Ageratina altissima in Austria
Ageratina altissima (Asteraceae) is native to North America and is recorded as an invasive alien species in the Republic of Korea. In the EPPO region, in Central Europe, A. altissima has been recorded as a rare transient species. In Austria, A. altissima has been historically recorded and more recently it has been recorded in Viktring near Klagenfurt in Carinthia (Kärnten). In 2006, an established population was found in Goldegg in Lower Austria (Niederösterreich). The area covered was a few 100 m2. A survey conducted in the same location in 2024 revealed the population had spread considerably since its first discovery and it now covers an area of approximately 2.7 ha. In this area A. altissima cover within plant communities can reach up to 10 %. It occurs in habitats of forest plantations, clear cut forest and along the forest road, where it grows in wet sites with loamy soil. The population of A. altissima at Goldegg is found between 400–460 m a.s.l. in a submontane Central European climate with an average annual precipitation of approximately 800 mm and an average temperature of about 9.0 °C
Sources
Essl F (2025) The distribution of Ageratina altissima (L.) R. M. King & H. Rob. in Austria. BioInvasions Records 14(1), 13–18