A bill that would ban the sale of certain types of invasive plants in Missouri awaits the governor’s signature. And the Missouri Prairie Foundation is asking residents to contact Mike Kehoe and urge him to sign it.
Senate Bill 105, passed by the Missouri Legislature during the 2025 session, would ban the sale of certain plants: Callery pear, Japanese honeysuckle, sericea lespedeza, perilla mint, one cultivar of burning bush and one cultivar of wintercreeper.
"These species all had widespread support from a wide range of stakeholders, including Cattlemen’s Association of Missouri, Missouri Municipal League, conservation groups, land management groups," said MPF Executive Director Carol Davit, who is also chair of the Missouri Invasive Plant Council, "so there’s broad support for halting the sale of these six species.”
She said those types of invasive plants displace native species, which are the foundation for nature’s web of life.
“When those native plants are not available for insects to eat, those insects suffer. And it’s not just the insects that suffer but all of the songbirds that depend on those insects for food, not to mention pollinating insects, as well, that depend on pollen and nectar from those native plants.”
And she pointed out that pollinators are necessary for growing crops for human consumption.
When native plants crowd out oak trees, the forest industry is harmed, she said. And oak trees provide food for turkey and deer, which can impact hunting in the state.
She encourages Missourians to plant native species of trees and plants, which are best suited to the region and support native wildlife.
The invasive species bill received bipartisan support in the legislature.
Governor Kehoe has until July 14 to sign it.
