PHOTO: Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signs into law a bill to address the spread of invasive plants in the state amid supporters of the legislation passed in the 2025 statehouse session.
by Don Corrigan
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on June 14 signed a law halting sale in the state of six invasive plants. They are: sericea lespedeza, burning bush, Callery pear, Japanese honeysuckle, perilla mint, and wintercreeper.
Implementation date for the legislation is Aug. 28 The legislation allows four plants in the bill to continue to be sold through Jan. 1, 2027, and two others to be sold through Jan. 1, 2029, to mitigate revenue losses for plant sellers, who may have an inventory of some species.
“The Missouri Invasive Plant Council is extremely pleased with this wonderful news and thanks Gov. Kehoe and Missouri legislators for their support of this bill,” said Carol Davit, chairperson of the Missouri Invasive Plant Council.
“The bill will help protect Missouri’s working lands and native habitats from these harmful invasives,” Davit added.
In 2023, the Missouri Invasive Plant Council sent a list of invasive plants to state Rep. Bruce Sassmann, R-Bland, for inclusion in a bill he was sponsoring to halt the sale of select invasive plants.
Sassmann’s bill and a companion bill sponsored by state Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, were not scheduled for floor votes during the 2024 legislative session, Both legislators filed similar bills for the 2025 session.
Many state residents contacted their representatives and senators in support of the bills tis year. Proponents includied the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, Missouri Municipal League, Missouri Stream Teams United, the Conservation Federation of Missouri and more.
The Nature Conservancy advocated for the legislation alongside the Missouri Prairie Foundation. Missouri legislators who supported the bill, and conservation lobbyist Kyna Iman, worked tirelessly behind the scenes to build support for the bills in the Missouri Capitol.
Defining Invasives
Rep. Sassmann said honeysuckle hackers should take heart at the new law. He does caution that the law is just a small step in the right direction on a big problem.
“Every day invasive species are threatening the health of our nation’s vital agricultural and natural lands,“ said Sassman. “Forests are being infested, cropland production is being impacted, streams are being impacted, wildlife is losing habitat.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines an invasive species as one whose introduction causes economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health.
Under Sassmann’s bill, nurseries and nursery dealers in the state must submit to the Department of Agriculture an affidavit that they will not knowingly or intentionally import, export, buy, sell, transport, distribute or propagate a select group of invasive plants.
“To tell you the truth, it shocks me that nurseries have still been selling this stuff,” Daniel Appelbaum of Webster Groves told EE in 2014. “After I bought some land in south central Missouri, I became aware that honeysuckle is everywhere.
“I know how people in Webster Groves are into the environment and the outdoors, but along our portion of I-44 it’s all over,” added Appelbaum. “It’s not a very good introduction to Webster to have this stuff all over and I’ve contacted officials about it.”
Alan Hopefl of Kirkwood, who has earned a nickname as the ‘Honeysuckle Slayer’ for his personal efforts to eradicate it in parks, said he’s pleased something is coming out of the legislature that will support the environment.
Hopefl’s technique for slaying honeysuckle involves a small saw, a brush and pot containing glyphosate. After he’s done cutting, he paints honeysuckle stumps with glyphosate which can keep the plants from re-sprouting.
“I hack away at the stuff, whether it has sweet-smelling flowers in May or pretty red berries in December,” declared Hopefl. “It’s a problem any time of the year – and it needs be cut down.”
“I think the bill in the legislature (and now signed by the governor) is a positive step,” said Hopefl. “I can’t believe nurseries are still selling it. And I can’t understand why any legislator would oppose trying to stop the spread of honeysuckle.”
Environmental Echo 