This is a list of invasive species in Europe. A species is regarded as invasive if it has become introduced to a location, area, or region where it did not previously occur naturally (i.e., is not a native species) and becomes capable of establishing a breeding population in the new location. An invasive species will be one that thrives in its new environment and negatively influences the ecology and biodiversity of that ecosystem. Negative effects can also affect humans, by compromising health (e.g. vectors of diseases) or socioeconomic systems (e.g. damages to agriculture or forestry).
The term invasive species refers to a subset of those species defined as introduced species. If a species has been introduced but remains local, and is not problematic to human systems or to the local biodiversity, then it does not belong on this list.
Plants
Acacia sp. Ailanthus altissima (Tree of heaven) Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed) Amorpha fruticosa (Desert false indigo) Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Ragweed) Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) Baccharis halimifolia (Eastern baccharis) Buddleja davidii Cabomba caroliniana (fanwort) Carpobrotus edulis (Hottentot fig) Clematis vitalba (Old man's beard) Cortaderia spp. Crassula helmsii (Australian swamp stonecrop) Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) Elodea canadensis (Canadian pondweed) Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall's waterweed) Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust) Gunnera tinctoria (Chilean rhubarb) Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed) Heracleum persicum (Persian hogweed) Heracleum sosnowskyi (Sosnowsky's hogweed) Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Floating pennywort) Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam) Lagarosiphon major (curly waterweed) Lantana camara Ludwigia grandiflora (water-primrose) Ludwigia peploides (floating primrose-willow) Lysichiton americanus (American skunk cabbage) Myriophyllum aquaticum (Parrot feather) Myriophyllum heterophyllum (broadleaf watermilfoil) Nicotiana glauca Oxalis pes-caprae (buttercup oxalis) Pennisetum setaceum (crimson fountaingrass) Pueraria lobata (kudzu vine) Reynoutria japonica (syn. Fallopia japonica) (Japanese knotweed) Rhododendron ponticum (pontic rhododendron) Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) Rosa rugosa
Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod) Tradescantia fluminensis
Algae
Caulerpa racemosa (Grape caulerpa) Caulerpa taxifolia, Mediterranean clone
Animals
Bryozoans
Bugula neritina (brown bryozoan) Schizoporella errata (branching bryozoan) Tricellaria inopinata
Cnidarians
Cordylophora caspia (euryhaline hydroid) Rhopilema nomadica (nomad jellyfish)
Ctenophores
Mnemiopsis leidyi (warty comb jelly)
Arthropods
Crustaceans
Balanus improvisus (Bay barnacle) Cercopagis pengoi (fishhook waterflea) Chelicorophium curvispinum (Caspian mud shrimp) Dikerogammarus villosus (Killer shrimp) Elminius modestus (Australasian barnacle) Eriocheir sinensis (Chinese mitten crab) Hemigrapsus takanoi (brush-clawed shore crab) Hemimysis anomala (bloody-red mysid) imnomysis benedeni (Donau-Schwebgarnele) Limnoria lignorum (gribble) Orconectes limosus (Spiny-cheek crayfish) Orconectes virilis (Virile crayfish) Pacifastacus leniusculus (Signal crayfish) Palaemon elegans (rockpool shrimp) Paralithodes camtschaticus (Red king crab) Percnon gibbesi (Sally Lightfoot crab) Pontogammarus robustoides Procambarus clarkii (Louisiana crawfish)