Plants of Gujarat

Aak Bush आँकड़ा Leptadenia pyrotechnica A leafless broom-like desert shrub that fixes sand and feeds camels. Ajwain अजवाइन Trachyspermum ammi A winter annual of the north-west, grown for the thyme-scented seed. Ajwain Leaf अजवाइन पत्ता Plectranthus amboinicus Thick scented leaves on a succulent stem; one plant fills a windowsill pot for years. Amaranth चौलाई Amaranthus tricolor The monsoon green that grows itself — heat-proof, rain-proof, ready in a month. Amla आमला Phyllanthus emblica Feathery-leaved and drought-hardy; one grafted tree feeds a household through winter. Arabian Jasmine मोगरा Jasminum sambac A pot by an open window does more for a summer evening than any air freshener. Ash Gourd पेठा Benincasa hispida The big white-waxed gourd of the south, stored for months after harvest. Ashoka अशोक Saraca asoca Orange flower clusters straight off the trunk — a sacred tree, now threatened. Ashoka Tree सीता अशोक Saraca asoca The true ashoka — orange flower clusters on a small shade-loving tree of wet forest. Ashwagandha अश्वगंधा Withania somnifera Drought-tolerant root herb for a hot sunny corner; needs almost nothing once established. Babool बबूल Vachellia nilotica Thorny, nitrogen-fixing and useful on land nobody else will plant. Bael बेल Aegle marmelos A slow, tough native tree for a hot courtyard, with fruit that makes the summer sherbet. Bamboo बांस Bambusa balcooa The fastest usable material on earth; one clump supplies poles for years. Banana केला Musa acuminata A single sucker in a corner gives shade, cooking leaves and, in time, fruit. Bans Kaban कबान बांस Dendrocalamus strictus The dry-country bamboo of central India, solid-stemmed and drought-hardy. Barleria कटसरैया Barleria prionitis A spiny yellow-flowered shrub of dry scrub, unbothered by heat or thin soil. Bathua बथुआ Chenopodium album The winter weed worth sowing — mineral-rich leaves through the cold months. Beetroot चुकंदर Beta vulgaris Roots below, usable leaves above, and it tolerates a container better than carrot. Ber बेर Ziziphus mauritiana The fruit of the dry west, cropping where irrigation is impossible. Betel Leaf पान Piper betle The paan vine — grown in shaded enclosures across Bengal and the east. Bitter Gourd करेला Momordica charantia A tough climber that fruits through the worst humidity of the year. Black Pepper काली मिर्च Piper nigrum The vine that made the Malabar coast; needs a tree to climb and constant humidity. Bottle Brush चील Callistemon citrinus Red brushes of stamens on drooping branches; a hardy naturalised garden tree. Bottle Gourd लौकी Lagenaria siceraria A monsoon climber that will roof a terrace in eight weeks given a frame. Bougainvillea बोगनवेलिया Bougainvillea glabra Thrives on being ignored — the more you neglect it, the harder it flowers. Brinjal बैंगन Solanum melongena A long-season crop that rewards a big pot and steady feeding. Carrot गाजर Daucus carota Needs depth more than width — a 30 cm trough of loose soil beats a wide bed. Cashew काजू Anacardium occidentale A coastal tree that fruits on poor laterite where almost nothing else does. Casuarina सरू Casuarina equisetifolia The coastal shelterbelt tree of the east and south — fast and salt-proof. Cattail पटेरा Typha angustifolia Brown flower spikes over strap leaves; the reed that cleans a village pond. Chameli चमेली Jasminum grandiflorum The Spanish jasmine of the perfume trade, grown widely in the north and west. Champa चम्पा Plumeria rubra Grows from a bare cutting pushed into dry soil; scents a whole terrace. Champak चम्पा Magnolia champaca Orange-yellow flowers whose scent carries across a whole garden at dusk. Chickpea चना Cicer arietinum A winter pulse that also gives the sour green leaf of the north. Chinese Hibiscus गुड़हल Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Flowers nearly all year in a warm city, and sunbirds find it within a week. Clitoria अपराजिता Clitoria ternatea Blue butterfly pea — a light climber that fixes nitrogen and makes blue tea. Cluster Beans ग्वार फली Cyamopsis tetragonoloba Drought-hardy bean of the west — fixes nitrogen and crops where little else will. Coconut नारियल Cocos nucifera The tree the coasts are built on — water, kernel, oil, thatch and shade. Colocasia अरबी Colocasia esculenta Big-leaved and happy in a wet corner; corms below, edible leaves above. Copper Pod पीला गुलमोहर Peltophorum pterocarpum Yellow flower spires and copper seed pods; the summer partner to the gulmohar. Coriander धनिया Coriandrum sativum Bolts in heat, thrives in the cool months. Sow every fortnight for a steady supply. Cotton Native देशी कपास Gossypium arboreum Desi cotton — the indigenous species, hardier than the imported kinds. Cowpea लोबिया Vigna unguiculata Pods, beans and green manure from one undemanding monsoon plant. Crepe Jasmine चांदनी Tabernaemontana divaricata Neat glossy shrub with pinwheel white flowers; the easiest good hedge there is. Crown Flower सफेद आक Calotropis procera The desert milkweed, smaller than gigantea and even tougher. Cucumber खीरा Cucumis sativus Fast, thirsty and best trained up a net where air can move around it. Curry Leaf कढ़ी पत्ता Murraya koenigii A small tree that lives happily in a deep pot and gives leaves all year. Custard Apple सीताफल Annona squamosa A small deccan tree that fruits on very little water and poor soil.