The Conocarpus Plant:
Ecologists raised urgent alarms as recent highway development projects across Tamil Nadu continue to plant the invasive Conocarpus tree along medians.Scientific Name: Conocarpus erectus (commonly known as Buttonwood, Button Mangrove, or Green/Silver Buttonwood).
Taxonomy: A hardy mangrove shrub or tree belonging to the Combretaceae family.Geographical Origin: Native to the tropical and subtropical shorelines of the Americas and West Africa—stretching from South Florida and Mexico down to Peru and Brazil.Initially imported and widely distributed by civic authorities and highway planners due to its rapid growth rate, sleek evergreen foliage, and ability to survive high temperatures and brackish water during harsh summers.
