Plant library
Explore Plants
Filter by what you want to grow, the space you have and the season you are in.
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Roselle Leafमेस्ताHibiscus sabdariffa var.The sour leaf of Assam and Manipur, cooked with fish and pork.Naga King Chilliराजा मिर्चCapsicum frutescensSmall upright fruit on a woody perennial that crops for years in the hills.Water Spinachकलमी सागIpomoea aquaticaGrows on water or wet mud and crops every fortnight through the monsoon.TaroअरबीColocasia esculentaBig heart leaves on a wet corner; the corm below and the leaf above both go to the…Bhut Jolokiaभूत जोलोकियाCapsicum chinenseThe ghost chilli of Nagaland — a genuine regional speciality, and ferocious.
Ram Tulsiराम तुलसीOcimum basilicumSweet basil — indigenous cultivation across India long before its pizza career.
Long PepperपिपलीPiper longumA creeping pepper of the eastern and southern forests, with catkin-like spikes.Betel LeafपानPiper betleThe paan vine — grown in shaded enclosures across Bengal and the east.
LimeनींबूCitrus aurantiifoliaKagzi lime — the single most useful pot tree for an Indian household.
ClitoriaअपराजिताClitoria ternateaBlue butterfly pea — a light climber that fixes nitrogen and makes blue tea.Spring Onionहरा प्याज़Allium fistulosumRegrows from the root end of a shop-bought bunch — the cheapest crop there is.ColocasiaअरबीColocasia esculentaBig-leaved and happy in a wet corner; corms below, edible leaves above.
Curry Leafकढ़ी पत्ताMurraya koenigiiA small tree that lives happily in a deep pot and gives leaves all year.CucumberखीराCucumis sativusFast, thirsty and best trained up a net where air can move around it.TomatoटमाटरSolanum lycopersicumOne good plant in a 40 cm pot out-yields four crowded ones. Stake it early.Green Chilliहरी मिर्चCapsicum annuumOne plant on a sill supplies a household, and crops for two years.Not sure where to start?
Answer three questions on the home page — your region, your space and your goal — and we will name two plants to sow this month.
How the library is organised
By regionEach entry notes where the plant grows well across India, from the Gangetic plain to coastal soils.
By seasonSowing windows for every month, so you never plant a winter green in May.
By spaceWindowsill, balcony, terrace or ground — filtered so you only see what will survive with you.
Checked by a botanistNames and facts are reviewed before publication; traditional uses are labelled as traditional.