Plant identity

Why this page exists

• Plants carry names, stories, and uses that travel through families and time.
• When names drift or are replaced casually, the surrounding context is often lost.
• Tradition, ritual, and memory depend on knowing what a plant actually is.

Why identity matters

• Many plants are tied to household practices, seasonal rituals, or family knowledge.
• Those traditions developed around specific plants, not generic substitutes.
• Accurate identity preserves meaning and prevents plants from becoming interchangeable.

Tradition and accuracy

• Traditional names often reflect use or family understanding.
• Scientific names place a plant within a broader botanical context.
• We treat these as complementary, not competing.

What our labels aim to do

• retain cultural and family context
• state what can be confirmed clearly
• avoid guessing when certainty is limited

• Common name for everyday reference
• Scientific name when identification can be confirmed
• Lineage note when a plant is known by a family or regional name

Limits and growth stage

• Plant identity is not always fixed at an early stage.
• Some identifying traits appear only as a plant matures.
• When identification is provisional, we state that clearly.

How identification is supported

• leaf shape and aroma, especially for tulsi types
• overall growth habit such as herb, vine, or shrub
• flower structure when present

Why QR codes are used

• Listings disappear and names change.
• Plants are shared, gifted, and passed on.
• This page allows identity and context to travel with the plant.