Banned Trees and Plants in New Jersey

I read an April 18, 2026 report in the New York Post titled After holding its nose for decades, NJ finally bans stinky Bradford pear tree:

Under a new law, the Bradford pear tree and 29 other non-native plants that have been leafing chaos on local ecosystems, posing public safety risks, crowding out native plants and generally taking up space, are banned in the ultimate state-sanctioned so long.

(I appreciate the use of the word “leafing” here.)

What are the other 29 banned trees and plant species? The New York Post linked to an April 13, 2026 report by Jelani Gibson for NJ.com, which in turn linked to the relevant law and includes the full just of newly banned tree and plant species in New Jersey. The banned species are as follows (courtesy of the NJ.com report): Norway maple (Acer platanoides); Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima); Mimosa tree or Persian silk tree (Albiza julibrissin); Porcelain berry (Ampelopsis glandulosa var. brevipedunculata); Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata); Japanese barberry (Berberris thunbergii); Japanese clematis (Clematis teniflora); Autumn olive (Elaegnus umbellata); Weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula); Winged burning bush (Euonymus alatus); English ivy (Hedera helix); Japanese hop (Humulus japonicus); European privet (Ligustrum vulgare); Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii); Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii); Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria); Japanese crabapple (Malus toringo); Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis); Eurasian water-milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum); Oriental photinia (Photinia villosa); Callery or Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana); Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica); Jetbead (Rhodotypos scandens); Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora); European water chestnut (Trapa natans); Siebold’s arrowwood (Viburnum sieboldii); Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda); Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis); Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata); and Running bamboo (Phyllostachys).

While both articles focused on the Bradford pear tree, another banned plant caught my attention: The tree of heaven (ailanthus altissima). Back in 2024, I happened upon, and rescued, a peculiar looking insect trapped indoors. Curious, I ran a reverse image search and determined that the insect in question was an ailanthus webworm moth. Why is it called the ailanthus webworm moth? I explained my research findings in my article:

Quoting WhatsThatBug: ‘[I]t has expanded its range in response to the spread of its primary host, the Tree of Heaven.’ But how has the Tree of Heaven spread? ‘Urban areas and nurseries with Ailanthus trees are hotspots for Ailanthus Webworm Moth populations.’

Fortunately for the ailanthus webworm moth population and others who are fans of one particular invasive plant species in New Jersey or another, NJ.com makes clear that “[t]he law does not say … banned species need to be cut down or destroyed.” What it does do is “[s]tarting 13 months after the law was signed [in January 2026], no one may propagate or import any of the banned plants without a waiver.” Moreover, “[i]n four years, the ban expands to forbidding anyone from selling, distributing or exporting the banned plants or their seeds.”

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