The Government has said those who do not control the spread of certain invasive non-native species of plants could be fined up to £2 500 or even receive an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo).
Businesses face even bigger possible fines up to around £20 000.
This is nothing new for businesses in Scotland and Northern Ireland who already have a legal responsibility to prevent invasive species from spreading.
Some of the plants that could lead to these fines and criminal convictions include Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed and Himalayan balsam.
The Home Office has commented that these plants threaten the UK's biodiversity by crowding out native species.
These plants are extremely dangerous and Japanese knotweed has been known to grow through tarmac and cause structural damage to properties. It is also very fast growing, sometimes up to 10cm a day.
Another problematic plant, giant hogweed, can cause serious health problems for humans such as blisters and in severe cases even blindness.
These plants are very hard to remove and using herbicides in the late summer or autumn has been stated as the most effective method.
Under the new scheme, the legislation can be used in order to demand an individual prevents the growth and spread of "plants that are capable of causing serious problems to communities".
A property lawyer, Laurence Laney, spoke to the BBC and said that problems from Japanese knotweed can even extend to people buying and selling properties.
He stated: "It can have an adverse impact on valuation. Lenders may refuse to lend on it, and for that reason it's a case of informing yourself as much as possible about whether it's a problem in a property you're looking at."
