Imported plants: pretty but dangerous

Many attractive plants turn into invasive species and threaten local flora and fauna

LAHORE: Restrictions on the illegal import, sale, and purchase of foreign plants has caused the prices of existing stocks at nurseries to increase manifold. This is despite the fact that some of the plants can cause health issues for people and are also harmful to local flora and fauna.

One can see different species of plants at nurseries around Lahore. Many of these were imported illegally. The foreign plants are sold alongside local ones, with many of them used indoors, or in gardens and terraces.

The majority of imported plants come from regional countries such as China, Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka, while a few species also come from Europe. The most popular imported plants are olive trees, Chinese evergreens, laceleaf, ficus, Ilex, and lucky bamboo.

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Plant Protection Department Deputy Director Abid Saif said that there is no outright ban on the import of any plant, explaining that a person can import plants by fulfilling the legal requirements specific to the plant. He said that the governments of plant- exporting countries provide all necessary details about the plants, such as feasible environments and protection requirements for them.

“After getting the details, we monitor the location, climate, and environment. We do not permit import if we find that an imported plant cannot grow or would affect the local environment, crops, and other plants,” he added.

He said it is unfortunate that millions of plants, which damage our local species and environment, have been imported. He added these plants also cause the growth of weeds and the spread of diseases.

Diamond Nursery Manager Ashfaq said that the government has restricted the imports of some foreign plants due to the diseases they carry. “We only have plants which were imported two years back,” he said, explaining that most imported varieties are not harmful. He said the prices of some imported plants have shot up so much that to the general range of one imported plant cost is between Rs1,000 and Rs100,000, while a few plants can cost as much as Rs250,000 to Rs300,000.

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Muhammad Arshad, a gardener who has been work at a local nursery for years, said that he makes organised charts to manage the upkeep of the imported plants, with details such as what time to water them and change the soil. He said that most imported plants cannot bear extreme temperatures, so they use green netting to protect them.

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There are no precise records on plant imports, but it is estimated that there are more than 700 species of imported plants in the country, many of which are harmful to local plants and animals.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2019.