Invasive & Non-Native Plants in North Dakota
These non-native plants are among the most commonly recorded spreading in North Dakota. Many crowd out the plants local wildlife depends on. The good news: there's a native you can plant instead.
Canada thistle
506 sightingsCirsium arvense · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: Flodman's thistle, Wavyleaf thistle, Swamp thistle (native Cirsium)
Absinthium
374 sightingsArtemisia absinthium · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: Prairie sagewort, White sagebrush, Silver sagebrush (native Artemisia)
Sweetclover
361 sightingsMelilotus officinalis · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: a North Dakota native that fits the same spot.
Field bindweed
334 sightingsConvolvulus arvensis · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: a North Dakota native that fits the same spot.
Wild oat
330 sightingsAvena fatua · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: a North Dakota native that fits the same spot.
Common plantain
290 sightingsPlantago major · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: Heller's plantain, Dotseed plantain, Tweedy's plantain (native Plantago)
Crested wheatgrass
282 sightingsAgropyron cristatum · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: a North Dakota native that fits the same spot.
Quackgrass
262 sightingsElymus repens · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: Thickspike wheatgrass, Canada wildrye, Virginia wildrye (native Elymus)
Yellow salsify
221 sightingsTragopogon dubius · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: a North Dakota native that fits the same spot.
European stickseed
215 sightingsLappula squarrosa · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: Flatspine stickseed (native Lappula)
Catnip
213 sightingsNepeta cataria · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: a North Dakota native that fits the same spot.
Russian olive
198 sightingsElaeagnus angustifolia · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: Silverberry (native Elaeagnus)
Alfalfa
196 sightingsMedicago sativa · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: a North Dakota native that fits the same spot.
Field pennycress
185 sightingsThlaspi arvense · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: a North Dakota native that fits the same spot.
Dames rocket
173 sightingsHesperis matronalis · non-native to the U.S.
Plant instead: a North Dakota native that fits the same spot.