🇮🇳 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.
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
🇮🇳 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
PomegranatePunica granatum
A shrub with bright red flowers and a fruit full of edible seeds
🇮🇷 Iran and 9 more · Flowering shrub
AmaranthAmaranthus
A tall, colourful plant grown for its flowers, leaves and edible seeds
🇲🇽 Mexico and 7 more · Wildflower
Plumeria
Fragrant tropical tree with waxy, five-petaled flowers in many colours
🇲🇽 Mexico and 6 more · Flowering tree
LantanaLantana camara
A colourful shrub with clusters of small, changing flowers
🇧🇷 Brazil and 9 more · Flowering shrub
Pinwheel flowerTabernaemontana divaricata
A fragrant white-flowered shrub native to South and Southeast Asia
🇲🇲 Myanmar and 2 more · Flowering shrub
Blue orchidVanda coerulea
A rare orchid with long-lasting bluish purple flowers from Northeast India and Yunnan
🇮🇳 India and 2 more · Orchid
Hubei AnemoneEriocapitella hupehensis
A late-summer flowering perennial with purple, pink or white blooms
🇨🇳 China and 5 more · Wildflower
Scarlet jungleflameIxora coccinea
A dense evergreen shrub with year-round scarlet flower clusters
🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Flowering shrub
Datura innoxia
A white-flowered night-blooming plant with spiny fruit and toxic parts
🇨🇺 Cuba and 4 more · Wildflower
Aztec marigoldTagetes erecta
The golden-yellow flower of Mexican altars and Day of the Dead offerings
🇲🇽 Mexico and 6 more · Wildflower
Himalayan balsamImpatiens glandulifera
Tall Himalayan annual with pink helmet-shaped flowers and explosive seed pods
🇮🇳 India and 3 more · Wildflower
Rhynchostylis giganteaকপৌফুল
A fragrant orchid with dense, foxtail-like flower spikes from Southeast Asia
🇵🇭 Philippines and 7 more · Wildflower
Paphiopedilum insigne
A rare slipper orchid from the Khasi hills with helmet-shaped yellow flowers
🇮🇳 India and 2 more · Wildflower
White garland-lilyHedychium coronarium
Tall, fragrant white flowers from the ginger family, grown and loved across continents
🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Wildflower
Orange jasmineMurraya paniculata
A fragrant shrub or small tree with white flowers and orange-red berries
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower
Spanish cherryMimusops elengi
A fragrant evergreen tree with cream flowers and edible fruit
🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Flowering tree
Indian chrysanthemumChrysanthemum indicum
A yellow or white-flowered chrysanthemum native to China
🇨🇳 China and 1 more · Wildflower
Beach naupakaScaevola taccada
A salt-tolerant shrub with fan-shaped white flowers on tropical beaches
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower
Bengal trumpetThunbergia grandiflora
A climbing vine with large blue-violet trumpet flowers from Southeast Asia
🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Climber
Arabian jasmineJasminum sambac
A small white jasmine with a strong, sweet scent, treasured in Asia for garlands and ceremonies
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering shrub
Crown of thornsEuphorbia milii
A spiny flowering shrub with red, pink, or white bracts, native to Madagascar
🇲🇬 Madagascar and 5 more · Wildflower
Cleome houtteana
Tall annual with pink, purple, or white flowers and long, whisker-like stamens
🇦🇷 Argentina and 5 more · Garden flower
Ixora
Tropical evergreen shrubs with clusters of small, bright flowers
🇮🇳 India and 4 more · Garden flower
Yellow oleanderCascabela thevetia
A tropical shrub with funnel-shaped yellow flowers and toxic seeds
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 more · Flowering shrub
Crape myrtleLagerstroemia indica
A summer-flowering tree with crinkled blooms in white, pink, purple or red
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering tree
NeelakurinjiStrobilanthes kunthiana
A blue-purple shrub that blooms once every 12 years in South India's hills
🇮🇳 India · Wildflower
Wild Himalayan CherryPrunus cerasoides
A cherry tree with pinkish white blossoms from the Himalayas and Southeast Asia
🇮🇳 India and 5 more · Flowering tree
Nyctanthes arbor-tristisपारिजात
A fragrant night-flowering shrub with white and orange blossoms
🇮🇳 India and 5 more · Wildflower
Bush clockvineThunbergia erecta
A tropical African shrub with velvety blue or purple flowers and yellow centers
🇬🇦 Gabon and 8 more · Garden flower
Garden dahliaDahlia pinnata
A showy perennial with pink to deep purple blooms, grown in gardens worldwide
🇲🇽 Mexico and 4 more · Garden flower
SaffronCrocus sativus
The crimson threads of an autumn crocus, dried for colour, flavour and scent
🇮🇷 Iran and 6 more · Bulb flower
Indian shotCanna indica
A tall tropical plant with red or yellow flowers and starchy rhizomes
🇨🇴 Colombia and 8 more · Wildflower
Blanket FlowerGaillardia aristata
A drought-tolerant wildflower with yellow and maroon daisy-like blooms
🇺🇸 United States and 6 more · Wildflower
Weeping bottlebrushMelaleuca viminalis
A red-flowered Australian tree with weeping branches and bottlebrush blooms
🇦🇺 Australia 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
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Saffron: Hubertl, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Blanket Flower: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Weeping bottlebrush: Geoff Fox, CC BY 3.0, source
- Plumeria: Renesis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black-eyed Susan vine: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Pinwheel flower: SKsiddhartthan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Blue orchid: Orchi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hubei Anemone: William Brockelsby, CC BY 4.0, source
- Scarlet jungleflame: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Datura innoxia: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pomegranate: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Amaranth: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Aztec marigold: HitroMilanese, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lotus: Peripitus, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Himalayan balsam: Guptaele, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Rhynchostylis gigantea: Lars.Kurth, Public domain, source
- Paphiopedilum insigne: Orchi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- White garland-lily: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Orange jasmine: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Spanish cherry: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Indian chrysanthemum: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Beach naupaka: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Bengal trumpet: Don McCulley, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Arabian jasmine: Taken by Fanghong, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lantana: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Crown of thorns: Ezra Katz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cleome houtteana: Wiki Farazi, CC0, source
- Ixora: Wilfredor, CC0, source
- Yellow oleander: Anshik Kumar Tiwari, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Crape myrtle: Gabriel Collares, CC BY 4.0, source
- Neelakurinji: Suresh Krishna, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Wild Himalayan Cherry: Patcharapapats, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nyctanthes arbor-tristis: J.M.Garg, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bush clockvine: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Garden dahlia: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Indian shot: No machine-readable author provided. B.navez assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kr Market Bengaluru: Pp391, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dadar Flower Market Mumbai: Swaminathan, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mullick Ghat Flower Market Kolkata: Pradip paswan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Koyambedu Flower Market Chennai: Sudhamshu Hebbar, CC BY 2.0, source
- Madurai Jasmine Market: எஸ்ஸார், CC BY-SA 3.0, source