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Michigan Just Restricted Callery Pear, Japanese Barberry and Four Other Landscape Plants

Regulators voted unanimously to add six ornamental species to the state's invasive list, right as homeowners head into fall planting season.

Meridians Life Desk

Published 21 August 2026 · Updated 21 August 2026 · 4 min read

Michigan Just Restricted Callery Pear, Japanese Barberry and Four Other Landscape PlantsGarden
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The short answer

  • Michigan's Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development voted unanimously on May 20, 2026 to add six species to the state's invasive species list.
  • Water hyacinth and water lettuce became Prohibited on June 19, 2026. Common buckthorn, glossy buckthorn, Callery pear and Japanese barberry become Restricted on January 1, 2028.
  • For all six species it becomes unlawful to import, sell, possess with intent to distribute, or intentionally propagate them — restrictions apply to the parent species and their bred cultivars.
  • Property owners aren't in violation if the plants are already established on their land. Public comment drew over 2,000 responses, more than 90% in support.

As homeowners head into the prime fall planting window, Michigan regulators have restricted six ornamental plant species long sold at garden centers — including the ubiquitous Callery (Bradford) pear tree and Japanese barberry hedge — because of documented invasiveness. The Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development voted unanimously on May 20, 2026 to add the species to the state's invasive species list.

What's restricted, and when

  • Prohibited effective June 19, 2026: water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)
  • Restricted effective January 1, 2028: common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
  • For all six, it is unlawful to import, sell, possess with intent to distribute, or intentionally propagate them
  • Restrictions apply to the parent species and their bred cultivars, not just wild plants

Who this affects

Property owners are not in violation of the order if the restricted species are already established on their land or in adjacent waterways — the rule targets new sales and propagation, not existing plantings. The order was issued under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (MCL 324.41302) and signed by Dr. Felicia Wu, chair of the Commission.

How the decision was made

The public comment period drew more than 2,000 responses, with over 90% in support of the additions. The Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association opposed the expansion; the Wildflower Association of Michigan, which supported it, called the inclusion of cultivars "critical" to closing a loophole that let bred varieties skirt species-level bans. "We really got this done. We're beyond happy," said Carolyn Miller, the group's president.

A broader trend

Michigan isn't acting alone. Other states have separately moved against some of the same species — Pennsylvania and Massachusetts have restricted Japanese barberry, and Kansas has a Callery pear quarantine reported to begin in 2027 — though Meridians has only independently verified Michigan's order and its own state sources, not those other states' regulatory text directly.

Sources

Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.

About this byline

Meridians Life Desk is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.

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