Plants in India

Get to know 20 plants selected from India. Discover their scientific names, identifying features and growing needs.

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Plants to discover

rose periwinkle

1. rose periwinkle

Catharanthus roseus

A woody-based evergreen perennial, to 45cm in height, with somewhat fleshy stems bearing ovate leaves and 5-petalled flowers, to 4cm across, pink, red or white in colour

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Croton

2. Croton

Codiaeum variegatum

Codiaeum variegatum, commonly known as croton, is a striking evergreen shrub grown primarily for its bold, leathery leaves. The leaves come in a dazzling array of colors including green, yellow, orange, red, and purple, often with variegate

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Chinese hibiscus

3. Chinese hibiscus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

A compact evergreen shrub with ovate to broadly lance-shaped glossy dark green leaves. Single 5-petalled flowers 10cm across with yellow anthered red stamens are produced from the leaf axils from summer to autumn, though in cultivation semi

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Barbados aloe

4. Barbados aloe

Aloe vera

An evergreen perennial to 0.6m, forming rosettes of fleshy, narrow, dull green leaves with spiny margins, with long racemes of tubular greenish-yellow flowers 3cm in length in racemes to 90cm in length

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crown of thorns

5. crown of thorns

Euphorbia milii

A more or less evergreen shrub to 1m, with thorny, succulent branches, leathery obovate leaves and axillary clusters of very small yellow flowers with showy, bright red bracts

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bell pepper

6. bell pepper

Capsicum annuum

This is the wild plant from which many of our cultivated sweet peppers and chillies have been bred. It shows a wide range of fruit shapes, colours, sizes and degree of capsaicin production - from where the heat may or may not be felt. It ha

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golden pothos

7. golden pothos

Epipremnum aureum

An evergreen self-clinging climber to 4m or more, with glossy bright green ovate leaves spotted and streaked with cream or yellow; green flowering spathes appear only rarely in cultivation

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Ti plant

8. Ti plant

Cordyline fruticosa

Cordyline fruticosa is an evergreen shrub reaching up to 2-3 meters in height. It has erect stems with a tuft of sword-shaped or lanceolate leaves at the top, each 30-60 cm long. The foliage exhibits a wide range of colors, including deep g

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common guava

9. common guava

Psidium guajava

An evergreen shrub or small tree up to 6m tall with prominently-veined, ovate to oblong leaves up to 15cm long with serrated margins. White flowers to 2.5cm across with brush-like clusters of long stamens are borne singly or in small groups

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oleander

10. oleander

Nerium oleander

N. oleander is an evergreen shrub with narrowly lance-shaped grey-green leaves and terminal clusters of salver-shaped, pink, white or red flowers 3-4cm across, in summer

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Arabian jasmine

11. Arabian jasmine

Jasminum sambac

J. sambac is a twining or scrambling evergreen shrub with glossy simple leaves and clusters of very fragrant white flowers 2.5cm across, in summer and sporadically at other times

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rose moss

12. rose moss

Portulaca grandiflora

A spreading annual, with prostrate to ascending reddish stems and small, linear, fleshy green leaves. Single or double flowers that open in the sun are produced in summer, in bright shades of red, pink, yellow or white

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yellow sage

13. yellow sage

Lantana camara

L. camara is an evergreen shrub with sometimes prickly stems bearing wrinkled, ovate leaves and terminal clusters of salver-shaped flowers 1cm across, opening yellow and ageing to red, from late spring to autumn

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Pinwheel Flower

14. Pinwheel Flower

Tabernaemontana divaricata

Tabernaemontana divaricata is a bushy, evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green leaves and waxy, white, pinwheel-shaped flowers that have a delightful fragrance, especially at night. The flowers are often double or semi-double in cultivated

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African marigold

15. African marigold

Tagetes erecta

A bushy annual from 50 to 120cm high with pinnate leaves divided into lanceolate leaflets up to 5cm long. Double flowers 5-10cm wide in shades of yellow, orange and white are produced from summer into autumn; both leaves and flowers are aro

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tomato

16. tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

This is the original plant from which all know varieties of tomato have been bred. The original species is quite a large, branching and climbing plant growing up to 2m tall that is perennial subshrub in its native tropical habitat. The stem

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Caladium

17. Caladium

Caladium bicolor

Caladium bicolor is a tuberous perennial grown for its striking, heart-shaped leaves that display a vibrant mix of green, white, pink, red, and burgundy. The foliage is papery thin with prominent veins, arising directly from the underground

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arrowhead vine

18. arrowhead vine

Syngonium podophyllum

S. podophyllum is an evergreen climber, to 2m tall, compact when young with large arrow-shaped leaves veined and suffused with silvery-white; adult leaves are divided into 5-11 finger-like leaflets. Arum-like flowerheads with cream spathes

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Algerian bean

19. Algerian bean

Phaseolus vulgaris

The wild common bean from which a vast number of edible beans have been bred, including all the 'French' beans. They are annual, twining climbers with green tri-foliate leaves, though many selected varieties are dwarf. The flowers are mostl

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calavanche

20. calavanche

Cicer arietinum

More commonly known as the Chickpea, this annual legume has small, green feathery leaves either side of the stem and produces fat green seedpods containing two or three peas to each pod in spring or early summer. Crops are usually ready fo

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