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🇮🇳 The flowers of India

261 pages from India: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 60 cities and regions.

India’s flowering plants are among the most varied on Earth, with over 18,000 species thriving across its many climates. From Himalayan conifers to tropical rainforests and dry plains, each region supports its own mix of wildflowers and trees. India is also known for its wealth of medicinal plants and high number of unique native species.

  • India has over 18,000 species of flowering plants.
  • Eight main floristic regions divide the country’s plant life.
  • More than 3,000 species are used in traditional medicine.
  • The Andaman Islands are known for mangrove forests.
  • About 1,336 plant species are threatened by habitat loss.

The plant life of India

India’s plant life is shaped by its wide range of climates, from tropical to alpine. The country supports more than 18,000 species of flowering plants, making up a significant share of the world’s total. Forests cover about a fifth of the land, with broad-leaved deciduous trees like sal and teak common in many areas. Conifers such as pine and deodar grow in the high northern mountains, while tropical rainforests are found in the Andaman Islands, the Western Ghats, and the northeast. Each region’s unique conditions have led to a remarkable diversity of flowers and trees.

From region to region in India

The flora shifts dramatically from one part of India to another. The Himalayas are home to conifers and alpine flowers, while Assam and the northeast have evergreen forests. The Indus plain is drier, supporting tough, drought-resistant plants. Central and southern India feature dry forests dominated by teak, and the Deccan and western Gangetic plain have thorny vegetation. The Andaman Islands are noted for their mangroves and rainforests, and the Malabar region supports both lush woods and plantations.

Flowers to know in India

India is rich in endemic flowering plants, with many species found nowhere else. Sal and teak are two of the most widespread and important trees. Pines, junipers, and deodars are typical in the Himalayas. The country also has a long tradition of using over 3,000 plant species for medicine, and more than 800 are used by tribal communities. The Andaman Islands stand out for their unique mangrove species.

How flowers are used in India

Plants have been central to Indian life for centuries, especially as sources of traditional medicine. Thousands of species are officially recognized for their medicinal value, and many are still used by tribal groups. Plantation crops are important in regions like Malabar. Ethnobotanical research continues to document how people use native flowers and plants.

Threats and protection in India

Habitat loss threatens over 1,300 plant species in India, with about 20 possibly extinct. Conservation efforts include the publication of a Red Data Book by the Botanical Survey of India, which lists endangered plants. Forest cover remains below the national target, and protecting rare and endemic species is an ongoing concern.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Flora of India", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Flower experiences in India

All 24
🇮🇳 Mumbai · All yearDadar flower market at dawnMumbai's wholesale flower market beside Dadar station, at its busiest before the city has had breakfast. 🇮🇳 Kolkata · All yearMullick Ghat flower market under Howrah BridgeA crowded riverside flower market on the Hooghly, in the shadow of Howrah Bridge. 🇮🇳 Bengaluru · All yearKR Market flower hallBengaluru's old city market, where the flower floor is best seen from the stairs above. 🇮🇳 Chennai · All yearKoyambedu wholesale flower marketThe flower block of Chennai's vast Koyambedu wholesale complex, busiest before sunrise. 🇮🇳 Madurai · All yearMadurai malli at the Mattuthavani flower marketThe wholesale market that sets the daily price of Madurai malli, the jasmine the city is famous for. 🇮🇳 Delhi · All yearGhazipur phool mandiDelhi's wholesale flower market in the east of the city, where the capital's bouquets and garlands begin.

