessee, and listed plants may not be propagated, sold, offered for sale or released in Tennessee.
Since when is European (common) privet banned in Tennessee?
The date printed or effective for the Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 list is April 13, 2009. The entry notes: Retail: January 2010; Wholesale: January 2012
Which agency bans European (common) privet in Tennessee?
Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industries (now Consumer and Industry Services), under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02.
What is European (common) privet called on the Tennessee list?
Tennessee lists print it as Ligustrum vulgare.
Is European (common) privet banned in neighboring states?
Of the states on this site, Pennsylvania and Ohio ban its sale.
Who can identify European (common) privet for me in Tennessee?
Your county office of UT Extension can identify plants. Offices are listed on each county page under Tennessee gardening.
Sources for European (common) privet in Tennessee
Pest Plant List (Chapter 0080-06-24 Pest Plant Regulations), Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industries (now Consumer and Industry Services). Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02. Date printed or effective: April 13, 2009. Read November 12, 2026.
Lists change; check the agency page before buying or selling plants. More for Tennessee: Tennessee gardening, what to plant now and the planting zone map.
Photos: Fall foliage along the Bote Mountain Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Mountain stream through fall foliage in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Don Sniegowski, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Lone Mountain rising above fields in Morgan County, Tennessee: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Mixed pine and hardwood forest on Brush Mountain in the Citico Creek Wilderness, Tennessee: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Fall color over the French Broad River from Chimney Rocks in Cherokee National Forest near Del Rio, Tennessee: AppalachianCentrist, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.