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Explore Plants

Indian plants documented for the way people actually garden — filter by what you want the plant to do, the space you have, the month you can sow and the region you are in. The result count below is live.

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Use the filters on the plant archive to narrow by goal, growing space and season. Every record carries a Hindi name, a botanical name, a care note and the months in which to sow.

Roselle Leaf (मेस्ता), Hibiscus sabdariffa var.Proso MilletचीनाPanicum miliaceumA short-season millet of the northern hills, sown when the season has been lost.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisWater Lettuceजल सलादPistia stratiotesA floating rosette that shades a tub and starves the algae — but a weed if it escapes.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.Golden Bambooपीला बांसBambusa vulgarisYellow culms striped green; the ornamental clumping bamboo of Indian gardens.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisUmbrella SedgeमोथाCyperus alternifoliusSpokes of leaf on a green stem — the marginal plant that makes a tub read as a…Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaHameliaरक्त पुष्पHamelia patensOrange tubular flowers, continuously, and the sunbirds that follow them.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaChinese Hibiscusगुड़हलHibiscus rosa-sinensisFlowers nearly all year in a warm city, and sunbirds find it within a week.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaDurantaनील कांटाDuranta erectaBlue flower sprays and orange berries at once; the standard clipped Indian hedge.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaLantanaपंचफूलीLantana camaraInvasive across Indian forests — grow the sterile garden cultivars only, never the wild kind.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaBottle BrushचीलCallistemon citrinusRed brushes of stamens on drooping branches; a hardy naturalised garden tree.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisIndian Water FernअजोलाAzolla pinnataA floating fern that fixes nitrogen — fertiliser and fodder that grows itself.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaNeem-leaf Chaste Treeनिर्गुंडीVitex negundoA scrambling roadside shrub with palmate leaves and small blue flower spikes.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaHennaमेहंदीLawsonia inermisThe mehndi hedge of the dry west — scented flowers and dye leaves.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisVetiverखसChrysopogon zizanioidesKhus — a grass whose roots hold a slope together and scent a summer room.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaCotton Nativeदेशी कपासGossypium arboreumDesi cotton — the indigenous species, hardier than the imported kinds.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.MulberryशहतूतMorus albaFruit in March, silkworm leaves all summer, and shade in between.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.BerबेरZiziphus mauritianaThe fruit of the dry west, cropping where irrigation is impossible.

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Answer three questions on the home page — your region, your space and your goal — and we will name two plants to sow this month.

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How the library is organised

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By regionEach entry notes where the plant grows well across India, from the Gangetic plain to coastal soils.
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By seasonSowing windows for every month, so you never plant a winter green in May.
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By spaceWindowsill, balcony, terrace or ground — filtered so you only see what will survive with you.
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Checked by a botanistNames and facts are reviewed before publication; traditional uses are labelled as traditional.