Family: Asteraceae

High Risk Traits:

• Broad climate suitability and elevation range exceeds 1000 m, demonstrating environmental versatility
  
• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Widely naturalized, including all main Hawaiian Islands
  
• Disturbance-adapted weed of crops
  
• Environmental weed
  
• Other Ageratum species are invasive
  
• Allelopathic
  
• Unpalatable and toxic to animals
  
• Toxic and allergenic to people
  
• Alternate host of crop pests and pathogens
  
• Tolerates shade
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Forms dense stands in crop lands
  
• Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively
  
• Self-compatible
  
• Reaches maturity rapidly (as early as 2 months from seed)
  
• Seeds dispersed by wind, water, and attached to on the hairs of livestock and wild animals, clothes and agricultural machinery
  
• Prolific seed production

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
  
• Used medicinally
  
• Seeds are non-dormant and might not form a long-lived seed bank
  
• Controlled effectively by mechanical and chemical means