EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 11 - 2022 Num. article: 2022/250

Invasive alien plants in Romania


Invasive alien plant species were identified in Romania by conducting extensive literature searches of databases, scientific publications, grey literature, and herbaria. Over 800 alien plant species were identified from Romania and 75 taxa were identified as invasive alien species (Table 1). The majority of the invasive alien plants listed in table 1 were introduced intentionally for horticulture or ornamental purposes.


Table 1. List of invasive alien plant species in Romania (List IAPs = EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants; Obs List = EPPO Observation List).

Species

Family 

EPPO status

Habitat

Acer negundo 

Aceraceae


Deciduous forest, scrub, grassland, riparian, wetland

Abutilon theophrasti 

Malvaceae


Agricultural, ruderal

Ailanthus altissima 

Simaroubaceae

List IAPs

Moist and loamy soils, limestone-rich soils

Amaranthus albus 

Amaranthaceae


Anthropogenic

Amaranthus blitoides 

Amaranthaceae


Ruderal, agricultural

Amaranthus blitum subsp. blitum

Amaranthaceae


Ruderal, agricultural

Amaranthus crispus 

Amaranthaceae


Ruderal, riparian

Amaranthus deflexus 

Amaranthaceae


Ruderal

Amaranthus powellii 

Amaranthaceae


Canyons, desert scrub, open habitats

Amaranthus retroflexus 

Amaranthaceae


Riparian 

Ambrosia artemisiifolia 

Asteraceae

A2 List

Grassland

Amorpha fruticosa 

Euphorbiaceae

List IAPs

Riparian, lakeshore, open forest, ruderal

Armoracia rusticana 

Brassicaceae


Ruderal, agricultural, riparian

Artemisia annua 

Asteraceae


Riparian, lakeshore

Asclepias syriaca 

Asclepiadaceae

List IAPs

Anthropogenic

Azolla filiculoides 

Salviniaceae

List IAPs

Stagnant and slow-moving waters

Bassia scoparia 

Chenopodiaceae


Pastures, ruderal, agricultural

Bidens frondosa 

Asteraceae

List IAPs

Moist forest, meadow, agricultural

Cenchrus longispinus 

Poaceae

Obs. List

Sandy forests, agricultural

Cuscuta campestris 

Cuscutaceae


Parasite of herbaceous plants

Iva xanthiifolia

Asteraceae


Ruderal, agricultural

Cyperus difformis 

Cuscutaceae


Riparian, wetland

Cytisus scoparius 

Fabaceae


Sandy soils, pastures on acid soils, gravelly soils

Datura stramonium 

Solanaceae


Fertile soils

Dysphania ambrosioides 

Chenopodiaceae


Riparian, ruderal, agricultural

Echinocystis lobata 

Cucurbitaceae


Riparian, palustrine, moist ruderal, ditches, thickets

Elaeagnus angustifolia 

Cyperaceae


Forests, grassland

Elodea canadensis 

Fabaceae


Riverbanks, wetlands, shallow waters and muddy substrates  

Elodea nuttallii 

Hydrocharitaceae

List IAPs

Lakes and rivers, mostly calcareous

Erigeron annuus subsp. annuus

Asteraceae


Ruderal, agricultural

Erigeron annuus subsp. strigosus

Asteraceae


Grassland, ruderal

Erigeron canadensis 

Asteraceae


Ruderal, anthropogenic

Eriochloa villosa 

Poaceae

Obs. List

Riverbanks, meadows, ruderal, agricultural

Euphorbia maculata 

Elaeagnaceae


Ruderal, agricultural

Fraxinus pennsylvanica 

Oleaceae


Open woodlands, riverbanks, swamps, ditches

Galinsoga parviflora 

Asteraceae


Ruderal, agricultural, anthropogenic

Galinsoga quadriradiata 

Asteraceae


Ruderal, agricultural, anthropogenic

Helianthus tuberosus 

Asteraceae

List IAPs

Ruderal, forest edge

Impatiens glandulifera 

Balsaminaceae

List IAPs

Mountain

Impatiens parviflora 

Balsaminaceae


Grassland, floodplain, forest edges

Juncus tenuis 

Hydrocharitaceae


Sandy to clayey soils

Juniperus virginiana 

Cupressaceae


Forests, moist ruderal

Lindernia dubia 

Linderniaceae


Moist habitats

Lycium barbarum 

Solanaceae


Riverbanks, meadows

Matricaria discoidea 

Asteraceae


Ruderal, anthropogenic

Morus alba 

Moraceae


Open habitats

Nelumbo nucifera 

Nelumbonaceae


Floodplain

Oenothera biennis 

Onagraceae


Dry grassland, lakeshores, open forest

Oxalis corniculata 

Oxalidaceae


Forest, grassland, riverbanks, agricultural, ruderal

Oxalis dillenii 

Oxalidaceae


Grassland, roadsides, riverbanks

Oxalis stricta 

Oxalidaceae


Grassland, riverbanks, floodplains, ruderal, forest

Panicum capillare 

Poaceae


Ruderal, agricultural

Panicum miliaceum 

Poaceae


Grassland

Parthenocissus quinquefolia 

Vitaceae


Open forest, riparian

Parthenocissus inserta

Vitaceae


Open forest, riparian

Paspalum distichum

Poaceae

List IAPs

Riparian

Phytolacca americana 

Phytolaccaceae

Obs. List

Ruderal, grassland, thickets, forest edges

Prunus serotina 

Rosaceae

List IAPs

Ruderal, agricultural, open forest, riverbanks

Fallopia × bohemica 

Polygonaceae

List IAPs

Mountains, ruderal, agricultural

Fallopia japonica 

Polygonaceae

List IAPs

Mountains, ruderal, agricultural

Robinia pseudoacacia 

Fabaceae


Forest, ruderal

Rudbeckia laciniata 

Asteraceae


Moist forest, riverbanks

Salvia reflexa 

Lamiaceae


Grassland, ruderal

Sicyos angulatus 

Cucurbitaceae

List IAPs

Riverbanks, ruderal

Solidago canadensis 

Asteraceae

List IAPs

Grasslands, riverbank

Solidago gigantea 

Asteraceae

List IAPs

Moist habitats, open forest

Sorghum halepense 

Poaceae


Dry open habitats

Symphyotrichum ciliatum 

Asteraceae


Moist, saline, sandy soil

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum 

Asteraceae


Riparian, meadow

Trigonella caerulea 

Fabaceae


Well-drained loamy soils

Vallisneria spiralis 

Hydrocharitaceae


Lakes and rivers, wetland

Veronica persica 

Plantaginaceae


Mountains

Xanthium orientale 

Asteraceae


Anthropogenic

Xanthium spinosum 

Asteraceae


Ruderal, riparian



Sources

Sirbu C, Miu IV, Gavrilidis AA, Gradinaru SR, Niculae IM, Preda C, Oprea A, Urziceanu M, Camen-Comanescu P, Nagoda E, Sirbu IM, Memedemin D, Anastasiu P (2022) Distribution and pathways of introduction of invasive alien plant species in Romania. NeoBiota 75, 1–21.