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.
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.
178 plants match your filters Answer three questions on the home page — your region, your space and your goal — and we will name two plants to sow this month.Filters2 on
Resurrection FernसंजीवनीSelaginella bryopterisThe sanjeevani of the rocks — curls up bone dry, then greens again in an hour of rain.
Proso MilletचीनाPanicum miliaceumA short-season millet of the northern hills, sown when the season has been lost.
RiceधानOryza sativaHalf the country’s calories — and a bucket of it on a terrace teaches more than any book.
RingalरिंगालDrepanostachyum falcatumThe slender hill bamboo of Uttarakhand, cut for baskets and matting.
Golden Bambooपीला बांसBambusa vulgarisYellow culms striped green; the ornamental clumping bamboo of Indian gardens.
Sacred GrassकुशDesmostachya bipinnataThe kusha grass of ritual, holding sandy soil across the northern plains.
Spear GrassसरकंडाSaccharum spontaneumSilver plumes across the riverbanks after the monsoon; the kans of the floodplain.
Marvel Grassअंजन घासCenchrus ciliarisThe anjan of dry pasture — a fodder grass that greens the Thar within days of rain.
Water Spinachकलमी सागIpomoea aquaticaGrows on water or wet mud and crops every fortnight through the monsoon.
Sacred Lotus Stemकमल ककड़ीNelumbo nucifera (rhizome)The same lotus, grown in deep mud for the crisp rhizome of the Kashmiri kitchen.
TaroअरबीColocasia esculentaBig heart leaves on a wet corner; the corm below and the leaf above both go to the…
Umbrella SedgeमोथाCyperus alternifoliusSpokes of leaf on a green stem — the marginal plant that makes a tub read as a…
Nut GrassनागरमोथाCyperus rotundusThe world’s most stubborn weed, and an aromatic tuber used for centuries.
CattailपटेराTypha angustifoliaBrown flower spikes over strap leaves; the reed that cleans a village pond.
Common ReedनरकुलPhragmites karkaThe tall reed of Indian riverbanks, and the standard plant for a reed-bed filter.
Coral Jasmine VineकुंदJasminum multiflorumA soft-haired jasmine that flowers through the cool months on a low wall.
Not sure where to start?
How the library is organised