Home › Tennessee › Invasive plants › Chinese Privet
Tennessee
Is Chinese privet banned in Tennessee?
Yes. Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) 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: Cosby Creek running through hardwood forest in the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee. Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How Tennessee law lists Chinese privet
The listing behind the answer above, copied from the official source.
| Plant as printed | Ligustrum sinense (Chinese 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 |
| Effective or printed date | April 13, 2009 |
| Printed with the entry | Retail: January 2010; Wholesale: January 2012 |
| Effect of the listing | 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.
Chinese privet bans by state
| State | Chinese Privet banned from sale? | List |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Yes | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 |
| Georgia | No | Named only on an advisory list |
| 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 | No | Named only on an advisory list |
States on this site. Each answer comes from that state's official lists; follow the link for the details.
More plants checked against Tennessee lists
- Bradford (Callery) pear
- European (common) privet
- Amur bush honeysuckle
- Multiflora rose
- Purple loosestrife
- Autumn olive
- Cogongrass
The complete Tennessee lists and what each rule allows are on the invasive plants page for Tennessee.
Common questions: Chinese privet in Tennessee
Is Chinese privet banned in Tennessee?
Yes. Chinese 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.
What date applies to the Chinese privet ban in Tennessee?
April 13, 2009 is the date printed or in force for Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02. The entry notes: Retail: January 2010; Wholesale: January 2012
Who keeps the list that bans Chinese 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.
Which species is Chinese privet?
Tennessee lists print it as Ligustrum sinense.
Do other states ban Chinese privet?
Pennsylvania lists it as banned from sale; the table above shows each state.
How do I find out if a plant in my yard is Chinese privet?
Ask the UT Extension office for your county. Contact details are on every Tennessee county page here.
Where this answer comes from
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 shown: 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: Cosby Creek running through hardwood forest in the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Early fall foliage along the Russell Field Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; 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.