MDARD - Prohibited and Restricted Weeds

Prohibited and Restricted Weeds

Michigan laws regulate the possession and sale of certain plant species which are considered
undesirable from agricultural as well as environmental viewpoints. These unwanted species are
listed below according to the applicable laws and regulations.

A. Prohibited Plant Species (Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act
(Act 451 of 1994, as amended)

      Prohibited species identified under this Act cannot be sold or grown in the state.   Any of the
     following plants, fragments, seeds or a hybrid or genetically engineered variant thereof
    are specifically prohibited.

Cabomba caroliniana	Fanwort
Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii	Cylindro
Egeria densa	Brazilian elodea, also known as Anacharis
Fallopia japonica	Japanese knotweed
Heracleum mantegazzianum	Giant Hogweed
Hydrilla verticillata	Hydrilla
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae	European frogbit
Lagarosiphon major	African oxygen weed
Myriophyllum aquaticum	Parrot's Feather
Nitellopsis obtusa	Starry Stonewort
Nymphoides peltata	Yellow Floating Heart
Salvinia molesta, auriculata, biloba, or herzogii	Giant Salvinia
Trapa natans	Water Chestnut

B. Restricted Plant Species (Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act
(Act 451 of 1994, as amended)

       Restricted species under this Act are those that may occur within the state and are
       generally considered as nuisances or economically detrimental.

       Any of the following plants, fragments, seeds or a hybrid or genetically engineered variant
      thereof are restricted.

Butomus umbellatus	Flowering Rush
Lythrum salicaria	Purple Loosestrife
Myriophyllum spicatum	Eurasian Watermilfoil
Phragmites australis	Phragmites or Common Reed
Potamogeton crispus	Curly Leaf Pondweed

C. Noxious Weeds (Michigan Seed Law (Act 329 of 1965) and Regulations 715 (Under Act 329)
Seed Law Implementation

1. Prohibited noxious weeds - Seeds of these species are prohibited as contaminants in
seed offered for sale.

Agropyron repens = Elytrigia repens	quackgrass
Ambrosia elatior	ragweed
Berteora incana	hoary alyssum
Brassica spp	mustards
Cardaria draba	whitetop = hoary cress = perennial peppergrass
Carduus acanthoides	plumeless thistle
Carduus nutans	musk thistle
Centaurea maculosa	spotted knapweed
Centaurea picris	Russian knapweed
Cirsium arvense	Canada thistle
Cirsium vulgare	bull thistle
Convolvulus arvensis	field bindweed
Convolvulus sepium	hedge bindweed
Cuscuta spp	dodder
Cyperus esculentus, both seed and tubers	yellow nutsedge, chufa
Daucus carota	wild carrot
Euphorbia esula	leafy spurge
Ipomea species	morning glory
Nasella trachoma	serrated tussock
Rhus toxicodendron	poison ivy
Solanum carolinense	horsenettle
Sonchus arvensis	perennial sowthistle
Sorghum halapense, including sorghum almum and seed which cannot be distinguished from johnsongrass	johnsongrass
Toxicodendron vernix	poison sumac
Tribulus terrestris	puncturevine

2. Restricted noxious weed seeds - Generally the limit is one seed per 2000 of agricultural
seed offered for sale

Abutilon theophrasti	Velvetleaf
Allium canadense	Wild onion
Allium vineale	Wild garlic
Avena fatua	Wild oat
Barbarea vulgaris	Yellow rocket
Berteroa incana	Hoary alyssum
Brassica juncea	Indian mustard
Brassica nigra	Black mustard
Datura stramonium	Jimsonweed
Daucus carota	Wild carrot
Plantago lanceolata	Buckhorn plaintain
Raphanus raphanistrum	Wild radish
Rumex crispus	Curled dock
Seteria faberii	Giant foxtail
Sinapis arvensis	Charlock
Solanum species: including all of the following species and any other species with indistinguishable seed:	Nightshade complex
Solanum dulcamara	Bitter nightshade
Solanum eleagnifolium	Silver leaf nightshade
Solanum ptycanthum	Eastern black nightshade
Solanum sarrachoides	Hairy nightshade
Thalspi arvense	Fanweed
Xanthium strumarium	Cocklebur

Additional Information:

Department of Natural Resources - Invasive Species Website