Oregon Public Broadcasting

Starting Tuesday June 1st the propagation, transport or sale of 'English Ivy' and 'Scotch Broom' plants is prohibited.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is trying to stop the spread of the invasive species.

The new rules came into effect at the start of the year. But the Agriculture Department has given nurseries and stores six months to get rid of their inventories before cracking down.

Now says state spokesman, Gary McAninch, the prohibition starts in earnest and covers everything from indoor plants to floral arrangements.

Gary McAninch : "It can't be sold or transported or propogated in Oregon but for those who have scotch broom in their forests or no their property, there's no requirement that they rip it out or destroy it."

With that in mind, McAninch acknowledges ivy and scotch broom are firmly established in Oregon.

Gary MacAninch: "We get lost of comments from the public about the horse already being out of the barn. And really we are trying to protect those areas in Oregon where it hasn't spread to yet. If you look at ivy it seems to me to be a fairly urban phenomenon."

He says a lot of rural Oregon remains ivy and scotch broom free and the state would like to keep it that way.

McAninch says the state has never had to fine anyone over the issue -- stores and nurseries tend to be cooperative.

Gary MacAninch: "Typically what we do is we'll put a stop sale on it and ask them to send it back to their supplier if it's not a state supplier or they can destroy that plant material."

The department is also banning the sale of butterfly bushes, or 'buddleja.' But MacAninch says, gardeners will be able to buy a new hybrid butterfly bush, that is essentially seedless.