Alien ornamental plants spontaneously spreading in Eretz-Israel of mid-20th century: review of forgotten publications
Abstract
Alien (exotic, non-native) ornamental plants that have been deliberately introduced to new regions and cultivated by gardeners are the main source of the spread of plants that do not belong to the original nature. Some non-native ornamental plants have invaded natural and semi-natural habitats. They change the local vegetation, which has far-reaching ecological consequences. They also cause damage in agricultural plantations, the built environment, infrastructure and landscaping areas. Dealing with invasive ornamental plants is one of the global challenges in nature conservation. This environmental problem has only come to the attention of nature conservation organizations in Israel in the last twenty years, which could lead to the possible erroneous conclusion that the phenomenon of invasive alien ornamental plants was not previously known in the country. The present article reviews publications of two Israeli botanists from the late 1930s to the early 1960s that have been forgotten over time. In these publications by Uriah Feldmann and Hillel Oppenheimer, one can find: interpretations of the Hebrew terminology currently associated with the field of biological invasions; historical facts about exotic ornamental plants spreading spontaneously in the Land of Israel; observations and explanations about seed dispersal of such garden plants; and evidence from the past on the beginning of expansion in the country of non-native plants, imported for ornamental horticulture. Oppenheimer and Feldmann, in their articles written many decades ago, discuss alien ornamental plants that are now recognized as invasive species in Israel, such as Acacia saligna, Ailanthus altissima, Lantana camara, Parkinsonia aculeata, Schinus terebinthifolius and other woody plants.
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BibTeX
@article{blecher2026alien,
title = {{Alien ornamental plants spontaneously spreading in Eretz-Israel of mid-20th century: review of forgotten publications}},
author = {Michael Blecher},
journal = {Man and Nature – Journal for Nature Conservation in Israel},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05704700v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Alien ornamental plants spontaneously spreading in Eretz-Israel of mid-20th century: review of forgotten publications
AU - Michael Blecher
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/19
JO - Man and Nature – Journal for Nature Conservation in Israel
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05704700v1
AB - Alien (exotic, non-native) ornamental plants that have been deliberately introduced to new regions and cultivated by gardeners are the main source of the spread of plants that do not belong to the original nature. Some non-native ornamental plants have invaded natural and semi-natural habitats. They change the local vegetation, which has far-reaching ecological consequences. They also cause damage in agricultural plantations, the built environment, infrastructure and landscaping areas. Dealing with invasive ornamental plants is one of the global challenges in nature conservation. This environmental problem has only come to the attention of nature conservation organizations in Israel in the last twenty years, which could lead to the possible erroneous conclusion that the phenomenon of invasive alien ornamental plants was not previously known in the country. The present article reviews publications of two Israeli botanists from the late 1930s to the early 1960s that have been forgotten over time. In these publications by Uriah Feldmann and Hillel Oppenheimer, one can find: interpretations of the Hebrew terminology currently associated with the field of biological invasions; historical facts about exotic ornamental plants spreading spontaneously in the Land of Israel; observations and explanations about seed dispersal of such garden plants; and evidence from the past on the beginning of expansion in the country of non-native plants, imported for ornamental horticulture. Oppenheimer and Feldmann, in their articles written many decades ago, discuss alien ornamental plants that are now recognized as invasive species in Israel, such as Acacia saligna, Ailanthus altissima, Lantana camara, Parkinsonia aculeata, Schinus terebinthifolius and other woody plants.
ER -