Living in Goa during the monsoon is the most calm and serene experience. The weather is windy and rain is just around the corner, raining without a warning. Rains put a halt to the fishing boats and festivals are also about to come. It is also the breeding season of fish and many people prefer to turn to a vegetarian diet. Whether you're tending to your own vegetable garden at your villa in Goa or you visit local markets like Panjim Market for grocery shopping, you will see a wild range of seasonal produce in the rainy season.

Markets in Goa transform into a wild vegetable garden, with exotic wild monsoon veggies that most city dwellers are not even aware of. Panjim market in the monsoons is taken over by Goan women selling local vegetables. These veggies are naturally grown in nature’s organic garden. They grow commonly in the state’s green patches and are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Panjim Market

These are some commonly known monsoon veggies in Goa: Naval Kol (German Tulip), Kurdu (Celosia), Haldi (turmeric) leaves, Chauli (black-eyed peas) leaves, Aalu (Colocasia), Telpat Ranbhaji (Wild Veggies), Neerfanas (Breadfruit), Kantoli (Spine gourd), Shirali (ridge gourd), and Vaghate or Ranmeva (Ceylon Caper).

The veggies are also a part of the local festivals and rituals like the Rishi Panchami and Ganesh Chaturthi. Where a special meal is prepared for pooja with these wild local monsoon veggies. Apart from vegetables, there are local mushrooms which have very good taste, some late mangoes, Ole Khajur (raw dates), and local fruits like Papaya, Pumpkin, and Kohla (Ash Gourd).

Monsoons in Goa bring a quiet beauty to everyday life. The rains refresh the land, and the markets fill with fresh, wild vegetables. It’s a season where everything slows down, and people come together to enjoy simple meals made from local produce. There’s a calm in the air, and a sense of connection to nature and tradition. It’s a reminder of the peaceful, meaningful moments that make life in Goa so special.

“Flowers are the music of the ground.
From earth’s lips spoken without sound”.
-Edwin Curran

I grew up in Delhi and I have distinct memories of the trees that I grew up amongst. These trees are sometimes more important in my memories than the people. I guess I lived in a bit of a dream world where these trees played a salient role. Here I have attempted a compilation of my most memorable flowers and flowering trees. 

champaka

Champaka tree

Champaka
Scientific name: Magnolia champaca

Champaka flowers are one of my favorite. They have a magical scent and are available in white and yellow color. They bloom during April to September. These are popular flowering tree varieties of Goa. If you live in Goa, then you can often find women selling bunches of these wonderfully fragrant flowers at the Mandovi bridge in Panjim.

parijat

Parijat
Scientific name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

Another favorite is Parijat, even though the tree is a bit scruffy, the flowers are glorious with a heady scent. These flowers are aesthetically very pleasing with a white head and an orange stem. These flowers always drop at night, so early morning, one is welcomed by a carpet of white & orange blossoms on the ground with a heavenly smell. I have fond childhood memories of making my way to this tree each morning during flowering season and collecting as many as I could and then fixing the flowers into each other to make flower ornaments. I also remember grinding them for their orange color :)

franjipani/ champa

Champa tree

Champa
Scientific name: Plumeria Rubra L.

Champa or Frangipani, comes in various whites and pink color. We had a big Champa tree just outside my family's house in Delhi. The tree flowered throughout the year, had white flowers with a yellow heart and a strong perfume. Ah, my memories of this tree and the flowers... They would play a role in all my pretend-plays, end up dried between books, stuck in collages and made into garlands. Champa is a favorite choice for landscape design, and simply transforms the any area with its beautiful form. It maybe a tad over-used at this point but if used correctly it still retains its magic!

kachnar/ apta

Kachnar/ Apta
Scientific name: Bauhinia purpurea

Bauhinia purpurea are available in white and pink color. These flowers bloom during October to January. We had a large purple-Kachnar tree that grew close to our house. It would flower profusely and was a sight to behold. Sometimes, my dad and I would go to the tree in the early morning to pick flowers that my grandmom would later cook the flower. Unfortunately, I do not remember the taste of the dish.

pongamia

Pongamia tree

Pongamia
Scientific name: Millettia pinnata

Pongamia is available in white color and it usually blooms during May to December. This was a large tree close to our house and I loved its flowers that had a beautiful scent. I found there clusters to be soft and romantic. But I remember that they would wilt really easily so whenever, I tried to bring them home, they would not last a long time.

bottlebrush

Bottle Brush
Scientific name: Melaleuca citrina (Curtis) Dum.Cours.

