Missouri governor mulls over bill to ban sale of invasive plants

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Japanese Honeysuckle, Callery Pears and other non-native plants can be a nuisance in your garden, and soon they could be illegal in Missouri.

Lawmakers approved a bill that hopes to combat the spread of several non-native species by requiring plant sellers to submit an affidavit promising not to sell any. If signed, the bill would go into effect in 2027. Although the bill is uncontroversial, it did take several years to finally get it across the finish line.

The plants that would be banned under this bill are:

• Coloratus variety of climbing euonymus
• Any variety of Japanese Honeysuckle
• Any variety of Sericea Lespedeza
• Perilla mint
• Compactus variety of Burning Bush
• Any variety of Callery Pear

The governor’s office said Gov. Mike Kehoe is looking over this and other bills right now to decide which to sign.

Mervin Wallace has been propagating and selling native plants to Missourians for over four decades at Missouri Wildflower Nursery just south of Jefferson City.

“The habitats where these plants grow are dwindling, so I said, ‘Well, people could be growing them in their yard instead of exotic species from other countries,’” Wallace said.

Anyone hoping to grow their own native plants next year is in luck. Wallace takes his sales on the road in locations across Missouri, hoping to spread awareness and appreciation for native plants. He’s hoping this new law will educate others on the harm invasive species can cause.

“It would be great to have the people educated to the point where their attitude is, oh, I don’t want that, so the person providing it provides something else, hopefully native,” Wallace said.

Aside from the harm invasive plants can cause to the environment, Callery Pear trees also break easily, causing extra damage during storms. Jefferson City-based tree removal company Korte Tree Care said their most common calls are to remove Callery Pear trees, either because the owner wants to replace them with a native species or because the tree broke in strong winds.