Cities and regions of India

Srinagar 7Delhi 6West Bengal 6Kashmir 5Tamil Nadu 5Agra 4Assam 4Bengaluru 4Himachal Pradesh 4Kerala 4Sikkim 4Andhra Pradesh 3Jammu and Kashmir 3Jharkhand 3Kannauj 3Maharashtra 3Telangana 3Tripura 3Uttarakhand 3Andaman Islands 2Bengal 2Bihar 2Chandigarh 2Himalayas 2Howrah 2Idukki 2Khasi hills 2Kochi 2Kolkata 2Ladakh 2Lucknow 2Madhya Pradesh 2Manipur 2Meghalaya 2Odisha 2Punjab 2Rajasthan 2Shillong 2Thiruvananthapuram 2Thrikkakara 2Uttar Pradesh 2Achabal 1Anantnag district 1Arunachal Pradesh 1Aurangabad 1Badrinath 1Banavasi 1Baran 1Bhubaneswar 1Bijapur 1Bodh Gaya 1Brahmapur 1Calcutta 1Chhatrapur 1Chhattisgarh 1Chikkamagaluru 1Coonoor 1Daman 1Darbhanga 1Darjeeling 1
ShowFlowersDecorationsPlaces
ColourRedPinkOrangeYellowWhiteCreamBluePurpleGreenMaroonMany-coloured
KindWildflowerGarden flowerCut flowerFlowering treeFlowering shrubBulb flowerClimberOrchidWater flowerCactus or succulentAlpine flowerTropical flowerHerb or useful flower
In flowerSpringSummerMonsoonAutumnWinter
FennelFoeniculum vulgare A tall, aromatic herb with feathery leaves and yellow umbels, used for food and spice 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Herb or useful flower TulipTulipa Spring-blooming bulbs with showy, cup-shaped flowers in many colours 🇳🇱 Netherlands and 7 more · Wildflower Common flaxLinum usitatissimum The slender blue-flowered plant grown for linen and linseed 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Eucalyptus The tall, aromatic trees and shrubs known as gum trees or eucalypts 🇦🇺 Australia and 7 more · Flowering tree AmaranthAmaranthus A tall, colourful plant grown for its flowers, leaves and edible seeds 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower OleanderNerium oleander A showy, evergreen shrub with clusters of pink, white or red flowers 🇲🇦 Morocco and 8 more · Flowering shrub Acacia Shrubs and trees with golden or cream puffball flowers, native mostly to Australia 🇦🇺 Australia and 6 more · Wildflower RapeseedBrassica napus A yellow-flowered crop grown for its oil-rich seeds and protein meal 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Hibiscus A tropical genus with large, colourful trumpet-shaped flowers 🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Wildflower Sensitive PlantMimosa pudica A touch-sensitive plant whose leaves fold up when disturbed 🇧🇷 Brazil and 8 more · Wildflower Thorn-appleDatura stramonium A poisonous, night-blooming plant with trumpet-shaped white or violet flowers 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Rhododendron A vast group of shrubs and trees with showy blooms in many colours 🇳🇵 Nepal and 4 more · Wildflower WaterlilyNymphaea Floating aquatic flowers found in ponds and lakes worldwide 🇪🇬 Egypt and 7 more · Water flower SafflowerCarthamus tinctorius A thistle-like annual grown for oil, dye, and as a saffron substitute 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower MarigoldTagetes A group of bright annual and perennial flowers known worldwide as marigolds 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower Black locustRobinia pseudoacacia A tall, fragrant-flowered tree native to eastern North America 🇺🇸 United States and 7 more · Flowering tree Datura A group of trumpet-shaped, highly toxic flowering plants in the nightshade family 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower Vanilla Climbing orchids with pods used for the world’s most popular flavor 🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower BaelAegle marmelos A spiny tree with fragrant yellow-green flowers and hard-shelled aromatic fruit 🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Flowering tree LotusNelumbo Aquatic plants with large, round leaves and striking flowers called lotus 🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Water flower MallowMalva Edible and ornamental flowering plants with pink, purple or white blooms 🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Wildflower White Water-lilyNymphaea alba A floating white flower of ponds and lakes across Europe and Asia 🇸🇪 Sweden and 5 more · Wildflower AchioteBixa orellana Shrub with spiky red pods, source of the natural dye annatto 🇧🇷 Brazil and 9 more · Flowering shrub White cloverTrifolium repens A low-growing, mat-forming clover with white flower heads 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower LantanaLantana camara A colourful shrub with clusters of small, changing flowers 🇧🇷 Brazil and 9 more · Flowering shrub Brown mustardBrassica juncea A leafy mustard plant grown for greens, seeds, and oil across Asia and beyond 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Marsh-marigoldCaltha palustris A bright yellow wildflower of marshes and wet woodlands in cool climates 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Multi-flowered AeridesAerides multiflora A fragrant orchid with many waxy flowers hanging in long sprays 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 6 more · Wildflower Pinwheel flowerTabernaemontana divaricata A fragrant white-flowered shrub native to South and Southeast Asia 🇲🇲 Myanmar and 2 more · Flowering shrub Silver sennaSenna artemisioides A yellow-flowered shrub native to dry regions of Australia 🇦🇺 Australia and 5 more · Wildflower Star jasmineJasminum multiflorum A white, scentless jasmine used in Indian weddings and worship 🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Wildflower Beach BarringtoniaBarringtonia asiatica A coastal tree with fragrant night-blooming flowers and buoyant toxic fruit 🇹🇿 Tanzania and 7 more · Flowering tree Smithia A genus of legume herbs with pink or purple pea-like flowers 🇮🇳 India and 4 more · Herb or useful flower Kaka beakClianthus puniceus A New Zealand shrub with curved red flowers like a parrot’s beak 🇳🇿 New Zealand and 2 more · Flowering shrub Combretum A large group of tropical trees and shrubs called bushwillows 🇿🇦 South Africa and 5 more · Flowering tree Black-eyed Susan vineThunbergia alata A fast-growing climbing plant with bright flowers and a dark centre 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Garden flower Hepatica A woodland perennial with three-lobed leaves and early spring flowers 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower Star-of-BethlehemOrnithogalum umbellatum A white, star-shaped spring flower that opens late in the day 🇫🇷 France and 7 more · Wildflower Love-lies-bleedingAmaranthus caudatus Tall Andean plant with long, drooping red or white flower clusters 🇵🇪 Peru and 8 more · Wildflower Aztec marigoldTagetes erecta The golden-yellow flower of Mexican altars and Day of the Dead offerings 🇲🇽 Mexico and 6 more · Wildflower Hubei AnemoneEriocapitella hupehensis A late-summer flowering perennial with purple, pink or white blooms 🇨🇳 China and 5 more · Wildflower Osbeckia octandraහීන් බෝවිටියා A pinkish-purple wildflower native to Sri Lanka, used in traditional medicine 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 1 more · Wildflower Royal poincianaDelonix regia A tropical tree with bright red-orange flowers and fern-like leaves 🇲🇬 Madagascar and 8 more · Flowering tree Meconopsis grandis A blue-flowered poppy from the Himalayas grown for its striking blooms 🇧🇹 Bhutan and 3 more · Wildflower Philippine violetBarleria cristata A small shrub with violet, pink, or white funnel-shaped flowers 🇨🇳 China and 5 more · Flowering shrub Flame lilyGloriosa superba A striking red and yellow climbing flower, national emblem of Zimbabwe and Tamil Nadu 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe and 9 more · Wildflower Woodfordia fruticosadhavdi A flowering shrub found from Africa to South and Southeast Asia 🇲🇲 Myanmar and 7 more · Wildflower Datura innoxia A white-flowered night-blooming plant with spiny fruit and toxic parts 🇨🇺 Cuba and 4 more · Wildflower
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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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