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Tennessee
Is cogongrass banned in Tennessee?
Yes. Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) 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: Farmland in Carter County, Tennessee, with the Iron Mountains on the horizon. Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Tennessee listing for cogongrass
The official Tennessee entry for cogongrass and what that list means.
| Plant as printed | Imperata cylindrica (cogongrass) |
| 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 |
| What the list means | 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.
Sunrise over forested ridges from the Oconaluftee Valley Overlook, Great Smoky Mountains
Cogongrass on other Tennessee lists
| List | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Federal noxious weed list (7 CFR 360.200 Designation of noxious weeds) | Federal list | Federal: "No person may move a Federal noxious weed into or through the United States, or interstate" without a USDA permit (7 CFR 360.300). A scientific name includes all … |
Cogongrass in neighboring and other states
| State | Cogongrass banned from sale? | List |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Yes | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 |
| Georgia | Yes | 7 CFR 360.200, Terrestrial weeds |
| North Carolina | Yes | 7 CFR 360.200, Terrestrial weeds |
| Texas | No | Not on any official list read |
| Pennsylvania | Not by name | Named only on an advisory list and the federal noxious weed list |
| Ohio | No | Not on any official list read |
States on this site. Each answer comes from that state's official lists; follow the link for the details.
More Tennessee banned plant questions
- Bradford (Callery) pear
- Chinese privet
- European (common) privet
- Amur bush honeysuckle
- Multiflora rose
- Purple loosestrife
- Autumn olive
For every plant Tennessee bans, with a filter and the advisory lists, see the Tennessee invasive plants page.
Questions about cogongrass in Tennessee
Is cogongrass banned in Tennessee?
Yes. Cogongrass 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 cogongrass ban in Tennessee?
Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 carries the date April 13, 2009.
Who keeps the list that bans cogongrass 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 cogongrass?
Tennessee lists print it as Imperata cylindrica and Imperata cylindrica (Linnaeus) Palisot de Beauvois.
Do other states ban cogongrass?
Georgia and North Carolina have it on a sale ban list, among the states covered here.
How do I find out if a plant in my yard is cogongrass?
Take a sample or photo to the UT Extension office in your county. Each Tennessee county page on this site lists its office.
Sources
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. Dated: April 13, 2009. Read November 12, 2026.
Federal noxious weed list (7 CFR 360.200 Designation of noxious weeds), USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. 7 CFR 360.200. Dated: November 10, 2010. 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: Farmland in Carter County, Tennessee, with the Iron Mountains on the horizon: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; The Big South Fork of the Cumberland River in its forested gorge, Tennessee: ChristopherM (talk) (Uploads), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons; Sunrise over forested ridges from the Oconaluftee Valley Overlook, Great Smoky Mountains: Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Gatlinburg, TN, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.