If you grew up in the rural parts of India or even spent some time there, you would have probably seen a Lantana plant and its colourful flowers. While it looks colourful, it has to be one of the world’s worst invasive species. It was brought to India as an ornamental shrub in the 18th century, but it has now spread like a disease across 13 million hectares of priceless forest land and pastures.

The worst part is that this plant releases chemicals that harm the growth of native plant species. It’s also toxic, so cows, goats, etc., can’t eat it. The problem has become so bad that in the Nilgiris, it’s become impossible to get rid of this plant.

There’s some hope with organizations like Atree and the Shola Trust (both supported by RainmatterOrg) working on turning this harmful shrub into furniture and biomass.

Perhaps the most iconic transformation of the plant is the Lantana elephant, which you might have seen at the airports.

Here’s a video by @thebetterindia on how this plant spread in India and its side effects.

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