Amur Honeysuckle – Lonicera maackii IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 14 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Tennessee lists Amur Honeysuckle as a pest plant.
Tennessee invasive plants
Tennessee (TN) regulates 13 invasive plants under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02. Tennessee's list is a trade restriction, which governs what may be sold, propagated, or moved within the state — in plain terms, which plants are illegal to sell here.
Tennessee invasive species list
Tennessee restricts 13 plants, including Purple Loosestrife, Amur Honeysuckle and Autumn Olive. Plants marked Prohibited may not be sold, propagated, or moved within Tennessee. 13 of the 13 are also flagged invasive by GRIIS, which is an ecological finding rather than a ruling by Tennessee. Checked against Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 on July 20, 2026.
Autumn Olive – Elaeagnus umbellata IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 17 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Tennessee lists Autumn Olive as a pest plant.
Blood Grass – Imperata cylindrica Not recorded hereInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in no Tennessee county. Tennessee lists Blood Grass as a pest plant.
Jio – Commelina benghalensis Not recorded hereInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in no Tennessee county. Tennessee lists Jio as a pest plant.
Kariba-Weed – Salvinia molesta Not recorded hereInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in no Tennessee county. Tennessee lists Kariba-Weed as a pest plant.
Morrow's Honeysuckle – Lonicera morrowii IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 4 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Tennessee lists Morrow's Honeysuckle as a pest plant.
Multiflora Rose – Rosa multiflora IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 27 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Tennessee lists Multiflora Rose as a pest plant.
Purple Loosestrife – Lythrum salicaria IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 8 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Tennessee lists Purple Loosestrife as a pest plant.
Showy Fly Honeysuckle – Lonicera x bella Not recorded hereInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in no Tennessee county. Tennessee lists Showy Fly Honeysuckle as a pest plant.
Silverberry – Elaeagnus pungens IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 11 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Tennessee lists Silverberry as a pest plant.
Sunshine Chinese Privet – Ligustrum sinense 'Sunshine' IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 25 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Tennessee lists Sunshine Chinese Privet as a pest plant.
Tropical Soda Apple – Solanum viarum Not recorded hereInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in no Tennessee county. Tennessee lists Tropical Soda Apple as a pest plant.
Wild Privet – Ligustrum vulgare IntroducedInvasive
Invasive in the US, and recorded in 15 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Tennessee lists Wild Privet as a pest plant.
No plant on Tennessee’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 | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | Rough-Leaf Dogwood, Common Witch Hazel, Smooth Sumac |
| Autumn Olive | Elaeagnus umbellata | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | Smooth Sumac, Chickasaw Plum, American Black Elderberry |
| Blood Grass | Imperata cylindrica | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | Flatstem Spikerush, Purple Love Grass, Manyspike Flatsedge |
| Jio | Commelina benghalensis | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | — |
| Kariba-Weed | Salvinia molesta | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | — |
| Morrow's Honeysuckle | Lonicera morrowii | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | White Meadowsweet, American Beautyberry, Sandcherry |
| Multiflora Rose | Rosa multiflora | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | White Meadowsweet, Mountain False Indigo, Mountain Laurel |
| Purple Loosestrife | Lythrum salicaria | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | Canada Goldenrod, Missouri Ironweed, Common Cowparsnip |
| Showy Fly Honeysuckle | Lonicera x bella | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | White Meadowsweet, American Beautyberry, Sandcherry |
| Silverberry | Elaeagnus pungens | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | — |
| Sunshine Chinese Privet | Ligustrum sinense 'Sunshine' | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | — |
| Tropical Soda Apple | Solanum viarum | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | — |
| Wild Privet | Ligustrum vulgare | ProhibitedInvasiveTennessee says “pest plant” | White Meadowsweet, American Beautyberry, Sandcherry |
Where this comes from
- Tennessee listings
- Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02. 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 Tennessee’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 Tennessee
Plants that two or more states bordering Tennessee regulate, and Tennessee 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.
- Asiatic Tearthumb Polygonum perfoliatum regulated in Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia
- Kudzu Pueraria montana regulated in Mississippi, Missouri, Virginia
- Balloon Vine Cardiospermum halicacabum regulated in Alabama, Arkansas
- Beach Vitex Vitex rotundifolia regulated in North Carolina, Virginia
- Canada Thistle Cirsium arvense regulated in Missouri, North Carolina
- Common Reed Phragmites australis regulated in Alabama, Virginia
- Common Water Hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes regulated in Alabama, Arkansas
- Eurasian Watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum regulated in Alabama, North Carolina
- Field Bindweed Convolvulus arvensis regulated in Arkansas, Missouri
- Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata regulated in Alabama, Virginia
- Itchgrass Rottboellia cochinchinensis regulated in Arkansas, Mississippi
- Johnsongrass Sorghum halepense regulated in Arkansas, Missouri
- Nodding Plumeless Thistle Carduus nutans regulated in Missouri, North Carolina
- Oriental Bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus regulated in North Carolina, Virginia
- Torpedo Grass Panicum repens regulated in Alabama, Mississippi
Questions
Is there an official Tennessee invasive species list?
Yes. Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 is Tennessee's list, naming 13 plants under a trade restriction, which governs what may be sold, propagated, or moved within the state — in plain terms, which plants are illegal to sell here. GRIIS, the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species, flags all 13 as invasive in the lower 48 states. That is an ecological finding, not a ruling by Tennessee. This page shows both side by side.
What plants are illegal to sell in Tennessee?
13 plants are regulated under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02. Plants marked Prohibited may not be sold, propagated, or moved within Tennessee. Plants marked Restricted carry narrower limits set by the rule.
Is my plant invasive in Tennessee?
Search the table on this page for Tennessee's legal determination, then look for the Invasive chip beside it, which is a separate ecological finding from GRIIS rather than a ruling by Tennessee. 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee?
For the plants marked Prohibited, Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02 bars selling, propagating, or moving them within Tennessee. Whether planting one you already own is itself an offence depends on that rule's exact wording, which is why every plant on this page links the citation rather than us paraphrasing it. Plants marked Restricted carry narrower limits the rule sets out.
Does a plant missing from this list mean it is safe to plant in Tennessee?
No. This page reproduces what Tennessee 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.