scientists call it Prosopis juliflora . The people of Kutch in Gujarat call it the gando bawal (the mad tree). Brought to India in 1877 by the British, it was introduced in the 1950s and the 1960s in Kutch to check the spread of the Little Rann of Kutch. Now, the problem is the thorny tree's unrestricted spread in the shrinking pastures. Scientists and conservationists are a divided lot: some say the tree is here to stay and should be allowed to run its course. Others say that further spread of the tree should be contained before irreparable damage is done.

It is a highly aggressive tree. It coppices well