Indiana's Invasive Plant Species Assessment Work Group (IPSAWG) is composed of representative from several concerned agencies and organizations. The goal of the group is to assess non-native plants in Indiana for their potential for invasiveness and offer recommendations concerning problematic plant species. Below are some results of assessments done on several of the problematic plant species in the state of Indiana.
           
   
Ecological Impact
Potential for Expansion
Difficulty of Management
Overall Invasive Score
  Category        
  Low < 12 < 20 < 15 < 44
  Medium 12 to 25 20 to 30 15 to 25 45 to 80
  High 26 to 41 30 to 40 25 to 58 > 81
  Very High 41 to 71      
           
Asian bush honeysuckle Lonicera maackii, L. tatarica, L. morrowii, L. x bella 70.5 33 37 140.5
Autumn olive Elaeagnus umbellata 12 31 35 78
Blunt-leaved privet Ligustrum obtusifolium 24 34 38 96
Common buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica 0 33 26 59
Crown vetch Coronilla varia 18 31 21 70
Glossy buckthorn Rhamnus frangula 64.5 33 36 133.5
Japanese honeysuckle Celastrus orbiculatus 42 34 24 100
Japanese hops Humulus japonicus 12 29 28 69
Japanese knotweed Polygonum cuspidatum 12 38 23 73
Oriental bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus 42 38 30 110
Periwinkle Vinca minor 42 10 19 71
Phragmites Phragmites australis 64.5 38 37 139.5
Reed canary grass Phalaris arundinacea 52.5 31 26 109.5
           
Species considered invasive in Midwest but not yet invasive in Indiana        
           
Privet Ligustrum vulgare, L. amurense, L. sinense, L. ovalifolium   34   34
Russian olive Elaeagnus angustifolia L.   31   31
Tall fescue Festuca elatior   31   31
Sericea, bicolor lespedeza, Korean lespedeza Lespedeza cuneata, bicolor, thunbergii, Kummerowia striata, and K. stipulacea   22   22
           
IPSAWG uses an assessment tool from Florida that has been adapted for Indiana.
Fox, A.M., D.R. Gordon, J.A. Dusky, L. Tyson, and R.K. Stocker. June, 2000. IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas. Agronomy Dept., Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.

This page was constructed by Glenn Nice, Purdue Extension Weed Science - 2005 from information provided by Indiana's Invasive Plant Assessment
Work Group.