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Georgia Invasive Plants and Banned Plant List
Georgia bans the sale of every plant on the 111-species federal noxious weed list, including giant hogweed, cogongrass and hydrilla. No Georgia rule bans a common landscape plant by name, and Bradford (Callery) pear is not banned.
Photo: Hillside of autumn hardwoods seen from above in Gilmer County. StephenGA, CC0 1.0, via Flickr
Common plants: banned in Georgia or not
Common garden and landscape plants checked against every official Georgia list. "Yes" means a sale ban applies.
| Plant | Banned from sale in Georgia? | List | What the list prints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford (Callery) pear | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Japanese barberry | No | Not on any official Georgia list | |
| Burning bush | No | Not on any official Georgia list | |
| English ivy | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Chinese privet | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| European (common) privet | No | Not on any official Georgia list | |
| Japanese honeysuckle | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Amur bush honeysuckle | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Kudzu | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Multiflora rose | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Purple loosestrife | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Autumn olive | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Russian olive | No | Not on any official Georgia list | |
| Norway maple | No | Not on any official Georgia list | |
| Mimosa (silk tree) | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Chinese wisteria | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Nandina | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Butterfly bush | No | Not on any official Georgia list | |
| Tree of heaven | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Japanese knotweed | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Japanese stiltgrass | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Oriental bittersweet | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Mile-a-minute | No | Not on any official Georgia list | |
| Chinese tallow | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Chinaberry | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Lantana | No | Not on any official Georgia list | |
| Periwinkle (vinca) | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Japanese spiraea | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Giant hogweed | Yes | 7 CFR 360.200, Terrestrial weeds | Listed plants may not be sold or distributed in Georgia (Live Plant Regulations, Rule 40-4-9-.11(b)). |
| Cogongrass | Yes | 7 CFR 360.200, Terrestrial weeds | Listed plants may not be sold or distributed in Georgia (Live Plant Regulations, Rule 40-4-9-.11(b)). |
| Water hyacinth | No | Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A (advisory, no legal effect) | |
| Hydrilla | Yes | 7 CFR 360.200, Aquatic and wetland weeds | Listed plants may not be sold or distributed in Georgia (Live Plant Regulations, Rule 40-4-9-.11(b)). |
"No" means the plant is not on a ban list. It can still be on an advisory list that has no legal effect, which is shown in the List column.
Georgia banned plant list
7 CFR 360.200: listed plants may not be sold or distributed in Georgia (Live Plant Regulations, Rule 40-4-9-.11(b)).
| Scientific name | Common name | Class or list | Note printed with the entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acacia nilotica | gum arabic tree, thorny acacia | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Aeginetia spp. | Not printed | Parasitic weeds | |
| Ageratina adenophora | crofton weed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Ageratina riparia | creeping croftonweed, mistflower | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Alectra spp. | Not printed | Parasitic weeds | |
| Alternanthera sessilis | sessile joyweed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Arctotheca calendula | capeweed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Asphodelus fistulosus | onionweed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Avena sterilis | animated oat, wild oat | Terrestrial weeds | includes Avena ludoviciana |
| Azolla pinnata | mosquito fern, water velvet | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Carthamus oxyacantha | wild safflower | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Caulerpa taxifolia | killer algae | Aquatic and wetland weeds | Mediterranean strain |
| Chrysopogon aciculatus | pilipiliula | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Commelina benghalensis | Benghal dayflower | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Crupina vulgaris | common crupina | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Cuscuta spp. | Not printed | Parasitic weeds | all species other than the 50 species named as exceptions in 7 CFR 360.200(b) |
| Digitaria abyssinica | African couchgrass, fingergrass | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Digitaria velutina | velvet fingergrass, annual couchgrass | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Drymaria arenariodes | lightning weed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Eichhornia azurea | Not printed | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Emex australis | three-cornered jack | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Emex spinosa | devil's thorn | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Euphorbia terracina | false caper, Geraldton carnation weed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Galega officinalis | goatsrue | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Heracleum mantegazzianum | giant hogweed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Hydrilla verticillata | hydrilla | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Hygrophila polysperma | Miramar weed | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Imperata brasiliensis | Brazilian satintail | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Imperata cylindrica | cogongrass | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Inula britannica | British elecampane, British yellowhead | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Ipomoea aquatica | water-spinach, swamp morning-glory | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Ischaemum rugosum | murainograss | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Lagarosiphon major | Not printed | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Leptochloa chinensis | Asian sprangletop | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Limnophila sessiliflora | ambulia | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Lycium ferocissimum | African boxthorn | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Lygodium flexuosum | maidenhair creeper | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Lygodium microphyllum | Old World climbing fern | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Melaleuca quinquenervia | Not printed | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Melastoma malabathricum | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Mikania cordata | mile-a-minute | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Mikania micrantha | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Mimosa diplotricha | giant sensitive-plant | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Mimosa