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Invasive Plants

Invasive Plants photo

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:

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

Bamboo

Various 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 Bush

Buddleja 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

Cherry Laurel

Prunus 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 Periwinkle

Vinca 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

English & Irish Ivies

Hedera 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 Holly

Ilex 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

Garlic Mustard

Alliaria 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 Hogweed

Heracleum 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 Bindweed

Calystegia 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 Balsam 

Impatiens 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

Himalayan Blackberry

Rubus 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

Knotweeds

Various 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 Hawkweed

Pilosella 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 Feather

Myriophyllum 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

Poison Hemlock

Conium 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 Loosestrife

Lythrum 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 Canarygrass

Phalaris 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 Broom

Cytisus 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 Laurel

Daphne 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 Chervil

Anthriscus 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 Archangel

Lamiastrum 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

Yellow Flag Iris

Iris 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