Native species are those which naturally occur in given set of landscape & climate. They are climatically & ecologically appropriate varieties that have been co-evolving through adaptations for years with changing environmental conditions. They maintain & improve ecosystems, and are base of food for local fauna. They are most suited for the area in terms of soil conditions, micro-climate, & topography. Plants find their niche as per various habitat requirements and flourish. They vary as per various agro-climatic zones. Different biospheres or biotopes harbour different biodiversity, be it Himalayas, deserts of Rajasthan, semi-arid region of central Maharashtra or evergreen forests of Keral, mangroves of Sundarbans.

In Maharashtra, Walunj, Umbar, Sherani grow in or on banks of streams & rivers, while Waras, Sonaki, Terada grow on open slopes devoid of soil. Phansada, Makadlimbu need very specific micro-climatic conditions so found in dense forests, while Neem, Wad, Nandruk provide shade & food in harsh arid landscape.

Do we want our plantations to look like green deserts devoid of any life? Lets start restoring our natural wealth. Look at the application of native trees- we can use them in forestry, energy plantations, oil-seeds, general plantations, avenues, beautification, medicine, food… wherever we need to plant, native plants has tremendous potential.

The present CD exhibits category specific information of 300 selective plants. This will enable user to select species suitable for different applications like Landscaping, Medicinal plantations etc. Here, selecting RIGHT plants is intended while the information given for each plant will help user to know more about these plants.