Plant library
Explore Plants
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Roselle Leafमेस्ताHibiscus sabdariffa var.The sour leaf of Assam and Manipur, cooked with fish and pork.
Assam Lemonकागजी नेमुCitrus limon var.The thin-skinned Assam lemon, fragrant enough to scent a whole kitchen.Job’s TearsगुरलुCoix lacryma-jobiHard glossy grain used as food, as beads and as a brewing grain in the hills.Kodo MilletकोदोPaspalum scrobiculatumThe kodo of the Deccan and central hills — drought-proof and long-storing.RiceधानOryza sativaHalf the country’s calories — and a bucket of it on a terrace teaches more than any book.Rose Appleगुलाब जामुनSyzygium jambosPale crisp fruit that smells of rose water, on a small spreading evergreen.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…
Giant Taroमान कचुAlocasia macrorrhizosEnormous upright leaves for a wet shaded corner — architecture rather than a crop.Bay Leaf Treeतेजपत्ताCinnamomum tamalaThe tejpatta of the sub-Himalayan tract — three-veined leaves, straight off the tree.Water Chestnutसिंघाड़ाTrapa natansSinghara — a floating annual grown in ponds and tanks across the north and east.Indian Water FernअजोलाAzolla pinnataA floating fern that fixes nitrogen — fertiliser and fodder that grows itself.PerillaसिलमPerilla frutescensSesame-like seeds used across the eastern Himalaya in chutney and oil.Bhut Jolokiaभूत जोलोकियाCapsicum chinenseThe ghost chilli of Nagaland — a genuine regional speciality, and ferocious.Sugarcaneगन्नाSaccharum officinarumA few canes in a corner give juice, gur and a green screen by October.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.