People’s craze for ‘rare’ and ‘exotic’ foreign plants is posing a threat to urban green covers and natural forests, nearly 66% of India’s natural systems are threatened by invasive plant species
Exotic plants like the Lantana camara and Water Hyacinth are invading India's natural ecosystems, posing a threat to native species and biodiversity. Meta Keywords and Phrases: exotic plants India, invasive species, native plants, urban gardening, Lantana camara, Water Hyacinth, biodiversity threat, indoor plants, Indian wildlife, ecological impact, gardening trends, native vs exotic plants. (Image by arrangement)
Many native plants wither after invasive exotic greens come hither! Yet, the charm of exotic plants and trees has grabbed not just human interest but Indian households, forests, gardens, and even wildlife. Rare and exotic plants are guaranteed to be a cynosure of all eyes. Many plant lovers plant them in their private gardens without realising the threat posed by some of these exotic plants to native species. The Indian wildlife is exposed to the dangers of exotic species invading India. According to TechSci research report, the India Indoor Plants Market stood at
$250.41 million in 2024. It is expected
to increase exponentially. Dr Nithaniyal Stalin, a botanist at the Botanical Survey of India, Pune, says, “Urban gardening is just an evolved term of gardening that has been a hobby in Indian households for ages. Globalisation has endorsed the exotic plants into the market, making it a commercialised market.”
Risky Invasion
Exotic species are harmless when put in a pot indoors but can dominate the area and invade the wildlife, out-competing the native species. According to a new Journal of Applied Ecology study based on the world's largest wildlife survey, 66% of India's natural systems are threatened by invasive plant species. Lantana camara (Lantana) and Eichhornia crassipes (Water Hyacinth) are invasive and prone to impose serious ecological threats. These fast-growing plants can escape and disrupt local soil, water, and ecosystems. Sakhya Sagar, a lake in Madhya Pradesh and a Ramsar site, has virtually disappeared under the water hyacinth, blocking the sunlight and reducing the oxygen levels for aquatic life in the lake. Brought by the British, water hyacinth serves as the indicator of pollution but disrupts aquatic life when it is massively spread. A study published in Global Ecology and Conservation reports found Lantana camara has invaded more than 40% of India's tiger range.
The Shivalik hills, Central India, and Southern Western Ghats are the worst hit. Stalin, project director at Vanashakti NGO, says, “Lantana when spread doesn’t allow the grass below it to grow which becomes unavailable for the animals as fodder. Thus, displacing the herbivorous from the area which in turn affects the entire ecosystem chain. Lantana doesn’t enrich soil and forest officials are now even cutting and burning these plants to prevent its spread.”
The ‘Insta’ Gardens
Social media platforms like Instagram are a major driver of the plant-based home decor trends. Picturesque displays of succulents, air plants, and foliage plants flood Insta feeds. Many people blindly replicate this aesthetic. From calathea, peace lily, anthurium, monstera, dieffenbachia, and certain exotic species of succulents and orchids are some of the most common exotic indoor plants that are commonly grown in Indian households. The word ‘native’ is a broad term that can include species outside of India as well. Dipti Agarwal, founder and chief Gardening Officer of Peepal India, says, “Over the years, horticulture has had a lot of innovations giving rise to several hybrid species. Thus, clear and categorised information on exotic and native plants, especially indoor plants, is very limited to the buyer and even the seller. For nurseries, even a plant coming from Thailand can be termed ‘native’ even though it is native to the Asian region.” India's love for indoor greenery is also fuelled by imports from countries like Spain, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries. Olive trees from Spain, multi-colour bougainvillaea and orchids from Thailand are some of the attractions.
Green Fingers
Planting exotic species without proper research can lead to drawbacks like plant stress and death. Exotic plants may struggle to adapt to India's harsh conditions, resulting in stunted growth and wilting. For example, overwatering jade or snake plants can cause leaf shedding. However, some non-native plants introduced to India long ago have adapted to become native to the region over time. Dipti explains, “There are no strictly ‘indoor’ plants because every plant requires a certain level of sunlight, ranging from mild sunlight to 6-8 hours of prolonged sunlight. However, when plants from cooler, less humid climates, or those accustomed to rainforest or semi-shaded conditions, are brought to India, they are automatically considered as indoor plants. This is because they struggle to thrive in the hotter and more humid outdoor conditions of India.” Certain myths of specific plants bringing good luck, prosperity, career growth, and wellness, drive Indian households to incorporate certain household plants. Dr Nithaniyal says, “People’s preferences of plants should align with the needs of the plant in terms of sunlight, shade, and water necessity. Generally, native and non-native plants undergo some stressful conditions to acclimatise to a new climatic condition.”
Embrace Native Beauty
Beyond invasion, sometimes the problems are man-made. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park, a wildlife sanctuary in Mumbai, is overrun by exotic man-made gardens from cactus gardens to trees/plants from several foreign countries. Stalin, says, “Ornamental exotic plants don’t support the native biodiversity and also, tend to take away landscapes that don’t belong to them. Bottle palms often used by the government on dividers serve no purpose other than the visual value.” Native plants thrive in the existing soil conditions, sunlight patterns, and rainfall, requiring minimal intervention and making them ideal for busy lifestyles. They support local pollinators like bees and butterflies, promoting a healthy ecosystem. For a beautiful floral effect, periwinkles, ixora, fragrant jasmine variants, and hibiscus are excellent alternatives to exotic plants. Indian rubber plants, areca palms, aglaonemas, aralia such as polyscias fruticosa, schefflera, and snake plants like sansevieria ebracteata, sansevieria burmanica, sansevieria zeylanica, are ideal for a leafy, green interior. A rich environment with an indigenous ecosystem can be built with conscious choices. Ixora can replace lantana whereas bougainvillaea can be replaced with madhumalti. Simple and effective research on prospective plants adds to a better understanding of the needs of the plant, region, and ecosystem. Dipti says, “Our entire commercial system is inundated with exotic species and the availability of native plants is a big challenge today in a commercial space. People don’t go for native plants as their first choice.” Replacing certain exotic plants with native species can multiply your happiness more than what a green fence could give you.
The Root Cause
• The Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, is overrun by exotic man-made gardens from cactus gardens to trees/plants from several foreign countries
• 66% of India's natural systems are threatened by invasive plant species
• Invasive Species Lantana camara (Lantana) and Eichhornia crassipes (Water Hyacinth) are the most common invasive species in India
• Exotic Plants: Calathea, peace lily, anthurium, monstera, dieffenbachia, and certain exotic species of succulents and orchids are some exotic plants in India
• Native Plants: Periwinkles, ixora, variants of jasmine, hibiscus, rubber plants, areca palms, aglaonemas, and snake plants like sansevieria ebracteata, sansevieria burmanica are some native indoor plants in India
"Our entire commercial system is inundated with exotic species and the availability of native plants is a big challenge today in a commercial space.” — Dipti Agarwal, Founder & Chief Gardening Officer, Peepal India
"Globalisation has endorsed the exotic plants into the market, making it a commercia-lised market.” — Dr Nithaniyal Stalin, Botanist, Botanical Survey of India
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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