Regions: north-east

A nitrogen-fixing pioneer of Himalayan landslides and north-eastern jhum fallows.

The forest ancestor of the orchard mango, still fruiting in eastern hill forest.

Fat red flowers on a bare grey trunk, then pods of cotton that blow down every street.

The true ashoka — orange flower clusters on a small shade-loving tree of wet forest.

Sesame-like seeds used across the eastern Himalaya in chutney and oil.

Timur — the numbing hill pepper of the eastern Himalaya, on a thorny shrub.

A north-eastern hill fruit, sour and used for pickle and jam.

The north-eastern shoot bamboo — fermented shoots are a regional staple.

The tea of the Brahmaputra valley — one bush on a balcony is enough for a pot.

Black cardamom of Sikkim — deep shade under alder, at hill altitudes.