Weed List - Pest Ratings of Noxious Weed Species and Noxious Weed Seed

Weed List

Weeds are rated in categories -- "A", "B", "C", "Q" and "D". The following are all weeds under each category with first common name (what you and I refer to them as) and then secondly scientific name (what agencies refer to them as). There will only be four categories -- "A", "B", "C" and "Q" -- listed. No "D" rated weeds are shown -- they're plants that just couldn't make the list so they failed becoming an official California weed!

Click here for instructions on what to do if you find any of these weeds.

A / B / C / Q

(CDFA formal definition -- Eradication, containment, rejection or other holding action at the state-county level. Quarantine interceptions to be rejected or treated at any point in the state.)

Alligatorweed -- Alternanthera philoxeroides
Beancaper -- Syrian Zygophyllum fabago

Bearded creeper -- Crupina vulgaris

Biddy biddy -- Acanena novae-zelandiae

Biddy biddy, pale -- Acaena pallida

Blueweed -- Halianthus ciliaris

Broomrape, branched -- Orobanche ramosa

Broomrape, Cooper's -- Orobanche cooperi

Broomrape, desert -- Orobanche cooperi

Camelthorn -- Alhagi pseudalhagi

Capeweed -- Arctotheca calendula

Crupina, Common -- Crupina vulgaris

Distaff thistle, whitestem -- Carthamus leucocaulos

Dodder, giant -- Cuscuta reflexa

Groundcherry, long-leaf -- Physalis longifolia

Halogeton -- Halogeton glomeratus

Harmel -- Peganum harmala

Hydrilla -- Hydrilla verticillata

Knapweed, diffuse -- Centaurea diffusa

Knapweed, spotted -- Centaureau maculosa

Knapweed, squarrose -- Centaurea squarrosa

Marigold, wild -- Tagetes minuta

Melon, dudaim -- Cucumis melo var. dudaim

Mesquite, creeping -- Prosopis strombulifera

Nightshade, heartleaf -- Solanum cardioplyllum

Nightshade, Torrey's -- Solanum dimidiatum

Peaweed, Austrian -- Sphaerophysa salsula

Punagrass -- Achatherum brachychaetum

Sage, Meadow -- Salvia Virgata

Salsola, wormleaf -- Salsola vermiculata

Salttree, Russian -- Halimodendron halodendron

Skeletonweed -- Chondrilla juncea

Sowthistle, perennial -- Sonchus arvensis

Spurge, leafy -- Euphorbia esula

Spurge, serrate -- Euphorbia serrata

Starthistle, Iberian -- Centaurea iberica

Tanglehead -- Heteropogon contortus

Thistle, distaff, whitestem -- Carthamus leucocaulos

Thistle, golden -- Scolymus hispanicus

Thistle, Illyrian -- Onopordum illyricum

Thistle, musk -- Carduus nutans

Thistle, plumless -- Carjuus acanthoides

Thistle, Scotch -- Onopordum acanthium

Thistle, Taurian -- Onopordum tauricum

Thistle, wavyleaf -- Cirsium undulatum

Thistle, yellowspine -- Cirsium ochrocentrum

Toadflax, Dalmatian -- Linaria genistifolia ssp.dalmatica

Witchweed -- Striga asiatica

Return to top

(CDFA formal definition - Eradication, containment, control or other holding action at the discretion of the commissioner. State endorsed holding action and eradication only when found in a nursery.)

