Notes on alien plant species Amorpha fruticosa new TO Lithuania

Woody plant species in recent decades have increasingly often been recorded escaped from cultivation and naturalized. In 2013, a new alien woody species Amorpha fruticosa L. (Fabaceae) was first found in Lithuania. In several Central European countries, A. fruticosa is recognized as invasive species that pose serious threat to natural habitats and ecosystems. To date, A. fruticosa has been registered in three localities in Lithuania: two populations in Ukmergė district and one population in Prienai district. Considering the present state of revealed A. fruticosa populations, it is concluded that this species in Lithuania is already naturalized and potentially invasive. Estimated total area occupied by A. fruticosa in three known localities is about 0.2 ha. In certain areas this species can become abundant and invade significant areas of meadow, forest-edge and other open habitats. Therefore, its immediate control and subsequent eradication can reduce risk of future invasion. Cultivation of A. fruticosa should be forbidden outside the ornamental plantations.