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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Kodo MilletकोदोPaspalum scrobiculatumThe kodo of the Deccan and central hills — drought-proof and long-storing.
Silver Fernचांदी फर्नPityrogramma calomelanosA white-backed fern that colonises damp walls and cut slopes on its own.Water Lettuceजल सलादPistia stratiotesA floating rosette that shades a tub and starves the algae — but a weed if it escapes.RiceधानOryza sativaHalf the country’s calories — and a bucket of it on a terrace teaches more than any book.
Malabar Glory LilyकलिहारीGloriosa superbaFlame-red reflexed petals on a climbing lily — the state flower of Tamil Nadu.
Malabar TamarindकुडमपुलीGarcinia gummi-guttaThe souring fruit of Kerala fish curry, dried black and kept all year.Wild Nutmegजंगली जायफलMyristica malabaricaThe Malabar nutmeg of swampy Ghats forest — a myristica swamp indicator species.Malabar Plumजामुन कोकमSyzygium caryophyllatumA small-fruited endemic jamun of the southern hills, cropping through the monsoon.Indian Laburnum VineकोरलThunbergia mysorensisLong hanging chains of maroon and yellow flowers — the Mysore clock vine.Wild JackआयनीArtocarpus hirsutusThe wild jack of Malabar — timber for boats and fruit for the monkeys.Rose Appleगुलाब जामुनSyzygium jambosPale crisp fruit that smells of rose water, on a small spreading evergreen.Water Hyssopनीर ब्राह्मीBacopa floribundaA small creeping marsh herb for the shallow edge of a tub pond.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.Lemon Grass Palmarosaरोशा घासCymbopogon martiniiThe palmarosa of the Deccan, distilled for a rose-scented oil.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.