When plants that evolved in one region of the globe are moved by humans to another region, a few of them flourish, crowding out native vegetation and the wildlife that feeds on it. Some invasives can even change ecosystem processes such as hydrology, fire regimes, and soil chemistry. These invasive plants have a competitive advantage because they are no longer controlled by their natural predators, and can quickly spread out of control. In California, approximately 3% of the plant species growing in the wild are considered invasive, but they inhabit a much greater proportion of the landscape. The list below includes California’s most invasive plants and provides links to additional information for each one.

  • PAF = Plant Assessment Form with detailed information.
  • Profile = Plant Profile webpage with additional links.
  • CalWeedMapper = statewide map

(Source: California Invasive Plant Council – here)