pigra var. pigra | catclaw mimosa | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Monochoria hastata | Not printed | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Monochoria vaginalis | Not printed | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Moraea collina | apricot Cape-tulip | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Moraea flaccida | one-leaf Cape-tulip | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Moraea miniata | two-leaf Cape-tulip | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Moraea ochroleuca | red Cape-tulip | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Moraea pallida | yellow Cape-tulip | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Nassella trichotoma | serrated tussock | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Onopordum acaulon | stemless thistle | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Onopordum illyricum | Illyrian thistle | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Opuntia aurantiaca | jointed prickly pear | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Orobanche spp. | Not printed | Parasitic weeds | all species other than the 13 species named as exceptions in 7 CFR 360.200(b) |
| Oryza longistaminata | red rice | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Oryza punctata | red rice | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Oryza rufipogon | red rice | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Ottelia alismoides | Not printed | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Paspalum scrobiculatum | Kodo-millet | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Pennisetum clandestinum | kikuyugrass | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Pennisetum macrourum | African feathergrass | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Pennisetum pedicellatum | kyasumagrass | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Pennisetum polystachion | missiongrass, thin napiergrass | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis alpataco | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis argentina | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis articulata | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis burkartii | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis caldenia | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis calingastana | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis campestris | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis castellanosii | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis denudans | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis elata | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis farcta | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis ferox | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis fiebrigii | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis hassleri | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis humilis | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis kuntzei | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis pallida | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis palmeri | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis reptans var. reptans | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis rojasiana | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis ruizlealii | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis ruscifolia | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis sericantha | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis strombulifera | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Prosopis torquata | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Rottboellia cochinchinensis | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Rubus fruticosus | wild blackberry | Terrestrial weeds | (complex) |
| Rubus moluccanus | wild raspberry | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Saccharum spontaneum | wild sugarcane | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Sagittaria sagittifolia | arrowhead | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Salsola vermiculata | wormleaf salsola | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Salvinia auriculata | giant salvinia | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Salvinia biloba | giant salvinia | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Salvinia herzogii | giant salvinia | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Salvinia molesta | giant salvinia | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Senecio inaequidens | South African ragwort | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Senecio madagascariensis | Madagascar ragwort | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Setaria pumila subsp. pallidefusca | cattail grass | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Solanum tampicense | wetland nightshade | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Solanum torvum | turkeyberry | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Solanum viarum | tropical soda apple | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Sparganium erectum | exotic bur-reed | Aquatic and wetland weeds | |
| Spermacoce alata | Not printed | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Striga spp. | witchweeds | Parasitic weeds | |
| Tridax procumbens | coat buttons | Terrestrial weeds | |
| Urochloa panicoides | liverseed grass | Terrestrial weeds |
Scientific names are copied as printed in the rule, including spelling errors in the official text.
How Georgia law treats these plants
Limitations on Noxious Weed Seeds (Prohibited Noxious Weed Seed; Restricted Noxious Weed Seed)
Seed labeling/quality law, not a ban on growing or planting the plant: "It is unlawful to sell, offer for sale, or expose for sale any agricultural or vegetable seed for planting purposes in this State if the noxious weed seeds per pound of pure seed is in excess of the following limitations." Prohibited noxious weed seed: none allowed in seed for sale. Restricted noxious weed seed: a set number per pound allowed, with a sum total of 300 restricted noxious weed seeds per pound. Paragraph (d) also incorporates 7 C.F.R. 360: seed and vegetative propagules of federal noxious weeds may not be intermixed or commingled with seed covered under O.C.G.A. 2-11-22.
Georgia Department of Agriculture (Seed Division), Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 40-12-4-.01 (authority O.C.G.A. 2-11-21). 42 entries; date printed or effective 2020-05-28.
Designation of noxious weeds (Federal Noxious Weed List)
Federal noxious weeds (7 CFR 360) may not be moved interstate or imported without a federal permit. In Georgia, the Live Plant Regulations make it an unlawful act to sell or distribute any plant listed on the Federal Noxious Weed list (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 40-4-9-.11(b); 40-4-9-.01(h) defines Federal Noxious Weed as "Any plant listed under Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 360"), and the Georgia seed rule forbids their seed or propagules being intermixed with seed for sale (40-12-4-.01(d)). The CFR note says a scientific name "is intended to include all subordinate taxa within the taxon".
USDA APHIS, 7 CFR 360.200; made enforceable for plant sales in Georgia by Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 40-4-9-.11(b) and incorporated in seed law by 40-12-4-.01(d). 111 entries; date printed or effective 2010-11-10.
