Locally and globally, invasive plants and animals are the second leading cause of native biodiversity decline and also threaten the economic stability of the forest product, livestock, and outdoor industries. In addition, Bradford pear, sericea lespedeza, and other non-native, invasive plants are costly and time-consuming for Missouri landowners and suburban and urban homeowners to control.
Of the state’s 142 invasive plants, as assessed by the Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP), many continue to be sold in Missouri, contributing to their future, unintended spread across the landscape.
On December 1, 2023, Representative Bruce Sassmann (District 061), took action to help protect the state from invasive plants by filing HB 1555 to halt the sale and intentional distribution of five invasive plant species: burning bush (Euonymus alatus), Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana and its cultivars, including Bradford and Chanticleer), climbing euonymus (Euonymus fortunei; also commonly known as wintercreeper); Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), and sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata).
Once passed, the Missouri Department of Agriculture is expected to be the agency tasked with enforcement of the legislation, issuing violations if any of the five plants listed above are found to be sold or intentionally distributed. Because of the investment that nursery owners and other plant sellers must make before many shrubs and trees are large enough to sell, two species on the list of five—burning bush and Callery pear plants—acquired by a licensed Missouri wholesale or retail plant nursery before January 1, 2025, shall be exempt from enforcement until January 1, 2028.
The legislation also provides for the creation of a Missouri Department of Agriculture “Invasive Plant Watchlist,” comprising more than 70 species, which, if sold, must be labeled as such.
“This legislation does not penalize the presence of the five invasive plants on the landscape,” said Representative Sassmann, who is Chair of the Missouri House Natural Resources Committee, “only the sale and/or intentional distribution of the five species. This legislation is not intended to pose a hardship to any plant grower, but to benefit all Missourians from the many threats that these five invasive plant species pose to the state.”
Since 2021, MoIP has invited more than 90 groups in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, and conservation, as well as the general public, to indicate their level of support for or opposition to the inclusion of specific plants from MoIP’s list of 142 invasive plants in potential legislation to halt their sale.
Over the summer of 2023, MoIP Vice Chair Matt Arndt and a subgroup of MoIP members carefully analyzed stakeholder input, MoIP assessment data, and sales availability, and generated a tiered list of species proposed for inclusion in this potential legislation. This tiered list was provided to Representative Sassmann at his request.
“MoIP is grateful to the many Missourians who provided feedback on this idea to help prevent the future, unintentional spread of select invasive plants and to Representative Sassmann for introducing this legislation,” said MoIP Vice Chair Matt Arndt. “MoIP is eager to assist with modifications to the legislation to optimize its positive impacts and to create a final version that can garner broad support from the public and across stakeholder industries. We urge all Missourians, including legislators, to support final legislation to benefit Missouri.”
