The inability to incorporate human-mediated release drivers is a pervasive flaw in ornamental risk assessments in Australia and internationally. The success of accurately determining invasive potential is centred on the suitability of the risk assessment tool for the focal group and requires tailoring to ornamental trade features for reliable outcomes. Review of international risk assessment models indicates post-border risk assessments using ornamental trade lists are largely unexplored and limited in their consideration of the human influence on ornamental invasion, incorporating eight drivers of varying functionality related to trade, pathway, and biology. We have identified an additional seven trade, biology, and care characteristics from the literature that are reported to influence human mediated release and subsequent invasiveness of ornamental species. Here we review these ornamental drivers on ability to be quantified and contribute to ornamental invasiveness for suitable inclusion in ornamental risk assessment tools.