Abstract:To identify attributes of plant invaders in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, China, we recorded 23 attributes (referring to: reproduction, mode of spread, life span, breeding system, life form, pollination, mode of defensive, and adaptation to habitats) for 1750 herbaceous angiosperms from the investigated area. We compared these attributes for weeds and nonweeds, invasive and native weeds, and invasive weeds and nonweedy exotic plants in SPSS 15.0. The results indicate that native and exotic weedy plants share common attributes. In Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, China, weedy herbaceous angiosperms are likely to be shade intolerant, toxic, annual or biennial rosette plants adapted to wet, xeric or sunny habitats. They are likely to have wind pollinated bisexual flowers and produce many small mucilaginous or armed seeds. They are unlikely to be mesophytes, have thorns, or reproduce vegetatively. The above attributes probably confer an ecological advantage to the weedy plants, while one should not ignore the influence of humane preference on the introduction, cultivation, and control of exotic plant species.