COLUMBUS (AP) — Ohio has banned the sale of more than three dozen invasive plant species under new rules that took effect Sunday.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that the state now prohibits the sale of destructive species including certain types of honeysuckles, autumn olive shrubs and Bradford pear trees.

Officials say the plants can spread aggressively and choke out others in wild spaces, forests and parks, and along highways. They also can lower property values and prompt seemingly endless battles to contain them.

Forester Alistair Reynolds of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources says Ohio didn’t previously have rules to prevent such plans from being sold in or brought to the state. Officials now will look for the prohibited species during regular inspections of garden centers and nurseries.

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com