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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.

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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.

Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaHill Gooseberryकिलमोड़ाBerberis asiaticaA thorny yellow-wooded Himalayan shrub with blue berries and traditional root use.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.Bay Leaf Treeतेजपत्ताCinnamomum tamalaThe tejpatta of the sub-Himalayan tract — three-veined leaves, straight off the tree.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaSichuan PepperतिमूरZanthoxylum armatumTimur — the numbing hill pepper of the eastern Himalaya, on a thorny shrub.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisMadderमंजिष्ठाRubia cordifoliaA scrambling hill plant whose root gives a lasting red dye.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.SoapnutरीठाSapindus mukorossiReetha — the washing fruit of the sub-Himalayan tract, from a good shade tree.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaSeabuckthornलेह बेरीHippophae rhamnoidesA cold-desert shrub of Ladakh, nitrogen-fixing and vitamin-dense.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisGinger Lilyकपूर कचरीHedychium spicatumA Himalayan ginger relative with scented white flowers and aromatic rhizomes.Foxtail Orchid (द्रौपदी माला), Rhynchostylis retusaShatavar VineसतावरAsparagus adscendensA white-rooted asparagus of the north-western hills, grown on terraces and bunds.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisRatanjotरतनजोतAlkanna tinctoriaA dry-hill root used to colour oil a deep red; slight above ground, tough below.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisChirataचिरायताSwertia chirayitaAn intensely bitter Himalayan herb of mid-altitude meadows, slow and particular.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisStone Flowerपत्थर फूलParmotrema perlatumThe lichen of the spice box — not planted, but a reason to keep old trees standing.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisIndian ValerianतगरValeriana jatamansiA hill herb of stream banks with aromatic roots and heads of small white flowers.Assam Lemon (कागजी नेमु), Citrus limon var.Haradहरड़Terminalia chebulaOne of the three fruits of triphala; a large deciduous tree of the sub-Himalayan tract.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisKutkiकुटकीPicrorhiza kurroaA high-altitude Himalayan herb — only worth trying in the hills, and only from nursery stock.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisJatamansiजटामांसीNardostachys jatamansiThe spikenard of the high Himalaya, aromatic-rooted and strictly a mountain plant.Resurrection Fern (संजीवनी), Selaginella bryopterisSweet FlagवचAcorus calamusA marginal water plant for a tub, aromatic-rooted and steady for years.

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Answer three questions on the home page — your region, your space and your goal — and we will name two plants to sow this month.

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How the library is organised

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By regionEach entry notes where the plant grows well across India, from the Gangetic plain to coastal soils.
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By seasonSowing windows for every month, so you never plant a winter green in May.
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By spaceWindowsill, balcony, terrace or ground — filtered so you only see what will survive with you.
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Checked by a botanistNames and facts are reviewed before publication; traditional uses are labelled as traditional.