Survey Results:
1st Annual Virginia Retail Garden Center Invasive Plant Survey
From May 2, 2025 - September 28, 2025 the Virginia Invasive Plant Coalition conducted the first annual statewide survey of invasive plants* for sale at retail garden centers.
Below are the results. Thank you to all the volunteers who made this happen!
The 2026 Annual Virginia Retail Garden Center Survey is happening now!
*Virginia Invasive Plant Species List, Virginia Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
128 Visits
56 Cities
86 Retail Garden Centers
55 species evaluated
49 Invasive Plant Species Found
5.46 = average invasive plant species found per visit
6 = average invasive plant species found per location
Range:
High = 19
Low = 0
Most Common Species Found
Butterfly Bush 77 visits 🌿 English Ivy 74 visits 🌿 Nandina 67 visits 🌿 Periwinkle 63 visits 🌿 Japanese Barberry 46 visits 🌿 Moneywort 46 visits 🌿 Burning Bush 35 visits 🌿 Greater Periwinkle 34 visits 🌿 Japanese Spirea 33 visits 🌿 Fountain Grass 23 visits 🌿 Chinese Silvergrass 22 visits 🌿 Chinese Privet 20 visits 🌿 Winter Creeper 19 visits 🌿 Border Privet 14 visits 🌿 Leatherleaf Mahonia 14 visits 🌿 Sweet Autumn Clematis 11 visits 🌿 Chinese Wisteria 10 visits 🌿 Callery Pear 9 visits 🌿 Japanese Wisteria 9 visits 🌿 Yellow Flag 6 visits 🌿 Linden Arrow-Wood 5 visits 🌿 Water Hyacinth 5 visits 🌿Creeping Charlie 4 visits 🌿 Five-leaf Akebia 4 visits 🌿 Golden Bamboo 4 visits 🌿 Mimosa 4 visits 🌿
Cities
Abingdon
Alexandria
Anandale
Arlington
Ashland
Barboursville
Bedford
Blacksburg
Chantilly
Charlottesville
Chesapeake
Chester
Christiansburg
Colonial Heights
Fair Oaks
Fairfax
Falls Church
Forest
Franklin
Fredericksburg
Gainsville
Glen Allen
Harrisonburg
Haymarket
Henrico
Herndon
Leesburg
Manassas
Manassas Park
McLean
Mechanicsville
Merrifield
Midlothian
Moneta
New Church
Newport News
Norfolk
Onancock
Richmond
Roanoke
Ruckersville
South Riding
Staunton
Stuart
Stuarts Draft
Suffolk
Vienna
Vinton
Virginia Beach
Warrenton
Waynesboro
Weyers Cave/Grottoes
Williamsburg
Wise
Woodbridge
