An invasive species bill that was approved last year by the General Assembly, but vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, is again being considered by lawmakers.
In its updated form, the proposal would require signage to be posted on or near displays of 39 different invasive plant species at retail stores, explaining the dangers they pose to the environment and providing information on noninvasive alternatives.
Invasive plants and animals are not native to the Virginia landscape. And on top of that, they disrupt native ecosystems, and can damage private property and public infrastructure.
Del. Holly Seibold (D–Fairfax) and Sen. Saddam Salim (D–Fairfax) are carrying the measures in their chambers, which Seibold said is needed to slow the spread of invasive species from yards and other landscaped areas.
“These plants are readily available for sale to residents, many of whom are unaware of the harm that they can cause when introduced to local environments,” she said.
The sponsors made a few changes to the bills in an effort to get it signed this year.
The biggest change: The proposal no longer references an informational list of invasive species compiled by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and instead includes its own list of 39 organisms.
“We worked with a lot of different stakeholders who agreed upon the 39 invasive species that are now listed in the code,” Seibold said.
Jessy Woodke, founder of Richmond-based Undoing Ruin Landscaping (which proudly proclaims, “We want to kill your lawn!”), said in a phone interview Seibold and Salim’s bill is a step in the right direction, referencing potential signage near a nandina display as an example.
“Saying that it is harmful to the environment, it specifically has been shown to kill cedar waxwings en masse. Here’s a list of alternative plants, like aronia or winterberry holly,” Woodke said.
Woodke would like to see a more comprehensive ban on harmful plants, but said more information will lead to better decisions.
There are some notable absences from the bill’s list: giant hogweed, tree of heaven and oriental bittersweet, among others. That’s because the bill doesn’t affect plants already on another state-compiled list, the noxious weeds list.
Those organisms are already subject to sale and transport bans due to the threats they pose to native plants and ecosystems.
Seibold noted the bill had achieved “peace in the valley” — an informal phrase used at the Capitol to indicate constituents and stakeholders reached an agreement on the language, usually through compromise.
A $500 fine for shops that fail to follow the proposed law was also removed as part of the agreement. Now, if passed, the bill would allow the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to issue a stop-sale order on inadequately labeled plants.

The cost
It’s difficult to find recent estimates tallying the cost of invasives in Virginia. A $1-billion-per-year figure that’s thrown around by the bill’s sponsors, and referenced by the Virginia Invasive Species Working Group, appears in a 2005 study.
But a 2022 study derived from a database with globally sourced cost information found that the cumulative regional cost of damages and management from 1960–2020 in the Southeast United States topped $17 billion.
The study also found costs increased over time. The national yearly cost of invasives grew tenfold from the ’60s to the 2010s, ending up at about $21 billion per year on average in the most recent decade.
These are also conservative estimates, according to the researchers, drawn only from “highly reliable” information sources. They wrote that including “potential and lower reliability” costs in their analysis moves the yearly cost closer to the 2005 estimate.
That includes lost infrastructure investments, damages to personal property and agriculture, and a lot of work to manage the species.
About $2.7 million in state budget amendments this year are connected to the issue.
They include money for invasives management work in state parks, reimbursements for local government initiatives, programs run by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Wildlife Resources, and management of specific plants like wavy leaf grass.
One amendment would fund a Department of Forestry unmanned vehicle program to identify and manage invasives in remote locations.
Another bill, sponsored by Del. Geary Higgins (R–Loudoun), would order the Commonwealth Transportation Board to make a plan to specifically target invasives on highway rights-of-way. Species like tree of heaven grow successfully in recently disturbed soil, making transportation corridors hotspots for invasive species.
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