Invasive alien plants in Israel
A new book on invasive alien plants in Israel by Jean-Marc Dufour-Dror has been published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. This book provides a full list of the 166 alien plants established in Israel, indicating the habitats and the climatic area in which they occur. Among those, 50 have been identified as representing a threat in Israel. For each of these 50 species a datasheet is provided and includes a description of the plant, pictures, history of introduction, biology and ecology, distribution in Israel and effects on native species. The EPPO Secretariat has summarized below the information that is provided for these 50 invasive alien plants about their origin, presence in the EPPO region, habitat and their situation in Israel.
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Species
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Origin
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Presence in the EPPO region*
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Habitat, situation in Israel
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Acacia cyclops (Fabaceae)
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SW-Aus.
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CY, DZ, ES (incl. Canarias), IL, MA, PT (incl. Azores), TN
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Mediterranean area; natural dry habitat; rare in IL
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Acacia karroo (Fabaceae)
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Trop. Af.
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CY, ES, FR (incl. Corse), IL, IT (incl. Sardinia, Sicilia), MA, PT, TR
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Mediterranean area; natural dry and disturbed dry habitats; common in IL
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Acacia paradoxa (Fabaceae)
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SE-Aus.
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IL
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Mediterranean area; disturbed rare habitats; very rare in IL
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Acacia salicina (Fabaceae)
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E-Aus.
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IL
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Desert area; natural dry and disturbed dry habitats and urban environments; very common in IL
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Acacia saligna (Fabaceae)
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SW-Aus.
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CY, DZ, ES (incl. Baleares, Canarias), FR (incl. Corse), GR, IL, IT (incl. Sardinia, Sicilia), JO, MA, PT (incl. Azores), TN, TR
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Mediterranean and semi-arid areas; natural dry, natural moist, disturbed dry and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; very common in IL
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Acacia victoriae (Fabaceae)
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Aus.
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IL
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Mediterranean and semi-arid areas; disturbed dry habitats; rare in IL
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Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae, EPPO List of IAP)
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As.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean area; natural dry and disturbed dry habitats and urban environments; common in IL
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Ambrosia confertiflora (Asteraceae)
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C-Am.
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IL
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Mediterranean area; natural moist and disturbed dry habitats; very rare in IL
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Atriplex holocarpa (Amaranthaceae)
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Aus.
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(Casual in BE), IL
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Desert area; natural dry and disturbed dry habitats; common in IL
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Azolla filiculoides (Salviniaceae, EPPO Observation List of IAP)
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Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean area; natural moist and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Carpobrotus edulis (Aizoaceae, EPPO List of IAP)
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S-Af.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean area; natural dry habitat and urban environments; common in IL
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Conyza bonariensis (Asteraceae)
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Trop. S-Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean, semi-arid and desert areas; natural moist, disturbed dry, disturbed or artificial moist habitats and urban environments; very common in IL
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Conyza canadensis (Asteraceae)
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N-Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean, semi-arid and desert areas; natural moist, disturbed dry, disturbed or artificial moist habitats and urban environments; very common in IL
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Conyza sumatrensis (Asteraceae)
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Trop. S-Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean, semi-arid and desert areas; natural moist, disturbed dry, disturbed or artificial moist habitats; rare in IL
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Cyperus flabelliformis (Cyperaceae)
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Trop. Af.
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ES (incl. Baleares, Canarias), FR (Corse), GR, IL, IT (incl. Sicilia), PT (incl. Azores, Madeira)
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Mediterranean, semi-arid areas; natural moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Cyperus odoratus (Cyperaceae)
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Pan-Trop.
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IL, RO
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Mediterranean area; natural moist habitat; rare in IL
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Datura stramonium (Solanaceae)
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S-Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean, semi-arid and desert areas; disturbed dry, disturbed or artificial moist habitats and urban environments; very common in IL
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Dodonaea viscosa (Sapindaceae)
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Trop.
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CY, IL
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Mediterranean area; natural dry, disturbed dry habitats; rare in IL
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Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiaceae, EPPO A2 List)
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S-Am.
