Plants in horticulture

Interested in finding out which horticultural plants may cause problems in California’s natural areas? The table below shows all plants from the Cal-IPC Inventory that are known to occur in horticulture. Plants with an asterisk (*) after the scientific name are “Watch” plants, which are not currently invasive in California but which have been assessed as a high risk of becoming invasive in California in the future.

  • Click the scientific name to see the Risk Assessment for any plant.
  • For the Plant Profile page, with links to more information about that plant, click the icon in the right column.
  • To sort the list (for instance, by rating), click on the appropriate column heading.
  • To show only the plants found in a given PlantRight Region, use the Region filter [under construction].

Scientific nameCommon namesRatingAlertProfile
Acacia baileyana * cootamundra wattle Watch
Acacia dealbata silver wattle Moderate
Acacia longifolia * Sydney golden wattle Watch
Acacia melanoxylon blackwood Acacia Limited
Acacia saligna * orange wattle Watch
Acaena novae-zelandiae * biddy-biddy Watch
Agrostis stolonifera creeping bent Limited
Ailanthus altissima tree-of-heaven Moderate
Alopecurus pratensis * meadow foxtail Watch
Araujia sericifera * bladderflower Watch
Arctotheca calendula fertile capeweed ModerateX
Arctotheca prostrata capeweed Moderate
Arum italicum * Italian Arum Watch
Arundo donax giant reed High
Asparagus setaceus * common Asparagus fern Watch
Asparagus aethiopicus * Asparagus fern Watch
Asparagus asparagoides bridal creeper ModerateX
Asphodelus fistulosus onion weed ModerateX
Atriplex semibaccata Australian saltbush Moderate
Berberis darwinii * Darwin barberry Watch
Briza maxima big quakinggrass Limited
Buddleja davidii * butterfly bush Watch
Carex pendula * hanging sedge Watch
Carpobrotus chilensis sea fig Moderate
Carpobrotus edulis highway iceplant High
Casuarina equisetifolia * beach sheoak Watch
Catharanthus roseus * Madagascar periwinkle Watch
Cestrum parqui * willow jessamine Watch
Chasmanthe floribunda * African cornflag Watch
Cortaderia jubata jubatagrass High
Cortaderia selloana pampasgrass High
Cotoneaster franchetii orange Cotoneaster Moderate
Cotoneaster lacteus milkflower Cotoneaster Moderate
Cotoneaster pannosus silverleaf Cotoneaster Moderate
Cotula coronopifolia common brassbuttons Limited
Crataegus monogyna English hawthorn Limited
Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora montbretia Limited
Cuscuta japonica * Japanese dodder Watch
Cynara cardunculus artichoke thistle Moderate
Cynodon dactylon Bermuda grass Moderate
Cynoglossum officinale common houndstongue Moderate
Cytisus scoparius Scotch broom High
Cytisus striatus Portuguese broom Moderate
Dactylis glomerata orchard grass Limited
Datura inoxia * pricklyburr Watch
Delairea odorata Cape-ivy High
Digitalis purpurea foxglove Limited
Dipogon lignosus * Cape sweet pea Watch
Dipsacus fullonum wild teasel Moderate
Echium candicans pride-of-Madeira Limited
Egeria densa Brazilian Egeria High
Eichhornia crassipes water hyacinth High
Elaeagnus angustifolia Russian olive Moderate
Erica lusitanica Spanish heath Limited
Erodium cicutarium redstem filaree Limited
Eucalyptus camaldulensis red gum Limited
Eucalyptus cladocalyx * sugargum Watch
Eucalyptus globulus blue gum Limited
Euphorbia lathyris * caper spurge Watch
Euphorbia myrsinites * myrtle spurge Watch
Euphorbia oblongata eggleaf spurge Limited
Fallopia ×bohemica * Bohemian knotweed Watch
Festuca arundinacea reed fescue Moderate
Ficus carica edible fig Moderate
Foeniculum vulgare fennel Moderate
Galenia pubescens * coastal Galenia Watch
Gazania linearis Gazania ModerateX
Genista monspessulana French broom High
Geranium lucidum * shining Geranium Watch
Grevillea robusta * silkoak Watch
Gunnera tinctoria * Chilean Gunnera Watch
