Plant Science — Conservation

Invasive Plants in the Chicago Region

Herbaceous Plants

Plants with a dash under the "alternatives" column are not commonly used ornamentally. You can find more information on alternatives at Illinois' Best Plants or www.bestplants.org.

HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Species	Common Name	Status	Alternatives
Aegopodium podagraria	Goutweed	R	Asarum (wild ginger), Epimedium spp. (barrenwort), Glandularia canadensis (mock rose vervain), Hosta (hosta)
Alliaria petiolata	Garlic mustard	R	______
Arctium minus	Lesser burdock	R	______
Carduus nutans	Nodding plumeless thistle	R	Echinacea spp. (coneflower), Silphium spp. (rosinweed, prairie dock, compass plant)
Centaurea maculosa	Spotted knapweed	R	Echinacea spp. (coneflower), Silphium spp. (rosinweed, prairie dock, compass plant)
Cirsium arvense	Canada thistle	R	Echinacea spp. (coneflower), Silphium spp. (rosinweed, prairie dock, compass plant)
Cirsium palustre	Marsh plume thistle	R	(see C. arvense)
Cirsium vulgare	Bull thistle	R	(see C. arvense)
Conium maculatum	Poison hemlock	R	Achillea spp. (yarrow), Aruncus spp. (goatsbeard), Actaea racemosa (black cohosh), Filipendula spp. (meadowsweet)
Coronilla varia	Crown vetch	R	Asarum spp. (ginger), Epimedium spp. (barrenwort), Glandularia canadensis (mock rose vervain), Hosta (hosta), Viola (violet)
Daucus carota	Queen Anne's lace	R	Aruncus spp. (goatsbeard), Achillea spp. (yarrow)
Dipsacus laciniatus	Cutleaf teasel	R	Echinacea spp. (coneflower), Rudbeckia spp. (black-eyed Susan)
Dipsacus sylvestris	Teasel	R	(see D. laciniatus)
Duchesnia indica	Wild strawberry	R	Waldsteinia ternata (barren strawberry)
Echinops sphaerocephalus	Globe thistle	R species E cultivars	Liatris spp. (blazing star), Monarda spp. (beebalm), Phlox spp. (phlox), Salvia spp. (sage), Thalictrum spp.(meadowrue), Veronica spp. (speedwell)
Epilobium hirsutum	Hairy fireweed	R	(see E. sphaerocephalus)
Euphorbia cyparissias	Cypress spurge	R	Origanum laevigatum (ornamental oregano), selected Sedum spp. (stonecrop)
Euphorbia esula	Leafy spurge	R	Aurinia saxatilis (basket-of-gold)
Glechoma hederacea	Ground ivy	R	Ajuga spp. (bugleweed), Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (leadwort), Plumbago auriculata (cape leadwort)
Gypsophila paniculata	Baby's breath	W	Boltonia asteroides (boltonia), Panicum virgatum cvs. (switch grass),
Hemerocallis fulva (locally invasive)	Tawny daylily	R	Hemerocallis hybrids (daylily), Lilium spp. & cvs. (lily), Papaver orientale (Oriental poppy)
Hesperis matronalis	Dame's rocket	R	(See E. sphaerocephalus)
Houttuynia cordata	Chameleon plant	W	Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle), Asarum spp. (ginger), Chrysogonum virginianum (green and gold)
Hypericum perforatum	Common St. Johnswort	R	Other Hypericum spp. (St. Johnswort)
Iris pseudacorus	Yellow flag iris	R species E cultivars	Iris fulva 'Lois Yellow' (copper iris), Iris virginica var. shrevii (interior blue flag iris)
Lespedeza cuneata	Chinese bush clover	R	Baptisia spp. (wild indigo)
Linaria vulgaris	Butter-and-eggs	R	Antirrhinum majus cvs. (snapdragons), Calibrachoa cvs. (million bells), Digitalis spp. (foxglove), Nemesia fruticans cvs. (nemesia)
Lotus corniculatus	Bird's-foot trefoil	R	______
Lysimachia nummularia	Moneywort	R	Chrysogonum virginianum (green and gold), Origanum laevigatum (ornamental oregano)
Lythrum salicaria	Purple loosestrife	R	Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed), Liatris spp. (blazing star), Physostegia virginiana 'Vivid' (obedient plant)
Melilotus alba	White sweet-clover	R	Baptisia spp. (wild indigo)
Melilotus officinalis	Yellow sweet- clover	R	Baptisia spp. (wild indigo)
Pastinaca sativa	Wild parsnip	R	______
Perilla frutescens	Beefsteak plant	R	Hibiscus acetosella (red leaf hibiscus), Ocimum basilicum cvs. (basil), Solenostemon scutellarioides (coleus)
Polygonum cuspidatum = P. japonicum	Japanese knotweed	E	Actaea racemosa (black cohosh), Aruncus dioicus (goatsbeard), Polygonatum spp. (Solomon's seal), Smilacina racemosa (false Solomon's seal), Tricyrtis spp. (toad lily)
Polygonum sachalinense	Giant knotweed	R	(see P. cuspidatum)
Portulaca oleracea	Purslane	R species E cultivars	Aurinia saxatilis (basket-of-gold), selected Sedum spp. & cvs. (stonecrop)
Potentilla argentea	Silver cinquefoil	R	Chrysogonum virginianum (green and gold)
Rorippa sylvestris	Creeping yellow-cress	R	Aurinia saxatilis (basket-of-gold), selected Sedum ssp. & cvs. (stonecrop)
Rumex acetosella	Garden sorrel	R	Beta vulgaris 'Bright Lights' (Swiss chard) Solenostemon scutellarioides (coleus)
Saponaria officinalis	Bouncing bet	R species E cultivars	Liatris spp. (blazing star), Monarda spp. (bee balm), Phlox spp. (phlox), Salvia spp. (sage), Thalictrum spp. (meadowrue), Veronica spp. (speedwell)
Sonchus arvensis	Field sow-thistle	R	Coreopsis spp. (coreopsis); Helianthus spp. (sunflower)
Valeriana officinalis	Common valerian	R	(See E. sphaerocephalus)
Verbascum thapsus	Flannel mullein	R	Digitalis spp. (foxglove)
Verbena bonariensis	Purpletop verbena	W	(See E. sphaerocephalus)

Chicago Botanic Garden Conservation Science Department Status:

R =	Remove as soon as possible, including all cultivars, and/or do not add to collection in future;
P =	Phase out (species that pose a lesser invasive risk, form significant structural features in landscape, and will be time-consuming to replace will be phased out over a five- to ten-year period);
E =	Evaluate species and cultivars, then remove invasive taxa;
W =	Watch list (taxa not posing a serious invasive risk in the Chicago area currently, but may do so in the future).