About Senna spectabilis:
- It is an invasive species native to tropical America.
- Common names: Popcorn Bush Cedar, Archibald's Cassia, Calceolaria Cassia, Golden Shower, Scented Shower, Fetid Cassia.
- It forms dense, sterile thickets, choking out native plants, altering soil chemistry and depriving herbivores of food.
- It is a tree with a very dense, spreading crown; it can grow 7 - 18 metres tall.
- It is often planted for fuelwood, as an ornamental, and as a shade tree in agroforestry situations.
- It resembles Kerala’s state flower Cassia fistula, known locally as
- It is classified as Least Concern under the IUCN Red List.
- Challenges: It has very aggressive growth rate and degrade lands in forest ecosystems which make it challenging to control its spread.
What are Invasive Species?
- An invasive species is an organism that causes ecological or economic harm in a new environment where it is not native.
- These can be introduced to a new area via the ballast water of oceangoing ships, releases of aquaculture species, aquarium specimens, and other means.
- Impacts: These are capable of causing extinctions of native plants and animals, reducing biodiversity.
