Exotic and Invasive Species
Invasive species threatening Region 3 range from disease pathogens to mammals. For information on invasive animals, insects and plants visit our Forest Health section. Invasive species generally possess one or more of the following characteristics: aggressive and difficult to manage; poisonous; toxic; parasitic; a carrier or host of serious insect or disease; and being nonnative, new, or not common to the United States or parts thereof.
The U.S. Forest Service has developed a number of regional documents for invasive identification and management in the Invasive Species Field Guide.
Santa Fe Forest Health R3 Forest Health
Invasive Plant Species on the Santa Fe National Forest include:
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Bull thistle | Cirsium vulgare |
| Canada thistle | Cirsium arvense |
| Cheatgrass | Bromus tectorum |
| Common mullein | Verbascum thapsus |
| Dalmation toadflax | Linaria dalmatica |
| Diffuse knapweed | Centaurea diffusa |
| Hardheads | Acroptilon repens |
| Nodding plumeless thistle | Carduus nutans |
| Poison hemlock | Conium maculatum |
| Russian olive | Elaeagnus angustifolia |
| Tamarisk (saltcedar) | Tamarix ramosissima |
| Scotch thistle | Onopordum acanthium |
| Siberian elm | Ulmus pumila |
| Spotted knapweed | Centaurea stoebe |
How Can You Help?
Identify and Inventory
BudBurst - Monitor seasonal changes in plants with a national network of community scientists.
USDA Plant Database - filtered to show plants in Arizona and New Mexico with common names.
See what others nearby have shared in the Southwestern Region, then add your own observations.
Treat, Eradicate, and Control
Contact your local office to find opportunities of how you can help treat, eradicate, and control invasive species.