Do you know which of your garden plants are invasive?

To be considered invasive, a species must be foreign, so it is about when and how it came to Sweden. A foreign species must be introduced by man, and must have been moved further than it could have come on its own. It should also have come here later than 1800. Of course, it should also behave invasively, which means that it spreads at the expense of other species.

Invasive species are on different lists. The species database has the most extensive list of 200-300 species that are considered invasive, but this is only a knowledge base. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is the authority responsible for invasive plant species in Sweden and on their list are the species that are banned throughout the EU. These are a total of 66 animal and plant species, of which twelve occur in Sweden.

The landowner who ignores any of these 66 species on his land, violates the law and can face fines or, in the worst case, imprisonment for up to two years.