Neophyte (botany)

In botany, a neophyte (from Greek νέος (néos) "new" and φυτόν (phutón) "plant") is a plant species which is not native to a geographical region, and was introduced in recent history. Plants that are long-established in an area are called archaeophytes. In Britain, neophytes are defined as plant species that were introduced after 1492, when Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World and the Columbian Exchange began.