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ES, FR (Corse), IL, IT (Sardinia), JO, PT
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Mediterranean area; natural moist and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Myrtaceae)
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Aus.
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AL, CY, DZ, ES (incl. Canarias), GR, IL, IT (incl. Sicilia), MA, MT PT, TN, TR
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Mediterranean, semi-arid areas; natural dry, natural moist, disturbed or artificial moist habitats; rare in IL
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Ficus benghalensis (Moraceae)
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Ind.
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IL
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Semi-arid area; natural moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Ficus microcarpa (Moraceae)
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Trop. Asia, Aus.
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IL, IT (Sicilia)
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Semi-arid area; natural moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Ficus religiosa (Moraceae)
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Trop. As.
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IIL
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Semi-arid area; natural moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Heterotheca subaxillaris (Asteraceae)
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E N-Am
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/
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Mediterranean area; natural dry, disturbed dry habitats; common in IL
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Ipomoea aquatica (Convolvulaceae)
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SE As.
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IL, TN, TR
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Mediterranean area; natural moist habitat; very rare in IL
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Lantana camara (Verbenaceae)
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Trop. S-Am.
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ES (incl. Baleares, Canarias), FR (Corse), IL, IT (incl. Sicilia), PT (Azores, Madeira), TR
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Mediterranean, desert areas; Natural dry, disturbed dry habitats; common in IL
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Melia azedarach (Meliaceae)
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Aus., Trop. As.
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AL, CY, ES (incl. Azores), FR, GR, HR, IL, IT (incl. Sicilia), JO, PT (Madeira), MA, MT, TN, TR
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Mediterranean area; disturbed dry habitats and urban environment; common in IL
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Myriophyllum aquaticum (Haloragaceae, EPPO List of IAP)
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S-Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean area; natural moist and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Nicotiana glauca (Solanaceae)
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S-Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean, desert areas; disturbed dry, disturbed or artificial moist habitats, urban environment; very common in IL
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Oenothera drummondii (Onagraceae)
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Am.
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ES, IL, MA
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Mediterranean area; natural dry and disturbed dry habitats; common in IL
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Oxalis pes-caprae (Oxalidaceae, EPPO List of IAP)
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S-Af.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean area; disturbed dry, disturbed or artificial moist habitats, urban environment; common in IL
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Parkinsonia aculeata (Fabaceae)
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Central ; Trop. S-Am.
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CY, DZ, ES (Incl. Baleares, Canarias), GR, IL, IT (incl. Sicilia), MA
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Mediterranean, semi-arid areas; natural moist, disturbed dry and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; common in IL
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Paspalum distichum (Poaceae, EPPO List of IAP)
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Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean area; natural moist and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; rare in IL
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Pennisetum clandestinum (Poaceae)
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E Trop. Af.
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CY, DZ, ES (incl. Canarias), FR (Corse), GR (Crete), IL, MA, PT (Madeira), TN
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Mediterranean, semi-arid areas; natural moist and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; rare in IL
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Phytolacca americana (Phytolaccaceae)
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N-Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean area; natural moist and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; rare in IL
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Pinus brutia (Pinaceae)
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Med, Temp. As.
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Native in a part of the region
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Mediterranean area; natural dry, disturbed dry habitats; common in IL
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Pistia stratiotes (Araceae, EPPO List of IAP)
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Trop. S-Am.
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ES (incl. Azores, Canarias), HU, IL, IT, PT
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Mediterranean area; natural moist and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Populus alba (Salicaceae)
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Eur. Temp. As.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean area; natural moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Prosopis juliflora (Fabaceae)
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C. Am.
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DZ, IL, JO, MA, TN
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Semi-arid, desert areas; natural dry, disturbed dry habitats; very rare in IL
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Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae)
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Trop. Af.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean, semi-arid, desert areas; natural moist, disturbed dry and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; common in IL
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Robinia pseudo-acacia (Fabaceae)
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Temp. N-Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean area; disturbed dry habitats; common in IL
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Salvinia molesta (Salviniaceae, EPPO List of IAP)
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Trop. S-Am.
