Target Species
The NIWP target species list is produced in consultation with local, regional, and national experts in botany, invasive species ecology, horticulture, and natural areas management. Species are selected based on known distribution and invasive tendencies in the program area, Illinois and the greater Midwest, Ontario Canada, and other regions of similar climate in United States.
Target species are listed in two general categories "New" and "Spreading". Species considered "new" to our program area have no known populations or very few isolated populations in the region. Others that have established localized populations within portions or all of the program area and are rapidly dispersing into new locations, but are not yet considered widespread, are categorized as "Spreading".
Several species on the target list are widely used in gardens and landscaping (indicated with an *). Those species tend to have broad distributions in developed landscapes, are known to be invasive in other regions of similar climate, but are not yet invading natural areas in our region. For these species we are interested in your reports of populations that are found outside of their intended landscape / garden planting areas (escaped).
New Target SpeciesJapanese Chaff Flower - Achyranthes japonica Amur Peppervine - Ampelopsis brevipeduculata Flowering Rush - Butomus umbellatus Narrow-leaf Bittercress - Cardamine impatiens Black Swallow-wort - Cynanchum louiseae Dog Strangling Vine - Cynanchum rossicum Chinese Yam - Dioscorea polystachya Great (Blue) Globe Thistle - Echinops sphaerocepals Brazilian Elodea - Egeria densa Water Hyacinth - Eichornia crassipes Reed Manna Grass - Glyceria maxima Baby's Breath - Gypsophila paniculata Giant Hogweed - Heracleum mantegazzianum Japanese Hops - Humulus japonicus Common Frogbit - Hydrocharis morus-ranae Hydrilla - Hydrilla verticillata Serecia Lespedeza - Lespedeza cuneata Japanese Stilt Grass - Microstegium vimineum Princess Tree - Paulownia tomentosa Mile-a-minute Weed - Persicaria perfoliatum Water Lettuce - Pistia stratoides Kudzu - Pueraria montana var. lobata Sawtooth Oak - Quercus acutissima Fig Buttercup - Ranuculus ficaria var. bulbifera Himalayan Blackberry - Rubus armeniacus Wine Raspberry - Rubus phoenicolasius |
New Target Insect SpeciesAsian Longhorned Beetle - Anoplophora glabripennis Chinese Longhorn Beetle - Trichoferus campestris Brown Marmorated Stink Bug - Halyomorpha halys Spreading Target Plant SpeciesWild Chervil - Anthriscus sylvestris Oriental Bittersweet - Celastrus orbiculatus Spotted Knapweed - Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranothos Leafy Spurge - Euphorbia esula Japanese Knotweed - Fallopia japonica *Silver Grass - Miscanthus sinensis *Amur silver grass - Miscanthus saccahriflorus * Bradford Pear - Pyrus calleryana |
Text and photos in these target species pages
have been borrowed liberally from several government
sources including the USDA (www.invasive.org),
the US Forest Service, Michigan Depts of Agriculture & Natural Resources.
Any errors here are our own.
