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Invasive weeds in Ohio: one rule bans the sale and propagation of 63 plants, while a separate noxious weed rule requires management of a shorter list.

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Regulatory status

Ohio has two legal lists, both made by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. OAC 901:5-30-01 designates 63 invasive plants and bans selling, offering for sale, propagating, distributing, importing or intentionally spreading them. OAC 901:5-37-01 designates prohibited noxious weeds, a separate list that includes poison hemlock, wild parsnip, giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed; the Department of Agriculture states that state law requires management of these weeds on public and private property. The Ohio Invasive Plants Council is a nonprofit that assesses plants and publishes its own list. It is not the rule-making body, and its list is not the law.

No. The Ohio Invasive Plants Council list is not the law. Ohio’s legal lists come from the Ohio Department of Agriculture and are printed in the Ohio Administrative Code.

The state has two separate rules, and they do different jobs.

List Citation What it does Examples
Invasive plants OAC 901:5-30-01 Bans selling, offering for sale, propagating, distributing, importing or intentionally spreading a listed plant. Tree of heaven, garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed, lesser celandine, giant hogweed, Callery pear
Prohibited noxious weeds OAC 901:5-37-01 State law requires management of these weeds on public and private property. Poison hemlock, wild parsnip, giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, Canada thistle, musk thistle

The invasive plant rule has 63 species. It also says that disposing of a listed plant, controlling it, or using it for research or education under a compliance agreement is allowed as long as you do not spread it. The ban is mainly on the commercial side: selling, propagating, distributing and importing.

The noxious weed rule is the one with a management duty. The Department of Agriculture says state law requires management on both public and private property. If you have a noxious weed problem that you cannot handle, contact the department’s Plant Pest Control section or your township. Ohio State University Extension publishes a free identification guide to Ohio’s noxious weeds with photos and life-cycle notes.

The Ohio Invasive Plants Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition. It assesses plants and publishes its own list, but its own page directs readers to ODA for the legal list. A plant can be on the council’s list and not be banned by the state, and the state list can change on its own schedule.

Creeping charlie is a good example of the gap. It is a common lawn weed in Ohio, but it is not on either state list. Garlic mustard is on the invasive plant list, and it is a good place to start in a woodland. See our garlic mustard removal guide and our removal hub.

If you use an herbicide, follow the product label; the label is the law.

Read the current Ohio invasive plant list before you sell, share or move a plant. Browse all state pages. This page was checked against the state sources on November 3, 2026.

Reporting and official sources

Reporting routes and classifications change. Confirm the current process with the state agency before submitting a report.

Priority species in Ohio

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against the sources below. Each link shows the date the source was accessed.

  1. Invasive Plants — Ohio Department of Agriculture Accessed November 3, 2026
  2. Prohibited Noxious Weeds — Ohio Department of Agriculture Accessed November 3, 2026
  3. Ohio Admin. Code 901:5-30-01 — Invasive plant species — Cornell Legal Information Institute Accessed November 3, 2026
  4. Ohio Admin. Code 901:5-37-01 — Prohibited noxious weeds — Cornell Legal Information Institute Accessed November 3, 2026
  5. Ohio Invasive Plants Council — Ohio Invasive Plants Council Accessed November 3, 2026
  6. Identifying Noxious Weeds of Ohio — Ohio State University Extension Accessed November 3, 2026

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