Amur Honeysuckle – Lonicera maackii Not recorded hereInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in no Kansas county. Kansas lists Amur Honeysuckle under “Category C.”
Kansas noxious weeds
Kansas (KS) lists 14 plants as noxious weeds under K.A.R. 4-8-44. Kansas'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 Kansas?
Kansas names 14 plants, including Canada Thistle, Leafy Spurge and Nodding Plumeless Thistle. A noxious-weed listing obliges control and limits movement; it does not by itself ban nursery sale. 12 of the 14 are also flagged invasive by GRIIS, which is an ecological finding rather than a ruling by Kansas. Checked against K.A.R. 4-8-44 on July 20, 2026.
Canada Thistle – Cirsium arvense IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 9 of Kansas’s 105 counties. Kansas lists Canada Thistle under “Category B.”
Cutleaf Teasel – Dipsacus laciniatus IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 1 of Kansas’s 105 counties. Kansas lists Cutleaf Teasel under “Category B.”
Diffuse Knapweed – Centaurea diffusa Not recorded hereInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in no Kansas county. Kansas lists Diffuse Knapweed under “Category A.”
Field Bindweed – Convolvulus arvensis IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 105 of Kansas’s 105 counties. Kansas lists Field Bindweed under “Category C.”
Fuller's Teasel – Dipsacus fullonum IntroducedListed
Recorded in 20 of Kansas’s 105 counties. Kansas lists Fuller's Teasel under “Category B.”
Johnsongrass – Sorghum halepense IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 105 of Kansas’s 105 counties. Kansas lists Johnsongrass under “Category C.”
Kudzu – Pueraria montana Not recorded hereInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in no Kansas county. Kansas lists Kudzu under “Category A.”
Leafy Spurge – Euphorbia esula IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 4 of Kansas’s 105 counties. Kansas lists Leafy Spurge under “Category A.”
Lenspod Whitetop – Cardaria chalepensis Not recorded hereListed
Recorded in no Kansas county. Kansas lists Lenspod Whitetop under “Category A.”
Nodding Plumeless Thistle – Carduus nutans IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 60 of Kansas’s 105 counties. Kansas lists Nodding Plumeless Thistle under “Category C.”
Quackgrass – Elymus repens IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 12 of Kansas’s 105 counties. Kansas lists Quackgrass under “Category A.”
Sericea Lespedeza – Lespedeza cuneata IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 20 of Kansas’s 105 counties. Kansas lists Sericea Lespedeza under “Category C.”
Spotted Knapweed – Centaurea stoebe IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 3 of Kansas’s 105 counties. Kansas lists Spotted Knapweed under “Category A.”
No plant on Kansas’s list matches that.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amur Honeysuckle | Lonicera maackii | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category C” | Rough-Leaf Dogwood, Little Walnut, Smooth Sumac |
| Canada Thistle | Cirsium arvense | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category B” | — |
| Cutleaf Teasel | Dipsacus laciniatus | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category B” | — |
| Diffuse Knapweed | Centaurea diffusa | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category A” | — |
| Field Bindweed | Convolvulus arvensis | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category C” | — |
| Fuller's Teasel | Dipsacus fullonum | ListedKansas says “Category B” | — |
| Johnsongrass | Sorghum halepense | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category C” | — |
| Kudzu | Pueraria montana | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category A” | Trumpet Honeysuckle, Riverbank Grape, Climbing Rose |
| Leafy Spurge | Euphorbia esula | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category A” | — |
| Lenspod Whitetop | Cardaria chalepensis | ListedKansas says “Category A” | — |
| Nodding Plumeless Thistle | Carduus nutans | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category C” | — |
| Quackgrass | Elymus repens | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category A” | — |
| Sericea Lespedeza | Lespedeza cuneata | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category C” | — |
| Spotted Knapweed | Centaurea stoebe | ListedInvasiveKansas says “Category A” | — |
Where this comes from
- Kansas listings
- K.A.R. 4-8-44. 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 Kansas’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 Kansas
Plants that two or more states bordering Kansas regulate, and Kansas 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 Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska
- Scotch Cottonthistle Onopordum acanthium regulated in Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma
- Giant Knotweed Polygonum sachalinense regulated in Colorado, Nebraska
- Japanese Knotweed Fallopia japonica (potentially invasive weed) regulated in Colorado, Nebraska
- Spiny Plumeless Thistle Carduus acanthoides regulated in Colorado, Nebraska
Questions
Is there an official Kansas invasive species list?
Not under that name. Kansas's legal list is a noxious-weed list: 14 plants named under K.A.R. 4-8-44, 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 12 of these 14 as invasive in the lower 48 states. That is an ecological finding, not a ruling by Kansas. This page shows both side by side.
What plants are illegal to sell in Kansas?
Kansas'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. 14 plants are named under K.A.R. 4-8-44. 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 Kansas?
Search the table on this page for Kansas's legal determination, then look for the Invasive chip beside it, which is a separate ecological finding from GRIIS rather than a ruling by Kansas. 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 Kansas 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 Kansas?
Not necessarily, and the distinction matters. Kansas'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. K.A.R. 4-8-44 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 Kansas?
No. This page reproduces what Kansas 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.