Baby's breath -- Gypsophila paniculata

Bladderflower -- Araujia sericifera

Comfrey, rough -- Symphytum asperum

Distaff thistle, smooth -- Carthamus baeticus

Distaff thistle, woolly -- Carthamus lanatus

Dyer's woad -- Isatis tinctoria

Field cress, Austrian -- Rorippa austriaca

Foxtail, giant -- Setaria faberi

Garlic, false -- Nothoscordum inodorum

Garlic, wild -- Allium vineale

Gaura, scarlet -- Gaura coccinea

Garua, Drummond's -- Gaura drummondii

Garus, wavy-leaved -- Gaura sinuata

Goatgrass, barb -- Aegilops triuncialis

Goatgrass, jointed -- Aegilops cylindrica

Goatgrass, ovate -- Aegilops ovata

Gorse -- Ulex europaeus

Groundcherry, grape -- Physalis viscosa

Hoarycress, globe-podded -- Cardaria pubescens

Hoarycress, heart-podded -- Cardaria draba

Hoarycress, lens-podded -- Cardaria chalepensis

Horsenettle, Carolina -- Solanum carolinense

Horsenettle, white -- Solanum elaeagnifolium

Jointvetch, rough -- Aeschynomene rudis

Kangaroothorn -- Acacia paradoxa

Knapweed, Russian -- Acroptilon repens

Knotweed, giant -- Polygonum sachalinense

Knotweed, Himalayan -- Polygonum polystachyum

Knotweed, purple -- Lythrum salicaria

Knotweed, Japanese -- Polygonum cuspidatum

Melon, paddy -- Cucumis melo var. dudaim

Mistletoe, European -- Viscum album

Mustard, purple -- Chorispora tenella

Nightshade, lanceleaf -- Solanum lanceolatum

Nighshade, white-margined -- Solanum marginatum

Nimblewill -- Muhlenbergia schreberi

Nutsedge, purple -- Cyperus rotundus

Nutsedge, yellow -- Cyperus esculentus

Onion, panicled -- Allium paniculatum

Peppercress, perennial -- Lepidium latifolium

Quackgrass -- Elytrigia repens

Ragweed, giant -- Ambrosia trifida

Ragwort, Oxford -- Senecio squalidus

Ragwort, tansy -- Senecio jacobaea

Rice, red -- Oryza rufipogon

Sage, Mediterranean -- Salvia aethiopis

Satintail -- Imperata brevifolia

Sicilian starthistle -- Centaurea sulphurea

Spurge, oblong -- Euphorbia oblongata

Starthistle, purple -- Centaurea calcitrapa

Starthistle, Sicilian -- Centaurea sulphurea

Swinecress -- Coronopus squamatus

Thistle, artichoke -- Cynara cardunculus

Thistle, Canada -- Cirsium arvense

Thistle, distaff, smooth -- Carthamus baeticus

Thistle, distaff, woolly -- Carthamus lanatus

Waterlily, banana -- Nymphaea mexicana

Return to top

(CDFA formal definition - Action to retard spread outside of nurseries at the discretion of the commissioner; reject only when found in a cropseed for planting or at the discretion of the commissioner.)

Bermudagrass -- Cynodon spp. and hybrids

Bindweed, field -- Convolvulus arvensis

Broom, French -- Genista monspessulana

Broom, Scotch -- Gytisus scoparius

Dodder -- Cuscuta reflexa (all species except Giant dodder)

Flag, western blue -- Iris missouriensis

Henbane, black -- Hyoscyamus niger

Iris, Douglas -- Iris douglasiana

Iris, western blue flag -- Iris missouriensis

Johnsongrass -- Sorghum halepense

Kelp -- Polygonum amphibium var. emersum

Kikuyugrass -- Pennisetum clandestinum

Klamathweed -- Hypericum performatum

Mallow, alkali -- Malvella leprosa

Medusahead -- Taeniatherum caput-medusae

Povertyweed -- Iva axillaris

Puncture vine -- Tribulus terrestris

Russianthistle, barbwire -- Salsola paulsenii

Russianthistle, common -- Salsola tragus

St. Johnswort -- Hyperisum performatum

Sandbur, coast -- Cenchrus incertus

Sandbur, mat -- Cenchrus longispinus

Sandbur, southern -- Cendhrus echinatus

Starthistle, yellow -- Centaurea solstitialis

Thistle, Italian -- Carduus pycnocephalus

Thistle, slender flowered -- Carduus tenuiflorus

Return to top

(CDFA formal definition - Rated species are treated as temporary "A" rated pests, denoting action outside of nurseries at the state-county level, pending determination of a permanent rating.)

Ambulia -- Limnophilia indica

Fanwort, Carolina -- Cabomba caroliniana

Field cress, creeping yellow -- Rorippa sylvestris

Lettuc, water -- Pistia stratiotes

Restharrow, foxtail -- Ononis alopecuroides

Russian thistle, spineless -- Salsola collina

Salvinia -- Salvinia auriculata complex

Spongeplant, S. American & N. American -- Spongia sensulato

Spurge, Geraldton carnation -- Euphorbia terracina

Thistle, Japanese -- Cirsium japonicum

Return to top

If you think you have one of the above weeds in your pasture, see it along a trail or find it growing in your favorite horsecamp, go to the "Weed Photos & Descriptions" page. Here you will find a color picture and descripton of EACH of the above weeds. Weeds are listed alphabetically for easy reference. Simply select the weed you're interested in, point, click and view. If you want to print the page, do so. Then compare it to the weed in question and if it is a weed, notify your local County Agriculture Commissioner (found on the "County Ag Commissioners" page). They will tell you what action to take -- pull it up or leave it for their viewing!

(The above Pest Ratings of Noxious Weed Species and Noxious Weed Seed (dated 1-6-99) was provided by the State of California Department of Food and Agriculture Division of Plant Health & Pest Prevention Services as the MOST current list available.)

Return to top