This month brings good news for wild spaces such as the banks of the Patuxent River. After years of advocacy and regulatory work, Maryland has prohibited the sale of a new list of invasive plant species. Additional plants will be assessed each year and added to the list if they meet the criteria.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an invasive species is nonnative to an ecosystem and causes economic, environmental or human health harm. Invasive plants overtake natural areas and replace native species, degrading wildlife habitat. At Riverfront Park, for example, invasive species often outnumber native plants. Each year, the City of Laurel organizes volunteer days along the Patuxent River to remove invasive vines and shrubs. But nearby residential gardens continue to grow many of these same plants, allowing wind, rain and birds to carry seeds back into the park.
In 2023, the Maryland Native Plant Coalition drafted the Biodiversity and Agriculture Protection Act, creating a process for experts to classify plant species as invasive and prohibit their sale. The General Assembly passed the measure, and it was signed into law in 2024. After regulations were written and initial assessments completed, the Maryland Department of Agriculture on Jan. 15, 2026, announced a list of 13 invasive plant species now prohibited for sale. The announcement is available at http://bit.ly/4qH0kTL.
Part of the delay in passing the bill and implementing regulations centered on how prohibitions would be enforced. Lawmakers agreed to a phaseout period with the Maryland Green Industry Council, which represents growers statewide. Wholesale and retail nurseries have one year to sell existing stock, or two years for woody plants grown in the ground. Some retailers may clear shelves immediately, while others will wait until required.
These plants have remained popular in part because they are profitable. Many commercial landscapes feature Japanese barberry, burning bush or nandina. During the 2024 bill hearing in Annapolis, one of the few opposing witnesses was a grower who said he had more than $1 million in barberry planted in the ground. In conversation afterward, he acknowledged that porcelain berry planted by his grandfather now dominates nearby woods.
Several well-known invasive species are scheduled for review in 2026. Each year, Maryland’s Invasive Plant Advisory Committee will assess species listed in “Plant Invaders of the Mid-Atlantic,” a regional field guide available online at invasive.org/midatlantic/fieldguide. This year’s review includes English ivy, Vinca species, several privet species and leatherleaf mahonia, all of which are spreading in local wild areas, including along the river.
Residents who want to help can identify and remove invasive plants on their property, research nursery purchases to avoid invasive species, volunteer for local removal efforts or document invasive plants through the iNaturalist app, which provides research data used by the advisory committee. Instructions are available from the Maryland Native Plant Coalition at https://bit.ly/4tuAFjE.
Banning these plants will not remove them from forests, but it may slow their spread. As invasive species become less available for sale, gardeners and landscapers may increasingly turn to native plants that help restore lost habitat.
Plants prohibited for sale in MD as of 1/15/26:
Aralia elata (Japanese angelica tree)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Cytisus scoparius (Scotch broom)
Euonymus alatus (Burning bush, Winged euonymus)
Ligustrum obtusifolium (Border privet)
Nandina domestica (Nandina, Sacred bamboo)
Phyllostachys aurea (Golden bamboo)
Phyllostachys aureosulcata (Yellow groove bamboo)
Pyrus calleryana (Callery ‘Bradford’ pear)
Tetradium daniellii (Bee bee tree)
Wisteria floribunda (Japanese wisteria)
Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria)
Wisteria x formosa (Wisteria floribunda x sinensis hybrid)
Plants to be assessed for prohibition in 2026:
*Hedera helix (English ivy)
*Mahonia bealei (Leatherleaf mahonia)
*Miscanthus sinensis (Chinese/Japanese silvergrass)
*Akebia quinata (Chocolate vine)
*Albizia julibrissin (Mimosa or Silktree)
*Buddleja davidii (Orange-eye butterfly bush)
*Cenchrus purpurascens (Chinese fountain grass)
*Hemerocallis fulva (Orange daylily)
*Vinca minor (Common periwinkle)
*Vinca major (Largeleaf periwinkle)
Elaeagnus umbellata (Autumn olive)
Glechoma hederacea (Ground ivy, creeping Charlie)
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Ligustrum ovalifolium (Garden privet)
Ligustrum sinense (Chinese privet)
Ligustrum vulgare (European privet)
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)
Paulownia tomentosa (Empress tree, Princess tree)
Phyllostachys bissetii (Bisset bamboo)
Pseudosasa japonica (Arrow bamboo)
Plants with an (*) are the top priority for assessment.
Jimmy Rogers is an avid Laurel gardener and owner of Laurel-based Vibrant Gardening LLC. Send your native gardening questions to him at: nativegardenguy@gmail.com.