Passiflora edulis
Family: Passifloraceae
Common name: Passion fruit, Passion fruit vine, Passion flower, Purple granadilla
Interestingly, the name Passion fruit has nothing to do with passion, it comes from the Latin name Passiflora that stands for a family of tendril-forming evergreen climbers. Read more >>
Brassica nigra
Family: Brassicaceae
Common name: Black mustard, Rai, Kaduku
Mustard seeds are so common in the Indian kitchen that curries are incomplete without a ‘tadka’ of popped mustard seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves. Read more >>
Basella alba
Family: Basellaceae
Common name: Malabar spinach, Indian spinach, Ceylon spinach, Country spinach
A beautiful vine that can reach a height of over 10 meters, Malabar spinach is grown in gardens as leafy vegetables and ornamental plants. Read more >>
Fragaria vesca
Family: Rosaceae
Common name: Woodland strawberry, Wild strawberry, Alpine strawberry, California Strawberry
Native to the cool, temperate countries of the Northern hemisphere, Woodland strawberries are also grown in gardens in South India for their fruits. Read more >>
Ananas comosus
Family: Bromeliaceae
Common name: Pineapple
It might be surprising for home gardeners to know that exotic, sweet, delicious Pineapples can be easily grown in your backyards, balconies or terrace gardens. Read more >>
Citrus limon
Family: Rutaceae
Common name: Lime, Lemon
Citrus limon and Citrus X aurantifolia are the two most common species in the Citrus family known as lemon and lime respectively. Both are very popular in all parts of the world. Read more >>
Dioscorea bulbifera
Family: Dioscoreaceae
Common name: Air potato, Bitter yam, Air yam, Cheeky yam, Potato yam, Aerial yam, Parsnip yam
A native of Asia and Africa, these cheeky long Air Potato vines are now baffling plant researches all over the world by it prolific growth and invasiveness. Read more >>
Luffa acutangula
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Common name: Ridge gourd, Chinese okra, Sponge gourd, Angled luffa, Bitter luffa, Wild luffa, Wild ribbed gourd, Wild ridge gourd
The name Loofah for bath sponges come from the botanical name of Ridge gourds or Sponge gourds, Luffa. Read more >>
Cucurbita pepo var. cylindrica: Zucchini
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Common name: Zucchini, Courgette, Baby marrow, Summer squash
Zucchini plants can grow to a height of 80-100 cm with a beautiful rosette-like base that produces leaves, flowers, and fruits all from a short stump of a stem. Read more >>
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
Family: Fabaceae
Common name: Winged beans, Goa bean, Four-angled bean, Prince bean, Four-cornered bean, Manila bean, Princess bean, Asparagus pea, Dragon bean
Winged beans is a tropical leguminous plant that is very commonly seen in Asian countries, and used in a wide variety of dishes. Read more >>