Status of Invasive Plants in New Jersey

Invasive Plants by Category

• Aquatic - 11 species, 151 records
• Conifer Trees - 2 species, 13 records
• Forbs/Herbs - 229 species, 3658 records
• Grass or Grasslike - 61 species, 1230 records
• Hardwood Trees - 54 species, 2179 records
• Shrub or Subshrub - 53 species, 2030 records
• Vines - 34 species, 1580 records

Top Ten Abundant Invasive Plants (by number of reports)

1. linden viburnum - 841 reports
2. Callery pear (Bradford pear) - 486 reports
3. Oriental photinia - 358 reports
4. Japanese angelica tree - 355 reports
5. Amur peppervine - 301 reports
6. Siebold's arrowwood - 270 reports
7. English ivy - 213 reports
8. mile-a-minute weed - 190 reports
9. Chinese silvergrass - 152 reports
10. Japanese wisteria - 151 reports

Top Ten Widespread Invasive Plants (by number of positive counties)

1. giant foxtail - 21/21 (100%)
2. purple loosestrife - 19/21 (90%)
3. cheatgrass - 19/21 (90%)
4. common reed - 19/21 (90%)
5. tree-of-heaven - 18/21 (86%)
6. mile-a-minute weed - 18/21 (86%)
7. cypress spurge - 18/21 (86%)
8. Asiatic dayflower - 18/21 (86%)
9. white mulberry - 18/21 (86%)
10. ladysthumb - 18/21 (86%)

Counties with the most invasive species reported

1. Cape May County - 366 species
2. Hunterdon County - 361 species
3. Camden County - 298 species
4. Somerset County - 291 species
5. Cumberland County - 286 species
6. Mercer County - 282 species
7. Warren County - 271 species
8. Middlesex County - 258 species
9. Monmouth County - 244 species
10. Burlington County - 242 species

Counties with the least invasive species reported

1. Passaic County - 80 species
2. Union County - 91 species
3. Atlantic County - 115 species
4. Gloucester County - 140 species
5. Salem County - 141 species
6. Hudson County - 151 species
7. Essex County - 184 species
8. Bergen County - 196 species
9. Morris County - 216 species
10. Ocean County - 216 species