Invasive species have been recognized to be an important threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. I examined the patterns of Lantana camara (hereafter, lantana) invasion and the effects of lantana invasion on native plant communities in a tropical dry forest in the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (hereafter, BRT), Western Ghats, India. I then examined how patterns of lantana spread are related to factors such as disturbance (e.g., forest fires and historical habitat modification) and habitat structure. In order to link pattern with process, I investigated the role played by soil seed banks as a potential mechanism underlying lantana success in BRT. Lastly, I examined how local people perceive lantana invasions. I tabled results from both traditional ecological knowledge sources and scientific sources about the patterns and processes of lantana invasion and drew out implications for the future management of lantana-invaded landscapes.