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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Sugarcaneगन्नाSaccharum officinarumA few canes in a corner give juice, gur and a green screen by October.
ApricotखुबानीPrunus armeniacaLadakh and Himachal fruit — blossom in March, fruit in June, dried for winter.FigअंजीरFicus caricaTwo crops a year in the west, and content in a large container.PomegranateअनारPunica granatumHandsome, thorny and productive on poor dry soil; good in a big pot.MulberryशहतूतMorus albaFruit in March, silkworm leaves all summer, and shade in between.
Chinese Hat Plantटोपी फूलHolmskioldia sanguineaA sub-Himalayan scrambler with brick-red bracts through the cool months.Golden Shower VineसोनबेलPyrostegia venustaCurtains of orange through the cool months on a big pergola.PentasपेंटासPentas lanceolataFlat clusters of small stars that butterflies can actually land on.Harsingar ShrubसेवंतीChrysanthemum indicumThe garden chrysanthemum of the north-Indian winter, sold by the crate at Diwali.SunflowerसूरजमुखीHelianthus annuusA fortnight of spectacle and then a head of seed the birds will take.Nasturtiumजलकुंभी फूलTropaeolum majusEdible flowers and leaves, and a magnet that pulls aphids off your vegetables.VincaसदाबहारCatharanthus roseusFlowers every day of the year and asks for nothing. Indigenous to the deccan.GarlicलहसुनAllium sativumPlant single cloves in October and lift whole bulbs in March.Onionप्याज़Allium cepaGrown from sets or seedlings; needs depth, sun and patience.
MarigoldगेंदाTagetes erectaCompanion-planting workhorse: keeps nematodes down and feeds bees all season.ChameliचमेलीJasminum grandiflorumThe Spanish jasmine of the perfume trade, grown widely in the north and west.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.