About Flora by Happy Botanist
Preserving and promoting the extraordinary botanical heritage of the Western Ghats—one of the world’s most significant biodiversity hotspots.
Our Mission
Flora by Happy Botanist is a dedicated open-access botanical repository designed for researchers, field ecologists, students, and plant enthusiasts. We aim to document, catalog, and democratize plant taxonomy and distributions within the Western Ghats of India.
Through comprehensive field exploration, rigorous taxonomic research, and high-fidelity photography, we translate complex botanical metadata into a beautiful, intuitive, and accessible digital portal.
The Western Ghats Hotspot
The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri mountains, run parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula. Recognized as an UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s eight “hottest hotspots” of biological diversity, it hosts over 7,400 species of flowering plants—many of which are endemic and found nowhere else on Earth.
Documenting this flora is essential for conservation, understanding global climate systems, and preserving natural heritage. Our database maps local attributes, habitat adaptations, elevation profiles, and phenology cycles (flowering and fruiting times) to provide a holistic botanical picture.
Platform Features
- Search and filters: Find plants by name, or narrow them down by habit (herb, shrub, tree), lineage, habitat (terrestrial, epiphyte, lithophyte), flower colour and location.
- Shareable searches: Every search and filter is saved in the page link, so you can bookmark it or send it to someone.
- Photo galleries: Swipe through several photos of each plant, all taken in the field.
- Detailed profiles: See elevation, synonyms, the meaning behind each name, and the features that help you identify a plant.