New Virginia Law to Combat Invasive Plants Starting 2027

Creeping Jenny for sale in nursery.
Photo © Elaine Mills

By Marsha Mercer, Extension Master Gardener

When people shop for plants in Virginia nurseries, they may unknowingly buy invasive plants that can hurt the environment. That may change in 2027.

A state law that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2027, is aimed at educating consumers at the point of sale about the risks of invasive plants. The law requires retailers to use clear signage identifying certain outdoor plant species as invasive and encouraging customers to consider noninvasive alternatives.

Invasive plant species are non-natives that are likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human, animal, or plant health. Here’s a refresher on definitions of native, non-native, and invasive.

Those requiring signage include English ivy, mimosa, periwinkle, Japanese wisteria, and Chinese wisteria. The law lists plants by their Latin names; a list with Latin and common names is below. (Two of the Latin names have been updated.)

Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) — Mimosa flowers in June.
Photo © Elaine Mills

Invasive Vinca major — Periwinkle leaves and blooms in April.
Photo © Elaine Mills

Wisteria flower details — Wisteria flowers in April.
Photo © Elaine Mills

“Currently there are 39 species of invasive plants that pose a significant risk to Virginia’s ecosystems. These plants are readily available for sale to residents, many of whom are unaware of the harm that they can cause once introduced in our local environment,” Del. Holly M. Seibold, D-Fairfax, chief sponsor of HB 1941, said in a subcommittee hearing in January.

Invasive plants also clog waterways, impede power line access, and cost Virginia as much as $1 billion annually, she said, adding that signage is a fair way to reduce damage without imposing an outright ban.

Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Fairfax/Falls Church, introduced a twin bill in the Senate. Both measures passed with bipartisan support in March and were endorsed by industry and environmental groups.

To put the new law into perspective, it may be helpful to know more about invasive plants in Northern Virginia. The City of Alexandria had documented 116 invasive plant species as of 2019, and Arlington County had listed 204 species as invasive as of 2024, with another 109 posing a threat because they are invasive elsewhere or are displaying invasive traits.

Akebia quinata flower buds — Five-Leaved Akebia (Chocolate Vine) flower buds in March.
Photo © Mary Free

Mile-a-minute weed. — Rampant growth of mile-a-minute weed. Photo © R. S. Chandran
WVU Extension Services.

burning bush in autumn — Burning Bush is still carried by most nurseries and big box stores.
Photo © Elaine Mills

Invasive nandina ripe red fruit — Nandina fruit in November.
Photo © Elaine Mills

Several states—including Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, and Missouri—now ban the sale of some invasive plants. Delaware law lists 37 invasives that may not be imported, exported, bought, sold, transported, distributed, or propagated in the state. Indiana lists 44. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican, recently signed into law a measure that soon will prohibit the sale of six invasive plant species.

This wasn’t the first time Virginia legislators attempted to pass a law to educate the public about purchasing invasive plants. Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill in 2024 that would have required signage “in proximity to” invasives and would have imposed a civil penalty not to exceed $500 for failure to label invasive plants appropriately.

He signed the 2025 bill after sponsors dropped the fine and included the 39 specific plant names as part of the bill. In the new law, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services is directed to issue a stop-sale order on plants lacking adequate labels until correct signage is posted.

Virginia has a separate Noxious Weeds law to control more than a dozen harmful weeds, including giant hogweed, porcelain berry, mile-a-minute, and tree of heaven.