Lantana camara

Source-This post on Lantana camara is based on the article “100 ‘Lantana elephants’ in Bengaluru shine light on man-animal conflict as month-long exhibition kicks off” published in “The Indian Express” on 5th February 2024.

Why in the News?

Recently, at an exhibition in Bengaluru, sculptures crafted from lantana camara drew significant attention.

What is Lantana Camara (Lantana)?

1) It is a flowering plant species belonging to the verbena family. It is native to the American tropics.

2) Due to its capability to adapt to shifting climates, lantana can withstand high temperatures and moisture levels.

3) However it is among the world’s ten worst invasive species and is of great concern in India.

4) It was introduced to India as ornamental shrubs during the colonial period but it rapidly became invasive, spreading across various ecosystems.

5) The shrub can easily spread across the forest floor, climb trees as a creeper, and entangle with other native plants.

6) The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats is heavily impacted by the invasion of Lantana camara, making it one of the largest affected areas.

UPSC Syllabus- Environment (Species in news)