More Georgia lists: control, seed law and advisory
| List | Type | Agency | Plants | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limitations on Noxious Weed Seeds (Prohibited Noxious Weed Seed; Restricted Noxious Weed Seed) | Seed law | Georgia Department of Agriculture (Seed Division) | 42 | Seed labeling/quality law, not a ban on growing or planting the plant: "It is unlawful to sell, offer for sale, or expose for sale any agricultural or vegetable seed for planting purposes in this State if the noxious weed seeds per pound of pure seed is in … |
| Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A: Invasive Species of Concern in Georgia (plants) | Advisory list | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (Georgia Invasive Species Advisory Committee) | 83 | Advisory list; it has no legal effect. |
| Top Twelve Nonnative Invasive Plants – 2021 Dirty Dozen List | Advisory list | Georgia Forestry Commission (data credited to US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis Program and the Georgia Forestry Commission) | 12 | Advisory list; it has no legal effect. |
Seed law lists limit weed seed in seed sold for planting; they do not ban growing the plant. Advisory lists rank plants by threat and carry no legal effect.
Advisory invasive plant lists for Georgia
A state agency publishes these lists to show which plants spread into natural areas. They are not laws.
| Scientific name | Common name | Agency | Rank or group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Achyranthes japonica | Japanese chaff flower | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 3 Species |
| Ailanthus altissima | tree of heaven | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Albizia julibrissin | mimosa | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Alliaria petiolata | garlic mustard | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Alternanthera philoxeroides | alligatorweed | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Ardisia crenata | coral ardisia | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Arthraxon hispidus | small carpgrass | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 3 Species |
| Arundo donax | giant reed | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Cabomba pulcherrima | purple cabomba | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Celastrus orbiculatus | oriential bittersweet | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Cinnamomum camphora | camphortree | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Colocasia esculenta | wild taro | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Commelina benghalensis | tropical spiderwort | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Cynodon dactylon | Bermuda grass | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Dioscorea bulbifera | air yam | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Dioscorea oppositifolia | Chinese yam | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Egeria densa | Brazilian elodea | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Eichhornia crassipes | common water hyacinth | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Elaeagnus pungens | silverberry, thorny olive | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Elaeagnus umbellata | autumn olive | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Hedera helix | English ivy | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Hydrilla verticillata | hydrilla | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Hygrophila polysperma | East Indian hygrophylia | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Imperata cylindrica | cogongrass | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Lespedeza bicolor | shrubby lespedeza | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Lespedeza cuneata | sericea lespedeza | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Leucanthemum vulgare | oxeye daisy | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Ligustrum japonicum | Japanese privet | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Ligustrum sinense | Chinese privet | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Limnophila sessiliflora | Asian marshweed | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Lolium arundinaceum | tall fescue | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Lonicera japonica | Japanese honeysuckle | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Lonicera maackii | Amur honeysuckle | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Ludwigia hexapetala | Uruguayan water primrose | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Ludwigia peploides | creeping water primrose | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Lygodium japonicum | Japanese climbing fern | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Lyngbya spp. | blue-green algae | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Lythrum salicaria | purple loosestrife | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Mahonia aquifolium | Oregon grape | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Marsilea minuta | dwarf water clover | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Melia azedarach | chinaberrytree | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Microstegium vimineum | Japanese stilt grass, Nepalese browntop | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Miscanthus sinensis | Chinese silvergrass | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Morus alba | white mulberry | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Murdannia keisak | Asian spiderwort, marsh dewflower | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Myriophylium heterophyllum | variable leaf milfoil | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Myriophyllum aquaticum | parrotfeather | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Myriophyllum spicatum | Eurasian watermilfoil | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Najas marina | spiny leaf naiad | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Najas minor | brittle (European) naiad | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Nandina domestica | nandina, heavenly bamboo | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Nasturtium officinale | watercress | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Orobanche minor | small broomrape | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Paederia foetida | skunk vine | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 3 Species |
| Panicum repens | torpedo grass | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Paspalum notatum | bahiagrass | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Paulownia tomentosa | princesstree | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Phragmites australis | common reed | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Phyllostachys aurea | golden bamboo | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Pinus clausa | sand pine | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Pistia stratiotes | water lettuce | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Polygonum cuspidatum | Japanese knotweed | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Pueraria montana | kudzu | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Pyrus calleryana | Callery pear | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Rosa multiflora | multiflora rose | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Rottboellia cochinchinensis | itchgrass | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Salvinia minima | common salvinia | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Salvinia molesta | giant salvinia | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Sapium sebiferum (=Triadica sebifera) | Chinese tallow | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Sesbania herbacea | bigpod sesbania | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Sesbania punicea | rattlebox | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Solanum viarum | tropical soda apple | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Sorghum halepense | johnsongrass | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Spiraea japonica | Japanese spirea | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Tamarix gallica | French tamarisk | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Tamarix ramosissima | salt cedar | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Vernicia fordii | tungoil tree | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Vinca major | bigleaf periwinkle | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Vinca minor | common periwinkle | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Invasive Species Watch List |
| Vitex rotundifolia | beach vitex | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 2 Species |
| Wisteria floribunda | Japanese wisteria | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Wisteria sinensis | Chinese wisteria | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Zizaniopsis miliacea | giant cut grass (southern wild rice) | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division | Priority 1 Species |
| Not printed | Callery pear (Bradford pear) | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | chinaberry | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | Chinese tallowtree | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | English ivy | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | Japanese climbing fern | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | kudzu | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | mimosa (Chinese silk tree) | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | Nepalese browntop | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | non-native lespedeza | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | non-native olive | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | non-native privet | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
| Not printed | wisteria | Georgia Forestry Commission | Top Twelve (ranked) |
When to plant in Georgia: crop by crop
Planting dates for each crop in Georgia, from the UGA Cooperative Extension calendar.
