Beauty That Betrays!

The Quiet Invasion of An Ornamental Plant

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A few months back, I had the pleasure of visiting a stunningly beautiful, lush green campus of Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI). Regarded as an ideal model of sustainability, the Institute is nestled amidst the rolling hills of Aravalli. Powered primarily by solar energy, the campus boasts of nature-based waste and wastewater treatment systems, rainwater harvesting facilities, and well-insulated buildings that minimize energy requirements for heating and cooling purposes. For environmentalists and nature lovers, it feels like a paradise.

A Beautiful Encounter, A Stark Reality

Amidst all this environmental harmony, one seemingly innocent ornamental plant caught my attention and not for the right reasons. To my surprise, Lantana camara, a highly invasive species, had found a place there too as an ornamental plant. When I pointed it out to the caretaker, she admitted she hadn't recognized it as a harmful species but promised to address the issue.

This is not the first time I had seen Lantana camara posing as an ornamental plant. I have come across the plant at prior occasions on a government office campus in New Delhi and, more recently, at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi. These encounters compelled me to write this article. A colleague of mine, curious about my concern, asked me, “What's the big deal about this plant?” I told him that the plant is like the fast fashion culture of invasive species, charismatic yet ubiquitous, silently taking over wherever it grows.