Wild Plants

Parthenium hysterophorus

Family: Asteraceae
Common name: Congress grass, Carrot grass, Famine weed
Parthenium is a weed that grows in open areas, roadsides, hillsides and even in agricultural land, affecting productivity of other crops. Read more >>

Ipomoea lacunosa

Family: Convolvulaceae
Common name: White morning glory, Whitestar, Pitted morning glory
The Ipomoea family has got a set of ‘morning glories’ in vivid colors like white, pink, purple, red, yellow and other combinations of these colors. Read more >>

Dodonaea viscosa

Family: Sapindaceae
Common name: Florida hopbush
I found this unique bush near Nandi hills in Karnataka, India and was surprised to learn that it’s called Florida hopbush. Read more >>

Crotalaria pallida

Family: Fabaceae
Common name: Rattlebox, Smooth rattlebox, Rattleweed, Streaked rattlepod
This small flowering shrub grows and flowers abundantly in the wild, and makes you wonder why it’s not a garden plant. Read more >>

Ipomoea triloba

Family: Convolvulaceae
Common name: Little bell, Three lobe morning glory
The name little bell suits this small pink or purple flowers so beautifully. This plant grows as long vines 1-1.5 meters long. Read more >>

Ipomoea hederifolia

Family: Convolvulaceae
Common name: Scarlet morning glory, Scarlet creeper
Scarlet morning glory flowers are a joy to see in vacant lots and roadsides; but are rarely grown in gardens. Read more >>

Calotropis gigantea

Family: Apocynaceae
Common name: Crown flower, Giant milkweed
Crown flowers are commonly seen in the wild, by roadsides, vacant plots, hillsides, riversides, almost everywhere. Read more >>

Barleria buxifolia

Family: Acanthaceae
Common name: Carachulli, Chullimullu
Barleria plants are commonly seen the wild, and are distinguished by their long thorns and beautiful flowers. Read more >>

Richardia brasiliensis

Family: Rubiaceae
Common name: Tropical mexican clover, Brazil pusley, White-eye
If you walk with your eyes to the ground in vacant plots, roadsides or hillsides, you are very likely to encounter this pretty white flower. Read more >>

Heteropogon contortus

Family: Poaceae
Common name: Black speargrass, Tanglehead, Steekgrass
Black speargrass is a very common wild grass in tropical regions of Asia, Africa and Australia, growing in sandy or rocky soil. Read more >>

Cyanotis arachnoidea

Family: Commelinaceae
Common name: Grass of the dew, White grass of the dew
Grass of the dew is a small creeping perennial plant with slender long leaves and beautiful violet flowers, found in the wild. Read more >>

Zornia gibbosa

Family: Fabaceae
Common name: Kollam Zornia
Zornia plants grow to a height of 2-4 inches and produces tiny yellow or reddish-yellow flowers that look like pea flowers. Read more >>

Urena lobata

Family: Malvaceae
Common name: Caesar weed, Congo jute
Once considered as valuable to cotton plants, Caesar weeds have not fallen from glory and is considered an invasive weed. Read more >>

Ageratum conyzoides

Family: Asteraceae
Common name: Tropical whiteweed, Billygoat weed, Chick weed
It’s unlikely that you have not seen this wild plant or weed with pretty white flowers around you. Read more >>

Solanum dimidiatum

Family: Solanaceae
Common name: Western horsenettle, Robust horsenettle
Though Western horsenettles have beautiful violet flowers and berries, they will never be mistaken for garden plants. Read more >>

Evolvulus alsinoides

Family: Convolvulaceae
Common name: Slender dwarf morning glory
Morning glory flowers are all beautiful, this one exceptionally so, because of the color and size of the flowers. Read more >>

Mitracarpus hirtus

Family: Rubiaceae
Common name: Tropical girdlepod
A plant very commonly seen in the wild in India, Tropical girdlepods have multiple levels of leaves and tiny white flowers. Read more >>

Melinis repens

Family: Poaceae
Common name: Natal grass, Rose natal grass, Natal red top
Belonging to the ‘true grasses’ family of Poaceae, Rose natal grass is one of the most commonly seen grasses in India. Read more >>

Diodella teres

Family: Rubiaceae
Common name: Poorjoe, Rough buttonweed
Yet another pretty little wildflower, which is almost invisible unless you walk with you eyes focused on the ground. Read more >>

Alternanthera sessilis

Family: Amaranthaceae
Common name: Sessile joyweed, Dwarf copperleaf
It’s surprising that sessile joyweed is considered and aquatic plant, though it can survive in water only for a few days. Read more >>

Cipadessa baccifera

Family: Meliaceae
Common name: Cipadessa, Ranabili
Cipadessa are small shrubs that grow to a height of 3-5 meters, growing in hilly areas, grasslands, thickets and rocky areas. Read more >>

Pennisetum/Cenchrus

Family: Poaceae
Common name: Fountain grass, Fountaingrass, Rose fountain grass
Fountain grass plants can be see in all continents, in all kinds of weather, soil and growing conditions. Read more >>

Passiflora foetida

Family: Passifloraceae
Common name: Stinking passionflower, Love-in-a-mist, Bush passion fruit, Stoneflower
Stinking passionflower plants can grow up to 9 meters by climbing on walls, or on surrounding vegetation. Read more >>

Pilea microphylla

Family: Urticaceae
Common name: Rockweed, Artillery plant, Artillery fern
A tiny wild plant, very commonly seen on top of stone walls, edges of compounds walls, and in unbelievable nooks and crannies everywhere. Read more >>

Sonchus oleraceus

Family: Asteraceae
Common name: Sow thistle, Common sowthistle, Smooth sow thistle, Milky tassel, Milkthistle, Hare thistle
Sow thistles belong to the same family as dandelions and are seen in the wild, on roadsides and open areas. Read more >>

Chromolaena odorata

Family: Asteraceae
Common name: Siam weed, Devil weed, Common floss flower,
A notorious weed that many countries are on the look out for, Siam weed is seen in almost all continents and countries. Read more >>

Ipomoea purpurea

Family: Asteraceae
Common name: Common morning-glory, Tall morning-glory, Purple morning glory
It is indeed a shame that a plants bearing such beautiful flowers is considered to be an invasive weed, but it is! Read more >>