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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.Tree Tomatoतमरिल्लोSolanum betaceumEgg-shaped tart fruit on a soft-wooded small tree of the eastern hills.Roselle Leaf (मेस्ता), Hibiscus sabdariffa var.Chow Chowइस्कुसSechium eduleThe squash that covers a whole roof in one season across the eastern hills.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.Khasi Mandarinखासी संतराCitrus reticulataThe loose-skinned orange of the Khasi and Jaintia hills, ripe in December.Roselle Leaf (मेस्ता), Hibiscus sabdariffa var.Job’s TearsगुरलुCoix lacryma-jobiHard glossy grain used as food, as beads and as a brewing grain in the hills.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 bryopterisLarge Cardamomबड़ी इलायचीAmomum subulatumThe smoked black cardamom of Sikkim, grown under alder shade.Roselle Leaf (मेस्ता), Hibiscus sabdariffa var.Water Cressजलकुंभी सागNasturtium officinaleA peppery salad green for a shady tray of running or frequently changed water.Roselle Leaf (मेस्ता), Hibiscus sabdariffa var.Sacred Lotus Stemकमल ककड़ीNelumbo nucifera (rhizome)The same lotus, grown in deep mud for the crisp rhizome of the Kashmiri kitchen.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.Wild Mangoवन आमMangifera sylvaticaThe forest ancestor of the orchard mango, still fruiting in eastern hill forest.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.Wild ApricotचुलीPrunus armeniacaThe chuli of Ladakh and Kinnaur — blossom in April, fruit and kernel oil by July.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.Bay Leaf Treeतेजपत्ताCinnamomum tamalaThe tejpatta of the sub-Himalayan tract — three-veined leaves, straight off the tree.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisCardamom Largeबड़ी इलायचीAmomum subulatumBlack cardamom of Sikkim — deep shade under alder, at hill altitudes.Roselle Leaf (मेस्ता), Hibiscus sabdariffa var.PerillaसिलमPerilla frutescensSesame-like seeds used across the eastern Himalaya in chutney and oil.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaSichuan PepperतिमूरZanthoxylum armatumTimur — the numbing hill pepper of the eastern Himalaya, on a thorny shrub.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.Wild AppleबनसेबDocynia indicaA north-eastern hill fruit, sour and used for pickle and jam.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.CheuraचिउराAesandra butyraceaThe Himalayan butter tree, giving cooking fat and an enormous honey flow.

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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.