Bull Thistle – Cirsium vulgare IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 7 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Bull Thistle under “Primary noxious weed.”
Iowa noxious weeds
Iowa (IA) lists 23 plants as noxious weeds under Iowa Code 317.1A. Iowa's list is an agricultural noxious-weed law, which governs control and spread on farmland and rights of way rather than what a nursery may sell.
What plants are invasive in Iowa?
Iowa names 23 plants, including Canada Thistle, Leafy Spurge and Multiflora Rose. A noxious-weed listing obliges control and limits movement; it does not by itself ban nursery sale. 18 of the 23 are also flagged invasive by GRIIS, which is an ecological finding rather than a ruling by Iowa. Checked against Iowa Code 317.1A on July 20, 2026.
Canada Thistle – Cirsium arvense IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 18 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Canada Thistle under “Primary noxious weed.”
Carelessweed – Amaranthus palmeri Not recorded hereListed
Recorded in no Iowa county. Iowa lists Carelessweed under “Primary noxious weed.”
Carolina Horsenettle – Solanum carolinense NativeListed
Recorded in 17 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Carolina Horsenettle under “Primary noxious weed.”
Carrot – Daucus carota IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 24 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Carrot under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Charlock Mustard – Sinapis arvensis IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 24 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Charlock Mustard under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Common Sheep Sorrel – Rumex acetosella IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 17 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Common Sheep Sorrel under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Curly Dock – Rumex crispus IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 24 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Curly Dock under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Field Bindweed – Convolvulus arvensis IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 6 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Field Bindweed under “Primary noxious weed.”
Field Sowthistle – Sonchus arvensis IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 6 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Field Sowthistle under “Primary noxious weed.”
Hardheads – Acroptilon repens Not recorded hereInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in no Iowa county. Iowa lists Hardheads under “Primary noxious weed.”
Leafy Spurge – Euphorbia esula IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 11 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Leafy Spurge under “Primary noxious weed.”
Multiflora Rose – Rosa multiflora IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 2 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Multiflora Rose under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Narrowleaf Plantain – Plantago lanceolata IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 8 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Narrowleaf Plantain under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Pale Dock – Rumex altissimus NativeListed
Recorded in 26 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Pale Dock under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Poison Hemlock – Conium maculatum IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 6 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Poison Hemlock under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Puncturevine – Tribulus terrestris IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 4 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Puncturevine under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Quackgrass – Elymus repens IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 37 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Quackgrass under “Primary noxious weed.”
Rough Cocklebur – Xanthium strumarium NativeListed
Recorded in 13 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Rough Cocklebur under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Sorghum – Sorghum bicolor Not recorded hereInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in no Iowa county. Iowa lists Sorghum under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Sunflower – Helianthus annuus NativeListed
Recorded in 19 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Sunflower under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Velvetleaf – Abutilon theophrasti IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 6 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Velvetleaf under “Secondary noxious weed.”
Whitetop – Cardaria draba IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 6 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Iowa lists Whitetop under “Primary noxious weed.”
No plant on Iowa’s list matches that.
5 of these plants are native to part of the United States, marked US native above. Nativity is regional. Black locust is native to the Appalachians and regulated in New England; Palmer amaranth is native to the Southwest and listed as an agricultural weed in the Corn Belt. A listing tells you what Iowa regulates, not where a plant belongs. The county checker answers the second question.
Want to check a plant by photo or county?
Use our “Is it native” tool for free.Compiled from the rule itself, retrieved July 20, 2026. Law changes; if you spot a listing we have wrong or stale, tell us at support@getezina.com.
The same list as a table
| Plant | Scientific name | Status | Plant instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull Thistle | Cirsium vulgare | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Primary noxious weed” | — |
| Canada Thistle | Cirsium arvense | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Primary noxious weed” | — |
| Carelessweed US native | Amaranthus palmeri | ListedIowa says “Primary noxious weed” | — |
| Carolina Horsenettle US native | Solanum carolinense | ListedIowa says “Primary noxious weed” | — |
| Carrot | Daucus carota | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Charlock Mustard | Sinapis arvensis | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Common Sheep Sorrel | Rumex acetosella | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Curly Dock | Rumex crispus | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Field Bindweed | Convolvulus arvensis | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Primary noxious weed” | — |
| Field Sowthistle | Sonchus arvensis | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Primary noxious weed” | — |
| Hardheads | Acroptilon repens | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Primary noxious weed” | — |
| Leafy Spurge | Euphorbia esula | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Primary noxious weed” | — |
| Multiflora Rose | Rosa multiflora | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | American Black Currant, White Meadowsweet, Smooth Rose |
| Narrowleaf Plantain | Plantago lanceolata | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Pale Dock US native | Rumex altissimus | ListedIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Poison Hemlock | Conium maculatum | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Puncturevine | Tribulus terrestris | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Quackgrass | Elymus repens | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Primary noxious weed” | — |
| Rough Cocklebur US native | Xanthium strumarium | ListedIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Sorghum | Sorghum bicolor | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Sunflower US native | Helianthus annuus | ListedIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Velvetleaf | Abutilon theophrasti | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Secondary noxious weed” | — |
| Whitetop | Cardaria draba | ListedInvasiveIowa says “Primary noxious weed” | — |
Where this comes from
- Iowa listings
- Iowa Code 317.1A. Read the rule.
