Ankila Hiremath

Nature in Focus | August 31, 2023

Ankila Hiremath writes from over 20 years of experience of working in invaded landscapes across different ecoregions in India.

Tamarind and potato, pineapple and apricot, and even the rubber tree—plants that are familiar (and some, even essential) parts of our everyday lives—are amongst the 2000 or so alien plant species found in India. Alien plant species are those that have arrived on our shores or been carried across high mountain passes over the past many centuries. Many of them were brought by people because of their familiarity with them (as crop plants, for fruit or fibre, or as ornamental plants). Others probably arrived accidentally, as contaminants stowed away with deliberate introductions.