Bottle brush is red in color and it blooms during Febraury to May. We would find these trees in the district park close to our home in Delhi. I loved this flower as it was so unique, resembled a bottle brush and the possibilities of its use in pretend-play were infinite!

Inspired by the book ‘Tress of Delhi’, by author Pradip Krishen. Read the book here.

Goa is not only known for its beaches, but it is famous for its flora and fauna as well. If you're someone living in Goa, you will know of its vibrant variety of aviary species. The state is home to 5% of the world’s bird species and about 50% of the bird species found in India, making it an important location for birdwatchers.

Intermediate Egret

Red Whiskered Bulbul

Asian Geen Bee Eater

The bird-lovers visiting Goa have a lot of places to choose from; Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, Carambolim Lake, Soccorro Plateau, Morjim Beach, Curtorim Wetland Complex and Zuari are among the significant birdwatching locations here.

Purple Rumped Sunbird

Pale Billed Flowerpecker

Barn Swallow

Black Winged Stilt

Black Headed Ibis

Brahminy Kite

Oriental Magpie Robin

Gull Billed Tern

We here at GROUNDED have attempted to give you a compilation of the most commonly spotted birds in Goa, especially the regions closer to our villa projects. For anyone looking to move to Goa, check out our upcoming sustainable villa developments here.

All photographs are taken by our COO and resident wildlife and architectural photographer, Sanjeet Wahi.

---

Goa is a goldmine of biodiversity and native forests are the crucial negotiators that tie these ecosystems together. As awareness increases about habitat loss and deforestation, people have taken the responsibility of hosting planting and re-wilding drives. The first step in this process is to identify and select native plant species which are most effective and resource efficient for natural landscaping. Native trees offer huge short term and long term benefits:

• Native trees are well-adapted to the local climate, which means they will have the best chance at survival.

• Native trees prevent population decline of the local wildlife as the animals are not forced to shift into unfamiliar habitats.

• While non-native trees might not do well up against local pests, native trees often don’t have as many pest problems because they develop symbiotic relationships with other local species.

Here are 4 popular, easy to source, and easy to plant native species of Goa:

Terminalia Elliptica or The ‘Indian Laurel’ is the State tree of Goa. A few other names of this tree are Mati, Asna, Saj, or Crocodile Bark Tree.

Terminalia bellirica is a deciduous tree that grows upto 35 m in height. It is a sun loving tree that thrives in slightly moist soils. The fruit of the tree is often celebrated for its medicinal properties.

Pterocarpus marsupium, also known as Asann and Malabar kino is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 30 m (98 ft) tall. It is native to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The beautiful yellow flowered tree however is currently on the list of threatened species due to dwindling numbers and needs to be revived.

Holoptelea integrifolia, also called The Indian Elm is a deciduous tree that grows upto 25m in height. It is often sourced for timber which makes cheap furniture and also used as firewood in rural parts. Its flowers, leaves and bark have medicinal uses.

Apart from this Goa has several indigenous fruit trees including jack fruit, tamarind, guava, pineapple, and kokum. While these are not advisable for highways, they are wonderfully suited for smaller city avenues, parks, city campuses, and most importantly individual residential plots.

A detailed list of Goa’s native trees can be found in this directory. These trees support a lot of insects and creepy crawlies. This post tells you how you can design to coexist with and celebrate Goa’s biodiversity.

Goa is listed among the 36 most important biodiversity hotspots in the worls. To know more about the ecological significance of this belt, you can read our blogpost on Protecting the Western Ghats here.