Photo: English Ivy, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Glenda C. Booth
Most plant shoppers are baffled by the array of choices awaiting purchase at garden shops, especially at big box stores, and may choose a plant for its color, distinctive shape or “curb appeal.” Whether it is suitable for a planned site, native or not native, can be a big guess.
Thanks to NVBA advocates’ and many others’ efforts, Virginia has a new law that requires, by January 1, 2027, retailers to conspicuously post “in proximity to each invasive plant display” signs indicating that a plant is invasive and “encouraging consumers to ask about alternatives.”
Governor Glenn Youngkin signed the bill into law on March 24. Delegate Holly Seibold and Senator Saddam Salam introduced and shepherded identical bills through the 2025 state legislature.
The law lists 39 specific plants by their scientific name, plants like English ivy, heavenly bamboo, periwinkle and Japanese wisteria. You can read the final bills and the full list of plants on the Virginia Legislative Information System site at HB1941 and SB1166.
The 39 listed plants were negotiated with stakeholders and settled on because they are commonly sold and are on the Virginia Invasive Plant Species List managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), a list that has 103 species on it.
Informed Consumers
Advocates argued that invasive plants degrade habitat and agricultural land and displace more valuable native plants that support native wildlife with which they co-evolved and are interdependent. The new law benefits native plants and animals, especially insects and birds.
Supporters maintained that economic losses in Virginia due to invasive species may be as high as $1 billion annually, costs that the new law can help reduce.
The bill’s supporters also argued that many people who buy plants may not know that some are invasive and cause environmental harm. Many sales employees are not knowledgeable about native and invasive plants and can only provide limited guidance to consumers. Having information at the point of sale is critical to educating consumers, encouraging the purchase of native plants and avoiding invasive plants.
Senator Salim told NVBA, "As a volunteer on neighborhood cleanups, I have seen firsthand the harm that invasive species are causing to Virginia's natural environment. Invasive plants displace native flora, threatening wildlife and pollinators in ways that disrupt our parks, agricultural lands and even habitats for endangered species.
“I'm proud to have championed legislation in my first term in the Virginia Senate that gives the power to consumers by educating them at the point of sale about alternative, native plant options. Together, we're taking meaningful steps to preserve the beauty, balance and biodiversity of our Commonwealth for generations to come."
Delegate Seibold told NVBA, “In April 2023, fresh off my very first session in Richmond, I met with a group of local women in a small coffee shop in Vienna who had been spending their weekends removing invasive species for years. The data was startling and the damage was breathtaking. I knew right there and then that we must do something to prevent the further spread. As a former teacher, the first bill I wanted to carry on this topic was one that would educate the consumer about the harmful effects of invasive plants at the point of sale.
“The bill received bi-partisan support and garnered lots of support from the community and advocates in the 2024 Session and passed the General Assembly; however, it was vetoed by the Governor. But we didn’t give up! We returned to the 2025 Session with an updated bill and lots of community members, advocates and stakeholders ready to work together to make this dream into a reality! "
Next Steps
The new law charges the head of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services, in consultation with the Virginia Invasive Species Working Group, with determining the format, size and content of the signs by October 1, 2025.
The Virginia Invasive Plant Coalition, which consists of 83 organizations including NVBA, will monitor the working group’s efforts and continue to advocate for more legislation in the coming years to curtail the sale and use of invasive plants. NVBA will continue to work with the coalition. Additional information is available from the coalition’s website and from Plant NOVA Natives.