noun
naturalization
The establishment of a nonnative species that survives and reproduces in a new environment.
The plant's naturalization was evident in seedlings far beyond the garden.
Etymology
Naturalization extends naturalize, originally associated with making an outsider a native. A species becomes figuratively native when it establishes a self-sustaining population in its new environment.
More examples
- Botanists studied the naturalization of introduced grasses.
- A mild climate favored the species' naturalization.
- Successful naturalization allowed the population to persist without cultivation.
Forms
naturalization
naturalize verb — become established outside a native range
Similar words
- introduction
- Introduction brings a species to a new region; naturalization means it sustains itself there.
- invasion
- Invasion suggests harmful or extensive spread; a naturalized species need not be invasive.