Geohistorical dataset of ten plant species introduced into Occitania (France)

The original dataset presented here is the result of the first near-exhaustive analysis performed on historical data concerning ten plant species introduced in and around Occitania (south-western France) since 1651. Research was carried out on the following species: Alnus incana, Buddleja davidii, Castanea sativa, Helianthus tuberosus, Impatiens glandulifera, Prunus cerasifera, Prunus laurocerasus, Reynoutria japonica, Robinia pseudoacacia and Spiraea japonica.The data file contains 199 occurrence data exclusively based on historical observations and records made between 1651 and 2004 that were retrieved from 111 of the 640 literary sources consulted. All the records are associated with a year and 61% of them have associated spatial coordinates. Initially, the EI2P-VALEEBEE research project focused on the introduction of these species into Occitania (95 occurrences, 47.7%), but mentions found of introductions beyond this territory - mainly in metropolitan France - are also reported.The creation of this dataset involved five stages: (1) selection of species, (2) consultation of historical sources, (3) recording of occurrences in the dataset, (4) dataset standardisation/enrichment and Darwin core mapping and (5) data publication. Quality controls were conducted at each step.The dataset is available on the platform of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) at https://doi.org/10.15468/3kvaeh. It respects the internationally recognised FAIR Data Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable).The dataset will be progressively enriched by new data during the EI2P-VALEEBEE research project and future projects on invasive plant species conducted by the team.