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.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…
Ram Tulsiराम तुलसीOcimum basilicumSweet basil — indigenous cultivation across India long before its pizza career.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.
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.Nasturtiumजलकुंभी फूलTropaeolum majusEdible flowers and leaves, and a magnet that pulls aphids off your vegetables.Spring Onionहरा प्याज़Allium fistulosumRegrows from the root end of a shop-bought bunch — the cheapest crop there is.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.