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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Chow Chowइस्कुसSechium eduleThe squash that covers a whole roof in one season across the eastern 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.
Malabar TamarindकुडमपुलीGarcinia gummi-guttaThe souring fruit of Kerala fish curry, dried black and kept all year.Malabar Plumजामुन कोकमSyzygium caryophyllatumA small-fruited endemic jamun of the southern hills, cropping through the monsoon.Wild JackआयनीArtocarpus hirsutusThe wild jack of Malabar — timber for boats and fruit for the monkeys.Rose Appleगुलाब जामुनSyzygium jambosPale crisp fruit that smells of rose water, on a small spreading evergreen.Breadfruitसीमा कटहलArtocarpus altilisBig lobed leaves and starchy fruit; a coastal tree of Kerala and the islands.Areca PalmसुपारीAreca catechuThe slender betel-nut palm of the wet coasts, grown in dense shaded gardens.
VanillaवनीलाVanilla planifoliaA climbing orchid that must be hand-pollinated flower by flower, at dawn.Black Pepper Vineकाली मिर्चPiper nigrumThe vine that made the Malabar coast; needs a tree to climb and constant humidity.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.Wild Date PalmखजूरPhoenix sylvestrisThe sap palm of Bengal and the Deccan, tapped in winter for nolen gur.KokumकोकमGarcinia indicaA slender Western Ghats evergreen with purple fruit that souring curries depend on.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.