General information

What is an invasive species?
The term "invasive" is often misused to refer to any weedy plant. The term actually refers only to plants which are BOTH Non-native to the region, AND cause environmental or economic harm, or pose a health risk to humans. Those aggressive Goldenrod and Sumac might be weeds in your garden, but they're not invasive species. They're native, and important to our NH ecosystems! Many plants, animals, and fungi are invasive, but only a handful are legally prohibited in New Hampshire.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/invasives/inde...

Major invasives in Merrimack
Below are some of the invasive species found in abundance in Merrimack:

  • Japanese Knotweed
  • Kudzu
  • Burning Bush
  • Autumn Olive
  • Multiflora Rose
  • Oriental Bittersweet
  • Garlic Mustard
  • Japanese Stilt Grass
  • Morrow’s, Japanese, Amur, Tartarian, and Bella Honeysuckles

For a comprehensive list of invasives, and species on the watch list, see the section below on Common Invasives, or visit: https://www.agriculture.nh.gov/publications-forms/...

Laws about plants on NH Prohibited Species List
“In accordance with the Invasive Species Act, HB 1258-FN: No person shall collect, transport, import, export, move, buy, sell, distribute, propagate or transplant any living and viable portion of any plant species, which includes all of their cultivars and varieties, listed in Table 3800.1, New Hampshire prohibited invasive species list.”

This means that if you have an invasive plant on your property, you may not propagate it to grow more, you may not move it from one spot of your property to another, you may not dig it up and give it to another person, and you may not dump it in the woods--to describe a few prohibited acts.

You MAY transport it to an appropriate waste facility in a secured manner, such as tied up in black trash bags. See How to Dispose of Invasive Brush below.
Source: https://www.agriculture.nh.gov/publications-forms/...


Learn more by visiting our pages on:

Disposing of Invasive Brush

Management on Your Property

Common Invasives & Reporting Sightings

Resources