38 species of invasive plants now illegal to sell in Ohio

Ohio is taking a swing at nature’s bullies.

Under new rules that went into effect Sunday, the sale and distribution of 38 destructive, invasive plant species will become illegal.

In its list, the state agriculture department included various types of honeysuckles, Bradford pear trees, autumn olive shrubs and fig buttercup flowers that line freeways, coat forest floors and choke wild spaces across Ohio.

State officials who already inspect nurseries and garden centers will keep an eye out for the now-prohibited species.

Many of the plants were at some point nursery favorites for desirable qualities such as fast growth, low maintenance and big leaves and flowers — traits that also make them capable of aggressively spreading beyond garden beds to parks and preserves.

Click here to read more from the Columbus Dispatch.

Photo: Honeysuckle (left) by Aftabbanoori; purple loostrife (right) by Ivar Leidos