Plants of Ladakh

Alder उतीस Alnus nepalensis A nitrogen-fixing pioneer of Himalayan landslides and north-eastern jhum fallows. Amaranth Grain रामदाना Amaranthus cruentus Grown for seed rather than leaf; magenta heads over the whole monsoon. Apricot खुबानी Prunus armeniaca Ladakh and Himachal fruit — blossom in March, fruit in June, dried for winter. Assam Tea चाय Camellia sinensis var. assamica The tea of the Brahmaputra valley — one bush on a balcony is enough for a pot. Bamboo Shoot Species बांस करील Dendrocalamus hamiltonii The north-eastern shoot bamboo — fermented shoots are a regional staple. Barnyard Millet सांवा Echinochloa frumentacea A hill millet that tolerates waterlogging better than any other grain. Bay Leaf Tree तेजपत्ता Cinnamomum tamala The tejpatta of the sub-Himalayan tract — three-veined leaves, straight off the tree. Bird Cherry पइयां Prunus cornuta A Himalayan cherry with long fruit racemes that thrushes and bulbuls strip in weeks. Blue Pine कैल Pinus wallichiana Long soft needles in fives; the pine of the mid-Himalayan slopes. Blue Vanda नील ऑर्किड Vanda coerulea The blue vanda of Meghalaya — tessellated flowers, and protected in the wild. Bottle Brush चील Callistemon citrinus Red brushes of stamens on drooping branches; a hardy naturalised garden tree. Buckwheat कुट्टू Fagopyrum esculentum A Himalayan pseudo-grain that flowers white and feeds every bee for miles. Cardamom Large बड़ी इलायची Amomum subulatum Black cardamom of Sikkim — deep shade under alder, at hill altitudes. Cheura चिउरा Aesandra butyracea The Himalayan butter tree, giving cooking fat and an enormous honey flow. Chinar चिनार Platanus orientalis The plane tree of Kashmir, planted for four centuries and unmistakable in autumn. Chinese Hat Plant टोपी फूल Holmskioldia sanguinea A sub-Himalayan scrambler with brick-red bracts through the cool months. Chir Pine चीड़ Pinus roxburghii The resin pine of the lower Himalaya, and the needle litter that makes those fires. Chirata चिरायता Swertia chirayita An intensely bitter Himalayan herb of mid-altitude meadows, slow and particular. Chow Chow इस्कुस Sechium edule The squash that covers a whole roof in one season across the eastern hills. Dendrobium संचारी Dendrobium nobile Cane orchid of the eastern hills, flowering along last year’s bare canes. Deodar देवदार Cedrus deodara The Himalayan cedar — a slow, magnificent, cold-climate conifer. Fig अंजीर Ficus carica Two crops a year in the west, and content in a large container. Finger Millet रागी Eleusine coracana A tough small-grained millet of the southern and Himalayan hills. French Bean फ्रेंच बीन Phaseolus vulgaris Bush beans for winter troughs; pole kinds for a balcony net. Garlic लहसुन Allium sativum Plant single cloves in October and lift whole bulbs in March. Ginger Lily कपूर कचरी Hedychium spicatum A Himalayan ginger relative with scented white flowers and aromatic rhizomes. Harad हरड़ Terminalia chebula One of the three fruits of triphala; a large deciduous tree of the sub-Himalayan tract. Harsingar Shrub सेवंती Chrysanthemum indicum The garden chrysanthemum of the north-Indian winter, sold by the crate at Diwali. Hill Gooseberry किलमोड़ा Berberis asiatica A thorny yellow-wooded Himalayan shrub with blue berries and traditional root use. Himalayan Cherry पदम Prunus cerasoides Pink blossom in November, out of season by every other measure — the hill wild cherry. Himalayan Oak बांज Quercus leucotrichophora The banj oak that holds the water in a Himalayan hillside; slow, dense and vital. Indian Bay Leaf तेजपत्ता Cinnamomum tamala The tejpatta of north Indian cooking — a hill tree, not the Mediterranean bay. Indian Butter Tree चिउरी Diploknema butyracea A sub-Himalayan tree giving edible fat and enormous quantities of nectar. Indian Horse Chestnut पांगर Aesculus indica Big palmate leaves and white flower candles in the western Himalayan valleys. Indian Mahogany टून Toona ciliata A tall hill-forest tree with pinnate leaves and scented pink-tinged timber. Indian Valerian तगर Valeriana jatamansi A hill herb of stream banks with aromatic roots and heads of small white flowers. Jatamansi जटामांसी Nardostachys jatamansi The spikenard of the high Himalaya, aromatic-rooted and strictly a mountain plant. Job’s Tears गुरलु Coix lacryma-jobi Hard glossy grain used as food, as beads and as a brewing grain in the hills. Kachnar कचनार Bauhinia variegata Orchid-like flowers in February, and buds that go into the north-Indian kitchen. Khasi Mandarin खासी संतरा Citrus reticulata The loose-skinned orange of the Khasi and Jaintia hills, ripe in December. Kutki कुटकी Picrorhiza kurroa A high-altitude Himalayan herb — only worth trying in the hills, and only from nursery stock. Lady’s Slipper Orchid लेडी स्लिपर Paphiopedilum insigne A pouched terrestrial orchid of the eastern Himalaya, cool-growing and slow. Large Cardamom बड़ी इलायची Amomum subulatum The smoked black cardamom of Sikkim, grown under alder shade. Lotus-leaf Pennywort खुरखुरी Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides A tiny creeping mat for the wet edge of a tub — the softest possible ground cover. Madder मंजिष्ठा Rubia cordifolia A scrambling hill plant whose root gives a lasting red dye. Maidenhair Fern हंसराज Adiantum philippense Fan-shaped leaflets on black wiry stalks — the fern of a shaded bathroom window. Mulberry शहतूत Morus alba Fruit in March, silkworm leaves all summer, and shade in between. Nasturtium जलकुंभी फूल Tropaeolum majus Edible flowers and leaves, and a magnet that pulls aphids off your vegetables.