§ 22a-381d — Prohibited actions re certain invasive plants. Exceptions. Municipal ordinances prohibited. Penalty.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section and notwithstanding the provisions of any ordinance adopted by a municipality, no person shall import, move, sell, purchase, transplant, cultivate or distribute any of the following invasive plants: (1) Curly leaved Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus); (2) fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana); (3) eurasian water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum); (4) variable water milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum); (5) water chestnut (Trapa natans); (6) egeria (Egeria densa); (7) hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata); (8) common barberry (Berberis vulgaris); (9) autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata); (10) Bell's honeysuckle (Lonicera xbella); (11) amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii); (12) Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii); (13) common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica); (14) multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora); (15) Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus); (16) garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata); (17) narrowleaf bittercress (Cardamine impatiens); (18) spotted knapweed (Centaurea biebersteinii); (19) black swallow-wort (Cynanchum louiseae); (20) pale swallow-wort (Cynanchum rossicum); (21) leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula); (22) Dame's rocket (Hesperis matronalis); (23) perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium); (24) Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum); (25) mile-a-minute vine (Polygonum perfoliatum); (26) fig buttercup (Ranunculus ficaria); (27) coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara); (28) Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum); (29) common reed (Phragmites australis); (30) sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus); (31) princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa); (32) white poplar (Populus alba); (33) false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa); (34) Russian olive (Eleagnus angustifolia); (35) wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius); (36) kudzu (Pueraria montana); (37) Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense); (38) jimsonweed (Datura stramonium); (39) crested late-summer mint (Elsholtzia ciliata); (40) Cypress spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias); (41) slender snake cotton (Froelichia gracilis); (42) ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea); (43) giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum); (44) Japanese hops (Humulus japonicus); (45) ornamental jewelweed (Impatiens glanulifera); (46) common kochia (Kochia scoparia); (47) ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi); (48) Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium); (49) bristle knotweed (Polygonum caespitosum); (50) giant knotweed (Polygonum sachalinense); (51) sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella); (52) ragwort (Senecio jacobaea); (53) cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum); (54) bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara); (55) garden heliotrope (Valeriana officinalis); (56) hairy jointgrass (Arthraxon hispidus); (57) drooping brome-grass (Bromus tectorum); (58) Japanese sedge (Carex kobomugi); (59) reed managrass (Glyceria maxima); (60) Canada bluegrass (Poa compressa); and (61) tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). (b) (1) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section and notwithstanding the provisions of any ordinance adopted by a municipality, on or after October 1, 2005, no person shall import, move, sell, purchase, transplant, cultivate or distribute any of the following invasive plants: (A) Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria); (B) forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides); (C) Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica); (D) goutweed (Aegopodium podagraia); (E) flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus); (F) pond water-starwort (Callitriche stagnalis); (G) European waterclover (Marsilea quadrifolia); (H) parrotfeather (Myriophyllum aquaticum); (I) brittle water-nymph (Najas minor); (J) American water lotus (Nelumbo lutea); (K) yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltata); (L) onerow yellowcress (Rorippa microphylla); (M) watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum), except for watercress sold for human consumption without its reproductive structure; (N) giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta); (O) yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus); (P) border privet (Ligustrum obtusifolium); (Q) tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica); (R) dwarf honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum); and (S) garden loosetrife (Lysimachia vulgaris). (2) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section and notwithstanding the provisions of any ordinance adopted by a municipality, on or after October 1, 2024, no person shall import, move, sell, purchase, transplant, cultivate or distribute any of the following invasive plants: (A) Porcelainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), (B) mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), (C) quackgrass (Elymus repens), (D) Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata), (E) Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda), and (F) Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis). (3) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section and notwithstanding the provisions of any ordinance adopted by a municipality, on or after October 1, 2027, no person shall import, move, sell, purchase, transplant, cultivate or distribute callery pear (Pyrus calleryana). (c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, and notwithstanding the provisions of any ordinance adopted by a municipality, no person shall move, import, sell, purchase, transplant, cultivate or distribute any reproductive portion of any invasive plant listed in subsection (a) or (b) of this section. For the purposes of this section, “reproductive portion” includes, but is not limited to, seeds, flowers, roots and tubers. (d) The provisions of subsections (a) to (c), inclusive, of this section shall not apply to the moving for eradication, research or educational purposes of any invasive plant listed in subsection (a) or (b) of this section or of any reproductive portion of such an invasive plant or to the cultivating for research purposes of any such plant or reproductive portion. (e) From July 1, 2009, until October 1, 2014, no municipality shall adopt any ordinance regarding the retail sale or purchase of any invasive plant. (f) Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars per plant.

Legislative History

(P.A. 03-136, S. 8; P.A. 04-203, S. 2; P.A. 09-52, S. 3; P.A. 24-11, S. 1.) History: P.A. 03-136 effective June 26, 2003; P.A. 04-203 amended Subsec. (a) to change “possess” to “transplant”, to insert new Subdivs. (8) to (61), inclusive, re additional invasive plants, and to make conforming changes, added new Subsec. (b) re prohibition against certain invasive plants on or after October 1, 2005, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as new Subsec. (c) and amended same to change “May 5, 2004” to “October 1, 2005”, and added new Subsec. (d) re penalty provisions repositioned from Subsec. (a) and amended to add “per plant” to such provisions; P.A. 09-52 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to reference exception in Subsec. (d), amended Subsec. (b) to delete former Subdiv. (16) re water lettuce and redesignate existing Subdivs. (17) to (20) as Subdivs. (16) to (19), added new Subsecs. (c) and (d) re reproductive portion and exceptions, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as Subsecs. (e) and (f), and amended redesignated Subsec. (e) to change “June 26, 2003” to “July 1, 2009” and “October 1, 2005” to “October 1, 2014”, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 24-11 amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and making conforming changes, adding Subdiv. (2) re prohibition against certain invasive plants after October 1, 2024, and Subdiv. (3) re prohibition against callery pear on and after October 1, 2027.