ResearchDISCOVERCompleted
India-wide
Study inventories 1,856 ornamental plant species sold online in India, mostly alien
17 Aug 2026
A study published in the journal Environmental Conservation compiled an inventory of 1,856 ornamental plant species sold online in India using data from three large online plant retailers that ship nationwide. It found that 1,371 species (over 70%) were alien, and that 57 species already declared invasive in India were available for purchase online.
Why it matters
This adds new evidence that online plant retail may be a pathway for invasive species spread, pointing to biosecurity and risk-assessment gaps for domestic plant shipments.
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)