Preliminary Investigation of Some Plants of Ornamental Value from Wild Flora of Shimla

Around 90 plants of various ornamental utility viz. annuals, herbaceous perennials, climbers, shrubs trees, hedges, foliage and bulbous plants, etc. were shortlisted apart from those suited to rock garden and dry flower arrangements. The category ‘herbaceous perennial’ had a maximum number of plants followed by shrubs. Plants such as Delphinium denudatum wall., Spermadictyon suaveolens Roxb., Reinwardtia indica Dumort., Caryopteris wallichiana Schuer and Buddleia paniculata Wall., seemed to suit to the requirement of cut flower. Most of the weedy grasses can find a place in dry flower arrangements. It became visible that almost all kinds of ornamentals are available over different seasons from these native wild plants. Emphasis can be given for those plants flowering all the year round, during lean season and over longer period. Problems related to their domestication and the ways to proceed further have also been discussed.