Invasive Plants

Priority Lists
Due to existing management programs and localized species in the Metro Vancouver region, the ISCMV has developed a risk ranking tool for invasive plants that can aid land managers.
Invasive plant species are also prioritized at a Provincial scale using a science-based risk assessment process:
- Priority Invasive Species in B.C. list
- B.C. Weed Control Act & Regulation designate provincial noxious weeds, regionally noxious weeds (none in the Metro Vancouver region) and additional unregulated plants of concern.
- B.C. Invasive Plant Candidates for Eradication are candidates for the B.C. Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) Program. The following EDRR candidates are found in Metro Vancouver: water lettuce, mouse ear hawkweed, North African grass, Spartina species, shiny geranium (NEW - to be confirmed), yellow floating heart, Brazilian elodea, Dyer's woad, Phragmites. The status of management of these plants under the EDRR process is available here.
- B.C. Invasive Plant Core Ranking Process is another tool that can help land managers make invasive plant management decisions.
Invasive Plants in Metro Vancouver
This list represents a selection of some of the most common invasive plant species found in our region. Contact us if you are looking for resources for other invasive species not listed.
Image | Name | Description | Fact Sheet | BMPs |
---|---|---|---|---|
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BambooVarious species |
Bamboos are a large group of fast-growing, perennial, woody-stemmed evergreen grasses. |
Tackling Bamboo - June 2024 |
Best Management Practices for Bamboo - June 2024 |
Butterfly BushBuddleja davidii |
Butterfly bush is a hardy, fast-growing deciduous shrub that invades both disturbed and natural areas. |
Tackling Butterfly Bush - June 2023 | Best Management Practices for Butterfly Bush - June 2023 | |
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Cherry LaurelPrunus laurocerasus |
Cherry laurel is a fast-growing woody evergreen tree or shrub with toxic leaves, stem, and seeds. |
Tackling Cherry Laurel - July 2024 | Best Management Practices for Cherry Laurel - July 2024 |
Common PeriwinkleVinca minor |
Common periwinkle is a low-growing trailing evergreen plant that forms extensive mats on forest floors. |
Tackling Common Periwinkle - July 2024 | Best Management Practices for Common Periwinkle - July 2024 | |
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English & Irish IviesHedera helix & Hedera hibernica |
Ivy is an evergreen vine that forms dense monocultures along the ground and up trees and structures. |
Tackling English and Irish Ivies - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for English and Irish Ivies - August 2021 |
English HollyIlex aquifolium |
English holly, with its bright red berries and dark green evergreen foliage, can suppress native vegetation over large areas. |
Tackling English Holly - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for English Holly - August 2023 | |
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Garlic MustardAlliaria petiolata |
Garlic mustard is one of the fastest spreading invasive plants in woodland and edge habitats in North America. |
Tackling Garlic Mustard - July 2023 | Best Management Practices for Garlic Mustard - June 2022 |
Giant HogweedHeracleum mantegazzianum |
Giant hogweed is a high priority species in the region primarily due to the potential health impacts from direct contact with the plant. |
Tackling Giant Hogweed - July 2023 | Best Management Practices for Giant Hogweed - August 2021 | |
Hedge BindweedCalystegia sepium |
Hedge bindweed can quickly overwhelm other vegetation, growing between, around and over other plants. |
Tackling Hedge Bindweed - July 2023 | Best Management Practices for Hedge Bindweed - August 2021 | |
Himalayan BalsamImpatiens glandulifera |
Himalayan balsam is a summer blooming annual plant that produces abundant seeds in capsules that explode when ripe. |
Tackling Himalayan Balsam - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for Himalayan Balsam - August 2021 | |
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Himalayan BlackberryRubus bifrons |
Himalayan blackberry was first introduced in British Columbia in the nineteenth century as a berry crop, but has more recently been recognized as an invasive species. |
Tackling Himalayan Blackberry - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for Himalayan Blackberry - August 2021 |
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KnotweedsVarious species |
Knotweeds vigorous rhizome growth can damage concrete walls, pavement, bridges, foundations, and drainage networks. |
Tackling Knotweeds - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for Knotweeds - February 2024 |
Orange HawkweedPilosella aurantiaca |
Orange hawkweed is a perennial herb that is more widespread than other non-native hawkweeds because it has repeatedly escaped cultivation. |
Tackling Hawkweed - June 2023 | Best Management Practices for Orange Hawkweed - June 2023 | |
Parrot's FeatherMyriophyllum aquaticum |
Parrot’s feather is a perennial aquatic plant that can contribute to a loss of plant and aquatic species diversity. |
Tackling Parrot's Feather - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for Parrot's Feather - August 2021 | |
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Poison HemlockConium maculatum |
Poison hemlock plants are poisonous when ingested and toxicity can also result from inhalation and skin contact. |
Tackling Poison Hemlock - July 2023 | Best Management Practices for Poison Hemlock - June 2023 |
Purple LoosestrifeLythrum salicaria |
Purple loosestrife can grow as a monoculture, reducing biological diversity at the site of infestation. |
Tackling Purple Loosestrife - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for Purple Loosestrife - August 2021 | |
Reed CanarygrassPhalaris arundinacea |
Reed canarygrass forms dense, persistent, monocultures in wetlands, ditches, floodplains, and wet meadows. |
Tackling Reed Canarygrass - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for Reed Canarygrass - August 2021 | |
Scotch BroomCytisus scoparius |
Scotch broom is a fast growing shrub that forms dense monocultures, spreading rapidly due to its ability to produce large quantities of long-lived seeds. |
Tackling Scotch Broom - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for Scotch Broom - August 2021 | |
Spurge LaurelDaphne laureola |
Spurge laurel is a highly toxic perennial evergreen shrub that, once established, can form a dense shrub layer and outcompete native plants. |
Tackling Spurge Laurel - July 2023 | Best Management Practices for Spurge Laurel - June 2022 | |
Wild ChervilAnthriscus sylvestris |
Wild chervil is an invasive herb with deep taproots that spread aggressively, making it difficult to remove. |
Tackling Wild Chervil - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for Wild Chervil - August 2021 | |
Yellow ArchangelLamiastrum galeobdolon |
Yellow archangel is an evergreen herbaceous plant that forms dense populations in natural areas, climbing over stumps and smothering native species. |
Tackling Wild Chervil -August 2021 | Best Management Practices for Yellow Archangel - August 2021 | |
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Yellow Flag IrisIris pseudacorus |
Yellow flag iris grows and spreads rapidly, forming dense colonies and displacing native wetland plants. |
Tackling Yellow Flag Iris - August 2021 | Best Management Practices for Yellow Flag Iris - August 2021 |