Rituals as maps of India's flora

Which native plants should I grow in my garden? This question often fills my inbox. This year, while preparing for Ganesha Chaturthi, I stumbled upon an unexpected answer. The tradition demands that 21 leaves (patras) and 21 flowers (pushpas) from specific plants be offered to the lord. While I am familiar with many of the names, it was only when I wrote them down that I realised they weren’t an arbitrary collection.

This is a list drawn from the trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers that once thrived around us. Many are drought-hardy, pollinator-friendly, or valued for their medicinal qualities. Together, they form a miniature catalogue of India’s indigenous biodiversity. Perhaps Ganesha Chaturthi is our oldest gardening manual. Lists vary by region and language; names shift and substitutions happen, but they draw from a very similar pool of native species. What struck me most was the range. From the tiniest grass to the grandest tree, the list spans a whole garden. Durva creeps along the ground, binding the soil with its network of rhizomes. Lawns today may be criticised as thirsty, high-maintenance patches of exotic turf, but native grasses like Durva are ecological allies. They survive drought, hold soil together, and provide fodder.

Apamarga and Bhrngaraja are hardy weeds that bees love. Tulasi hums with pollinators while hibiscus and oleander are dependable shrubs. Climbers such as Visnukranta and Madhavi make their way across walls and hedges. Towering over all are peepal and arjuna with their generous canopies, while lotus and water lily quietly anchor wetlands.

Out in the drylands, the drought-resistant Shamiī tree thrives in arid soil, showing that the list stretches from ponds to deserts.

There is also rhythm in the choice of plants. Mango and Tulasi, both widely used in rituals, are offered not for their flowers but for their leaves. The timing of the festival explains why. By September, mango trees have long finished flowering, and Tulasi too is past its peak bloom. Instead, their leaves are plucked for puja. Throughout the festival season, they reappear again and again. Each time their tips are clipped, we are
unknowingly pruning them. This simple act stimulates fresh growth. What looks like ritual is also seasonal care. Hibiscus, jasmine, parijata, champaka, and chrysanthemum are easy-to-grow species that attract bees, moths, and butterflies. Some, like Bakula and Punnaga, are trees with fragrant blossoms. Others, like Leucas (locally called Thumbe), are hardy field blooms that feed pollinators. Even the wild and poisonous are included: dhattura and arka, both are important host plants for butterflies. The lists do not discriminate between the ornamental, the useful, or the weedy. All find a place.

If you notice, jasmine, dhattura, bilva, arka, and oleander are honoured twice, once for their leaves and again for their flowers. The ritual seems to remind us that a plant is not valued in fragments, but in its wholeness: leaf, flower, bark, and fruit all have a place in the web of life.

And it isn’t just Ganesha Chaturthi. Festivals across India are woven with local plants. Onam celebrates a carpet of distinct flowers with its pookolam. Dasara invokes the
hibiscus and the Shami tree. Sankranti strings up Senna blooms, and Ugadi marks a new year with neem leaves. Each festival is a reminder that our celebrations are inseparable from the plants around us. What we call ritual is also a seasonal map of India’s flora that’s gently guiding us to live in rhythm with the land. So, when you wonder which native plant to grow, take a peek at this centuries-old list.

If you already grow some of them, write to me at [e-mail]. I would love to hear your stories.

Motley Garden is your monthly kaleidoscopic view into a sustainable garden ecosystem. The author believes gardens are shared spaces where plants and creatures thrive together.