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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Bird’s Nest Fernपक्षी घोंसला फर्नAsplenium nidusA rosette epiphyte that grows on a tree fork or a shaded wall bracket.
Ceylon Ironwoodपुन्नागMesua thwaitesiiA tall wet-evergreen tree of the southern Ghats, red-flushed in new leaf.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.Giant Taroमान कचुAlocasia macrorrhizosEnormous upright leaves for a wet shaded corner — architecture rather than a crop.
Chinese Hibiscusगुड़हलHibiscus rosa-sinensisFlowers nearly all year in a warm city, and sunbirds find it within a week.Copper Podपीला गुलमोहरPeltophorum pterocarpumYellow flower spires and copper seed pods; the summer partner to the gulmohar.IronwoodनागकेसरMesua ferreaGlossy drooping new leaves in pink, then white flowers with a gold centre.Malabar Nut FlowerअडूसाJusticia gendarussaA dark-stemmed shrub of the wet coasts with traditional joint-pain uses.Rain Treeविलायती सिरसAlbizia samanAn enormous umbrella crown of ferny leaves that folds shut before rain.Kokum Butter TreeकोकमGarcinia gummi-guttaMalabar tamarind — the sour rind of Konkan and Kerala cooking.Mangrove AppleकीराSonneratia caseolarisA Sundarbans mangrove with night flowers that bats pollinate.Grey MangroveअवीसीनियाAvicennia marinaThe pioneer mangrove of Indian coasts, first to colonise new mud.SundariसुंदरीHeritiera fomesThe tree the Sundarbans is named for, now under pressure from rising salinity.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.