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.
50 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.Filters3 on
Roselle Leafमेस्ताHibiscus sabdariffa var.The sour leaf of Assam and Manipur, cooked with fish and pork.Tree Tomatoतमरिल्लोSolanum betaceumEgg-shaped tart fruit on a soft-wooded small tree of the eastern hills.Chow Chowइस्कुसSechium eduleThe squash that covers a whole roof in one season across the eastern hills.
Assam Lemonकागजी नेमुCitrus limon var.The thin-skinned Assam lemon, fragrant enough to scent a whole kitchen.Job’s TearsगुरलुCoix lacryma-jobiHard glossy grain used as food, as beads and as a brewing grain in the hills.
Foxtail Orchidद्रौपदी मालाRhynchostylis retusaThe kopou phul of Assam — hanging foxtail sprays, and the flower of Bihu.Blue Vandaनील ऑर्किडVanda coeruleaThe blue vanda of Meghalaya — tessellated flowers, and protected in the wild.
Staghorn Fernस्टैगहॉर्नPlatycerium wallichiiAn antler-shaped epiphytic fern of Assam’s forests, mounted on a board.Black Pepper Vineकाली मिर्चPiper nigrumThe vine that made the Malabar coast; needs a tree to climb and constant humidity.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.Lotus-leaf PennywortखुरखुरीHydrocotyle sibthorpioidesA tiny creeping mat for the wet edge of a tub — the softest possible ground cover.RiceधानOryza sativaHalf the country’s calories — and a bucket of it on a terrace teaches more than any book.Rose Appleगुलाब जामुनSyzygium jambosPale crisp fruit that smells of rose water, on a small spreading evergreen.VanillaवनीलाVanilla planifoliaA climbing orchid that must be hand-pollinated flower by flower, at dawn.Red Water Lilyरक्त कमलNymphaea rubraThe deep red night-flowering lily of eastern tanks and temple ponds.
Not sure where to start?
How the library is organised