Home › Tennessee › Invasive plants › Purple Loosestrife
Tennessee
Is purple loosestrife banned in Tennessee?
Yes. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) 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: Open farm fields near Cedar Hill in Robertson County, Tennessee. Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Purple loosestrife on the Tennessee list
Where purple loosestrife appears in Tennessee law and what the listing does.
| Plant as printed | Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) |
| 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 |
| Effective or printed date | April 13, 2009 |
| Printed with the entry | printed as "Lythrum salicaria, Lythrum virgatum and related cultivars" |
| Legal effect | 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.
Which states ban purple loosestrife
| State | Purple Loosestrife banned from sale? | List |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Yes | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 |
| Georgia | No | Named only on an advisory list |
| North Carolina | Yes | 02 NCAC 48A .1700-.1708, Class B Noxious Weeds |
| Texas | Yes | 4 Tex. Admin. Code ยง19.300, Noxious plants |
| 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 common plants and Tennessee law
- Bradford (Callery) pear
- Chinese privet
- European (common) privet
- Amur bush honeysuckle
- Multiflora rose
- Autumn olive
- Cogongrass
All Tennessee ban lists, searchable, are on the Tennessee invasive and banned plants page.
Tennessee purple loosestrife questions
Is purple loosestrife banned in Tennessee?
Yes. Purple loosestrife 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.
What date applies to the purple loosestrife ban in Tennessee?
The list is dated April 13, 2009 (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02). The entry notes: printed as "Lythrum salicaria, Lythrum virgatum and related cultivars"
Who keeps the list that bans purple loosestrife in Tennessee?
Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industries (now Consumer and Industry Services), under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02.
Which species is purple loosestrife?
Tennessee lists print it as Lythrum salicaria and Lythrum virgatum.
Do other states ban purple loosestrife?
Among the states this site covers: North Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
How do I find out if a plant in my yard is purple loosestrife?
UT Extension county offices identify plants for residents; find yours on your county page.
Official sources used
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 in force or printed: 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: Open farm fields near Cedar Hill in Robertson County, Tennessee: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Round hay bales in a frosty hayfield at dawn in Athens, Tennessee: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Crop field bordered by a grassy edge and tree line in Gadsden, Tennessee: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Green farm fields near Cowan in Franklin County, Tennessee: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.