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.
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.
18 plants match your filters Answer three questions on the home page — your region, your space and your goal — and we will name two plants to sow this month.Filters3 on
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.Hooker Chivesमैरोई नकुप्पीAllium hookeriThe thick-rooted chive of Manipur, eaten root and leaf together.Water Spinachकलमी सागIpomoea aquaticaGrows on water or wet mud and crops every fortnight through the monsoon.Water Cressजलकुंभी सागNasturtium officinaleA peppery salad green for a shady tray of running or frequently changed water.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.
Assam TeaचायCamellia sinensis var. assamicaThe tea of the Brahmaputra valley — one bush on a balcony is enough for a pot.
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.Kaffir Limeकागज़ी नीम्बूCitrus hystrixDouble-lobed aromatic leaves used across the north-east and the far south.ColocasiaअरबीColocasia esculentaBig-leaved and happy in a wet corner; corms below, edible leaves above.Poi Saagपोई सागBasella albaA thick-leaved climbing spinach that thrives in the worst of the monsoon heat.MakoyमकोयSolanum nigrumThe black nightshade of monsoon fields — a leafy green in the east, a weed elsewhere.Turmericहल्दीCurcuma longaPlant a knob of market haldi in June; harvest your own in February.GingerअदरकZingiber officinaleThe same trick as turmeric, in slightly more shade and slightly less time.
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