Georgia invasive and banned plants: questions
Is Bradford pear illegal in Georgia?
No. Bradford (Callery) pear is not on a Georgia ban list. It appears on the Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A: Invasive Species of Concern in Georgia (plants), which is advisory list and does not ban sales.
Can nurseries sell Japanese barberry in Georgia?
No. None of the Georgia lists names Japanese barberry.
Is burning bush illegal to sell in Georgia?
No. None of the Georgia lists names burning bush.
Can you sell privet in Georgia?
No. Chinese privet is not on a Georgia ban list. It appears on the Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A: Invasive Species of Concern in Georgia (plants), which is advisory list and does not ban sales.
Is kudzu a noxious weed in Georgia?
No. Kudzu is not on a Georgia ban list. It appears on the Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A: Invasive Species of Concern in Georgia (plants), which is advisory list and does not ban sales.
Which agency keeps the Georgia list?
USDA APHIS (7 CFR 360.200; made enforceable for plant sales in Georgia by Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 40-4-9-.11(b) and incorporated in seed law by 40-12-4-.01(d)). Effective or printed date: 2010-11-10.
Does the Georgia seed law ban plants?
No. The seed list caps weed seeds in bags of crop, lawn or vegetable seed sold in Georgia. Only the ban list stops the plant itself from being sold.
Where these Georgia lists come from
- Limitations on Noxious Weed Seeds (Prohibited Noxious Weed Seed; Restricted Noxious Weed Seed), Georgia Department of Agriculture (Seed Division). Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 40-12-4-.01 (authority O.C.G.A. 2-11-21). Effective or printed date: 2020-05-28. Read November 12, 2026.
- Designation of noxious weeds (Federal Noxious Weed List), USDA APHIS. 7 CFR 360.200; made enforceable for plant sales in Georgia by Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 40-4-9-.11(b) and incorporated in seed law by 40-12-4-.01(d). Effective or printed date: 2010-11-10. Read November 12, 2026.
- Georgia Invasive Species Strategy, Appendix A: Invasive Species of Concern in Georgia (plants), Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (Georgia Invasive Species Advisory Committee). Effective or printed date: 2009-08. Read November 12, 2026.
- Top Twelve Nonnative Invasive Plants – 2021 Dirty Dozen List, Georgia Forestry Commission (data credited to US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis Program and the Georgia Forestry Commission). Effective or printed date: 2021. Read November 12, 2026.
Only lists published by a state agency, in state law or in federal rule are used. Lists change; check the agency page before buying or selling plants.
More for Georgia: Georgia gardening, what to plant now, planting zone map, frost dates and the lawn care calendar. For plant identification, ask your UGA Cooperative Extension county office.
Photos: Hillside of autumn hardwoods seen from above in Gilmer County: StephenGA, CC0 1.0, via Flickr; Pasture and farm pond below wooded Blackjack Mountain in Carroll County: Thomson20192, CC0 1.0, via Flickr; Flat open fields and a drainage ditch under a wide sky in Berrien County: VLMPO, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr; Red barn and green pasture behind a wooden fence outside Hawkinsville in Pulaski County: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr; Pond cypress draped in Spanish moss beside open prairie water in the Okefenokee Swamp: Moultrie Creek from St. Augustine, FL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Yellow wildflowers blooming across Chase Prairie in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr; Tomato plant with fruit in a garden: MavisLee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Pepper plant in a kitchen garden loaded with green, yellow and red peppers: NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Potato plant growing in a garden bed: Kolforn (Kolforn), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Field of sweet corn in summer: Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Clusters of long green bean pods hanging from a climbing bean vine: Nirajan_pant, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Cucumber vines climbing a wooden trellis in a kitchen garden: NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Squash plant with yellow blossoms and spreading stems in a straw-mulched garden: Mary O'Neill, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Heads of lettuce in a garden bed: Prenn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.