Sunlight for Ashwagandha?

Full sun. Requires open, unshaded positions for adequate root biomass and withanolide accumulation. Tolerates intense subtropical insolation without scorch due to reflective stellate tomentum.

Water for Ashwagandha?

Low. Drought-adapted; prefers infrequent deep watering with full drying between cycles. Waterlogging rapidly causes root rot and must be avoided in cultivation beds.

Soil for Ashwagandha?

Sandy loam, well-drained. Performs best on light, well-drained sandy-loam to gravelly soils with pH 7.5–8.0. Heavy clay or poorly drained substrates suppress taproot development.

Temperature for Ashwagandha?

20–35 °C. Thrives in warm, dry conditions and tolerates brief frosts at the woody base. Sustained cold or high humidity reduces vigour and increases foliar disease.

What is Ashwagandha used for medicinally?

Root decoctions and powders used in Ayurveda as a rasayana (rejuvenative) and adaptogen; Unani and Siddha formulations for debility, stress, and reproductive tonics; Modern phytopharmaceutical extracts standardised to withanolide content

What does the scientific name Withania somnifera mean?

Withania: Named in honour of the 19th-century English palaeobotanist Henry T. M. Witham. somnifera: Means ‘sleep-bearing’, referencing the traditional sedative and restorative use of the root.

Plant of the day

Withania somnifera

AshwagandhaShrub

Withania somnifera (Solanaceae) is a tomentose perennial shrub of arid and semi-arid zones across the Indian subcontinent, Mediterranean, and Africa, cultivated for its withanolide-rich tuberous roots.

FamilySolanaceae

GenusWithania

NativeIndian Subcontinent

LifespanPerennial; typically 3–5 productive years in cultivation; longer in undisturbed wild populations

Classification

KingdomPlantae

CladeTracheophytes

CladeAngiosperms

ClassMagnoliopsida

OrderSolanales

FamilySolanaceae

GenusWithania

SpeciesW. somnifera

Binomial NameWithania somnifera

AuthorLinnaeus

Common NameAshwagandha

Life FormShrub

Growth HabitShrub

Taxonomic Hierarchy

KingdomPlantae

CladeTracheophytes

CladeAngiosperms

ClassMagnoliopsida

OrderSolanales

FamilySolanaceae

GenusWithania

Taxonomic Notes

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis belongs to the family Malvaceae.
The genus Hibiscus includes over 200 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs.
This species is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Withania somnifera

Classification

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Taxonomic Notes

Same Genus

Same Family

Related Genera