Gypsophila paniculata * baby's breath Watch
Hedera canariensis Algerian ivy High
Hedera helix English ivy High
Helianthus tuberosus * Jerusalem artichoke Watch
Helichrysum petiolare licorice plant Limited
Hieracium aurantiacum * orange hawkweed Watch
Hirschfeldia incana short-pod mustard Moderate
Holcus lanatus common velvet grass Moderate
Hypericum androsaemum * sweet-amber Watch
Hypericum canariense Canary Island St. Johnswort ModerateX
Hypericum perforatum St. John's wort Limited
Ilex aquifolium English holly Limited
Impatiens glandulifera * Himalayan balsam Watch
Ipomoea indica * blue morning glory Watch
Iris pseudacorus yellowflag Iris Limited
Isatis tinctoria dyer's woad Moderate
Kniphofia uvaria * redhot poker Watch
Kochia scoparia Kochia Limited
Lantana camara * Lantana Watch
Lathyrus latifolius * perennial sweet pea Watch
Leptospermum laevigatum * Australian tea tree Watch
Leucanthemum vulgare ox-eye daisy Moderate
Linaria vulgaris yellow toadflax Moderate
Lobularia maritima sweet Alyssum Limited
Ludwigia hexapetala creeping waterprimrose High
Ludwigia peploides floating water primrose High
Lythrum junceum * creeping loosestrife Watch
Lythrum salicaria purple loosestrife High
Malephora crocea * coppery Mesembryanthemum Watch
Marrubium vulgare horehound Limited
Maytenus boaria * mayten Watch
Melia azedarach * Chinaberry tree Watch
Melinis repens * Natal grass Watch
Mentha pulegium pennyroyal Moderate
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum crystalline iceplant ModerateX
Myoporum laetum ngaio tree Moderate
Myosotis latifolia common forget-me-not Limited
Myriophyllum aquaticum parrotfeather High
Nassella trichotoma * serrated tussock Watch
Nicotiana glauca tree tobacco Moderate
Olea europaea olive Limited
Onopordum acanthium Scotch thistle High
Osteospermum calendulaceum * Scotch thistle Watch
Paspalum vaginatum * seashore Paspalum Watch
Peganum harmala * African-rue Watch
Pennisetum ciliare * buffelgrass Watch
Pennisetum setaceum crimson fountain grass Moderate
Pennisetum villosum * feathertop Watch
Persicaria wallichii * Himalayan knotweed Watch
Phalaris aquatica harding grass Moderate
Phoenix canariensis Canary Island date palm Limited
Phytolacca americana common pokeweed Limited
Pittosporum undulatum * Victorian box Watch
Plantago lanceolata English plantain Limited
Plecostachys serpyllifolia * petite-licorice Watch
Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass Limited
Potentilla recta * sulphur cinquefoil Watch
Prunus cerasifera cherry plum Limited
Pulicaria paludosa * Spanish false fleabane Watch
Pyracantha angustifolia narrowleaf firethorn Limited
Pyrus calleryana * Callery pear Watch
Ranunculus repens creeping buttercup Limited
Rhamnus alaternus * Italian buckthorn Watch
Ricinus communis castor bean Limited
Robinia pseudoacacia black locust Limited
Rubus armeniacus Himalayan blackberry High
Rumex acetosella sheep sorrel Moderate
Saccharum ravennae ravennagrass ModerateX
Salvia aethiopis Mediterranean sage Limited
Saponaria officinalis bouncing-bet Limited
Scabiosa atropurpurea * pincushion flower Watch
Schinus molle Peruvian peppertree Limited
Schinus terebinthifolia Brazilian pepper tree ModerateX
Senecio elegans * redpurple ragwort Watch
Sesbania punicea scarlet Wisteria High
Silybum marianum milk thistle Limited
Solanum aviculare * New Zealand nightshade Watch
Spartium junceum Spanish broom High
Stipa tenuissima * Mexican feathergrass Watch
Tamarix aphylla athel Limited
Tamarix parviflora smallflower tamarisk High
Tamarix ramosissima saltcedar High
Tanacetum vulgare common tansy Moderate
Triadica sebifera Chinese tallow tree ModerateX
Verbascum thapsus woolly mullein Limited
Verbena bonariensis * tall vervain Watch
Vinca major periwinkle Moderate
Washingtonia robusta Mexican fan palm ModerateX
Watsonia meriana bulbil Watsonia Limited
Zantedeschia aethiopica calla lily Limited