1. Severe Threat
Exotic plant species which possess characteristics of invasive species and spread easily into native plant communities and displace native vegetation; includes species which are or could become widespread in Kentucky.
| Ailanthus altissima | tree-of-heaven |
| Alliaria petiolata | garlic mustard |
| Carduus nutans | musk thistle |
| Celastrus orbiculata | oriental bittersweet |
| Conium maculatum | poison hemlock |
| Coronilla varia | crown vetch |
| Dioscorea oppositifolia | Chinese yam |
| Elaeagnus umbellata | autumn olive |
| Euonymus alatus | winged euonymus, burning bush |
| Euonymus fortunei | winter creeper |
| Festuca arundinacea (=Lolium arundinaceum) | Kentucky 31 fescue |
| Lespedeza cuneata | sericea lespedeza |
| Ligustrum sinense, L. vulgare | privet |
| Lonicera japonica | Japanese honeysuckle |
| Lonicera maackii, L. morrowi, L. tatarica | amur/bush honeysuckle, Morrow’s, tartarian h.s. |
| Lythrum salicaria | purple loosestrife |
| Melilotus alba | white sweet clover |
| Melilotus officinalis | yellow sweet clover |
| Microstegium vimineum | Japanese grass |
| Miscanthus sinensis | Chinese silver grass |
| Paulownia tomentosa | Princess tree |
| Phragmites australis | common reed |
| Polygonum cuspidatum | Japanese knotweed |
| Pyrus calleryana | callery pear |
| Pueraria lobata | kudzu |
| Rosa multiflora | multiflora rose |
| Sorghum halepense | Johnson grass |
| Stellaria media | chickweed |
2. Significant Threat
Exotic plant species which possess some invasive characteristics, but have less impact on native plant communities; may have the capacity to invade natural communities along disturbance corridors, or to spread from stands in disturbed sites into undisturbed areas, but have fewer characteristics of invasive species than #1 rank.
| Akebia quinata | akebia |
| Albizia julibrissin | mimosa |
| Arthraxon hispidus | hairy jointgrass |
| Arctium minus | common burdock |
| Berberis thunbergii | Japanese barberry |
| Bromus inermis | smooth bromegrass |
| Centaurea biebersteinii | spotted knapweed |
| Chrysanthemum leucanthemum | ox-eye daisy |
| Cirsium arvense | Canada thistle |
| Daucus carota | Queen Anne’s lace |
| Dipsacus sylvestris | common teasel |
| Eleusine indica | goose grass |
| Glechoma hederacea | ground ivy |
| Hedera helix | English ivy |
| Ipomoea hederacea | ivy-leafed morning-glory |
| Ipomoea purpurea | purple morning-glory |
| Lespedeza bicolor | bicolor lespedeza |
| Lespedeza stipulacea (=Kummerowia) | Korean lespedeza |
| Lespedeza striata (= Kummerowia) | Kobe lespedeza |
| Mentha piperata | mint |
| Morus alba | white mulberry |
| Mosla dianthera | miniature beefsteak |
| Ornithogalum umbellatum | star-of-Bethlehem |
| Poa pratensis | bluegrass |
| Polygonum cespitosum | bunchy knotweed |
| Polygonum persicaria | lady’s thumb |
| Populus alba | white poplar |
| Rorrippa nasturtium-aquaticum | water cress |
| Setaria faberi | giant foxtail |
| Setaria viridis | green foxtail |
| Spiraea japonica | Japanese spiraea |
| Vinca minor | lesser periwinkle |
3. Lesser Threat
Exotic plant species which seem to principally spread and remain in disturbed corridors, not readily invading natural areas; also some agronomic weeds.
| Arenaria serpyllifolia | thyme-leaf sandwort |
| Barbarea vulgaris | yellow rocket |
| Chenopodium album | lamb’s quarters |
| Chenopodium ambrosioides | Mexican tea |
| Cichorium intybus | chicory |
| Commelina communis | dayflower |
| Convolvulus arvensis | field bindweed |
| Dianthus armeria | Deptford pink |
| Duchesnea indica | Indian strawberry |
| Echinochloa crus-galli | barnyard grass |
| Eragrostis cilianensis | lovegrass |
| Galium pedemontanum | cleavers |
| Hemerocallis fulva | day lily |
| Holcus lanatus | velvet grass |
| Hypericum perforatum | common St. John’s-wort |
| Lactuca saligna | willowleaf lettuce |
| Lamium amplexicaule | henbit |
| Leonurus cardiaca | motherwort |
| Lespedeza thunbergii | shrubby lespedeza |
| Lithospermum arvense | corn-gromwell |
| Lolium multiflorum | Italian rye |
| Medicago lupulina | black medic |
| Nepeta cataria | catnip |
| Oxalis stricta (= O. europea) | common yellow wood-sorrel |
| Poa annua | speargrass |
| Poa compressa | “Canada” bluegrass |
| Potentilla recta | sulphur five-fingers |
| Ranunculus bulbosus | bulbous buttercup |
| Rumex acetosella | dock, sheep sorrel |
| Solanum dulcamara | bitter nightshade |
| Thlaspi perfoliatum | field cress |