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FR (Corse), IL, IT
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Mediterranean area; natural moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Schinus molle (Anacardiaceae)
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Trop. S-Am.
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ES (incl. Canarias), IL, IT, MT, PT (Madeira)
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Mediterranean area; natural dry and disturbed dry habitats; rare in IL
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Schinus terebinthifolius (Anacardiaceae)
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Trop. S-Am.
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ES, IL, MT, PT
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Mediterranean, semi-arid, desert areas; natural moist and disturbed dry habitats; rare in IL
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Sesbania sesban (Fabaceae)
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Trop. E Af.
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IL
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Mediterranean area; natural moist and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; very rare in IL
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Solanum elaeagnifolium (Solanaceae, EPPO A2 List)
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S-Am.
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AL, CS, CY, ES, FR, GR, HR, IL, IT (incl. Sardinia, Sicilia), MA, TN, TR
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Mediterranean, semi-arid, desert areas; disturbed dry habitats; common in IL
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Verbesina encelioides (Asteraceae, EPPO Observation list of IAP)
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N-Am.
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ES, GB, IL
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Mediterranean, semi-arid, desert areas; natural dry and disturbed dry habitats; common in IL
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Washingtonia robusta (Arecaceae)
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N-Am.
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IL
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Mediterranean area; natural moist and disturbed dry habitats, urban environment; common in IL
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Xanthium strumarium (Asteraceae)
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N-Am.
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Widespread
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Mediterranean, semi-arid, desert areas; natural moist, disturbed dry and disturbed or artificial moist habitats; common in IL
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* The presence of the species in the EPPO region has been checked against the DAISIE Database and the CABI Invasive Species Compendium and may not be exhaustive.
Some of these species are of limited distribution at the scale of the EPPO region, and may represent emerging invasive alien plants, in particular in the Mediterranean Basin:
- Acacia spp. (Fabaceae) are recognized to be a major threat to Mediterranean countries. A.;paradoxa, A. salicina and A. victoriae are absent from the rest of the EPPO region and form dense stands displacing native species in Israel.
- Ambrosia confertifolia (Asteraceae) is absent from the rest of the EPPO region. In Israel, it replaces the native vegetation, changes the ecosystem and is also a problem in cultivated fields and citrus groves. The species is recorded as a severe allergen according to the Pollen library.
- Heterotheca subaxillaris (Asteraceae) is absent from the rest of the EPPO region. It invades coastal sands, outcompeting native species and transforming the habitat.
- Parkinsonia aculeata (Fabaceae) is reported as occurring in Algeria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Morocco and Spain. In Israel it forms dense stands that displace native species.
- Pennisetum clandestinum (Poaceae) is reported in Algeria, Cyprus, Spain, Corse (France), Crete (Greece), Morocco, Madeira (Portugal) and Tunisia. In Israel it forms dense mats displacing native plants.
- Prosopis juliflora (Fabaceae) is recorded in Algeria, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. In Israel, the species is reported to significantly reduce the diversity of plants and birds, and displays allelopathic effects.
Furthermore, a few alien species in Israel not listed among those 50 species should be followed with care:
- Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae, EPPO Alert list) is only occurring in a palm date plantation in Israel and is a major noxious weed in Africa, Australia and India.
- Maireana brevifolia (Amaranthaceae) is recorded in Israel as well as in Islas Canarias (Spain) where it is regulated as invasive.
Sources
CABI Invasive Species Compendium. http://www.cabi.org/isc/
DAISIE Database. http://www.europe-aliens.org/default.do
Dufour-Dror JM (2012) Alien Invasive Plants in Israel. The Middle East Nature Conservation Promotion Association. 213 pp.
Pollen library website – Weak-Leaf Burr-Ragweed (Ambrosia confertiflora). http://www.pollenlibrary.com/Specie/Ambrosia+confertiflora/