Prasanna N. S.

Vijay Karnataka Kannada daily | May 9, 2025

Wild edible fruits offer significant ecological and economic benefits. Just over a century ago, the Kiwi fruit was a lesser-known wild edible fruit in China, but today, it has grown into a billion-dollar market. India is home to many such underexplored fruit tree species. Additionally, introduced and naturalized fruit trees, such as jungle jilebi, have the potential to become invasive. Article traces the introduction history of this fruit tree and argues that through harvesting and marketing, these fruits can help alleviate pressure on native biodiversity while simultaneously providing economic and nutritional advantages.