- Invasive status
- GRIIS, the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species, via GBIF, covering the lower 48 states. A scientific register with no legal force; it is cited separately from the statute above because the two disagree far more often than they agree. Garden crops it flags only for spreading from cultivation are left out after review.
- Status wording
- The Prohibited / Restricted / Listed chips are Ezina’s normalisation across 44 states and are not the legal term. Where Iowa’s own word for a plant differs from the chip, it is quoted verbatim beneath it.
- Nativity
- USDA PLANTS county distribution layer, surfaced through the county checker.
Regulated next door, but not in Iowa
Plants that two or more states bordering Iowa regulate, and Iowa does not. A listing is a legal act rather than an ecological one, so a plant can be a documented problem here and still be sold here.
- Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria regulated in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin
- Giant Knotweed Polygonum sachalinense regulated in Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
- Amur Corktree Phellodendron amurense regulated in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin
- Amur Honeysuckle Lonicera maackii regulated in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin
- Autumn Olive Elaeagnus umbellata regulated in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin
- Bohemian Knotweed Polygonum x bohemicum regulated in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin
- Common Reed Phragmites australis regulated in Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
- Cutleaf Teasel Dipsacus laciniatus regulated in Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin
- Diffuse Knapweed Centaurea diffusa regulated in Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin
- Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata regulated in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin
- Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum regulated in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin
- Glossy Buckthorn Frangula alnus regulated in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin
- Japanese Knotweed Fallopia japonica (potentially invasive weed) regulated in Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin
- Johnsongrass Sorghum halepense regulated in Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin
- Kudzu Pueraria montana regulated in Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin
Questions
Is there an official Iowa invasive species list?
Not under that name. Iowa's legal list is a noxious-weed list: 23 plants named under Iowa Code 317.1A, an agricultural noxious-weed law, which governs control and spread on farmland and rights of way rather than what a nursery may sell. GRIIS, the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species, flags 18 of these 23 as invasive in the lower 48 states. That is an ecological finding, not a ruling by Iowa. This page shows both side by side.
What plants are illegal to sell in Iowa?
Iowa's list is an agricultural noxious-weed law, which governs control and spread on farmland and rights of way rather than what a nursery may sell. 23 plants are named under Iowa Code 317.1A. A noxious-weed listing does not automatically ban nursery sale, so check the rule itself before assuming a plant cannot be bought or sold.
Is my plant invasive in Iowa?
Search the table on this page for Iowa's legal determination, then look for the Invasive chip beside it, which is a separate ecological finding from GRIIS rather than a ruling by Iowa. A plant can carry one, both, or neither. For an address-level answer, enter the plant's name in Ezina's checker to get its Iowa status alongside whether USDA records it as native to your specific county. Every answer links the record it came from.
Is it illegal to plant these in Iowa?
Not necessarily, and the distinction matters. Iowa's list is an agricultural noxious-weed law: it obliges landowners to control these plants and restricts moving them, rather than making the act of planting one an offence in itself. Iowa Code 317.1A is the text that says what is actually required of you, and it is linked beside every plant here.
Does a plant missing from this list mean it is safe to plant in Iowa?
No. This page reproduces what Iowa regulates, and a state list is a legal instrument rather than an ecological verdict. Plenty of plants spread aggressively without ever being listed, and states add species years after the problem is documented.
Grow natives easily with Ezina
How it works
We provide the tools you need to succeed.
010.1Identify
Add a plant
Snap a photo or type the name. Ezina matches it to a library of about 40,000 species and starts a care plan tailored to your zone, the local weather, and the time of year.
010.2Care
Get a care plan
A schedule built from local rain, temperature, and sun, not a fixed weekly cadence. You get a single notification when a plant actually needs water. Easily add treatments for diseases and pests.
010.3Plan
Explore new options
Our garden planner Dig helps you understand what works best for your location and makes suggestions based off your long term goals.
Add a plant
Snap a photo or type the name. Ezina matches it to a library of about 40,000 species and starts a care plan tailored to your zone, the local weather, and the time of year.
Get a care plan
A schedule built from local rain, temperature, and sun, not a fixed weekly cadence. You get a single notification when a plant actually needs water. Easily add treatments for diseases and pests.
Explore new options
Our garden planner Dig helps you understand what works best for your location and makes suggestions based off your long term goals.
Compiled from peer-reviewed research, USDA documentation,
and direct scientific observation across the United States.