Methi / Shield Fenugreek मेथी

Hindi name · See all regional names ↓

Introduced in India · Kew WCVPoutdoor

Found in India: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & more

Identify this plant with SASYA

One plant. Many familiar names.

Methi in regional languages

Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.

Recorded regional names for Methi
Language	Regional script	Recorded Latin spelling
Assamese	মেথি	Methi
Bengali	মেথি	Methi
Hindi	मेथी	Methi
Kannada	ಮೆಂತೆ	Mente, Mentepalle, Mentesoffu
Malayalam	ഉലുവ	Uluva
Manipuri	ꯃꯦꯊꯤ	Methi
Marathi	मेथी	Methi
Nepali	मेथी	Methi
Odia	ମେଥୀ	methi
Sanskrit	बहुपर्णी · बहुपत्रिका · चन्द्रिका · गंधबीज · गंधफल	Bahuparni, Bahupatrika, Chandrika, dipani, Gandhabija, Gandhaphala
Tamil	வெந்தயம்	Vendayam
Urdu	میتھی	Not recorded

See the original recorded names

Assamese: মেথি Methi
Bengali: মেথি Methi
Hindi: मेथी Methi
Kannada: ಮೆಂತೆ Mente, Mentepalle, Mentesoffu
Malayalam: ഉലുവ Uluva
Manipuri: ꯃꯦꯊꯤ Methi
Marathi: मेथी Methi
Nepali: मेथी Methi
Odia: ମେଥୀ methi
Sanskrit: बहुपर्णी Bahuparni, बहुपत्रिका Bahupatrika, चन्द्रिका Chandrika, dipani, गंधबीज Gandhabija, गंधफल Gandhaphala
Tamil: வெந்தயம் Vendayam
Urdu: میتھی

The growing essentials

Methi at a glance

Source-linked growing guidance. Adjust care to your climate, season and growing conditions. Unrecorded values are shown explicitly.

Sunlight: Full sun, 6 or more hours of direct sun a day.
Water & soil moisture: Well-drained loam that can dry out at times; does poorly in wet soil.
Pot & placement: Not yet verified
Pet safety: Not yet verified

Water needs are conditional; these cards do not prescribe a fixed watering interval. Review dates belong to the individual source records.

A little more context

Growing context & reported issues

Published observations about growing settings, size and common problems. These are context for a plant profile, rather than a diagnosis of the plant in front of you.

Growing setting

Suited to containers, patios and edible gardens.

Reported size

About 1 ft 3 in to 2 ft tall.

Reported pests & problems

Powdery mildew.

Ecology & growing context

Native status · Kew WCVP: WCVP records it as introduced in Assam, India, West Himalaya Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Iraq to N. Pakistan.
Explore nearby plants: Rajasthan →Uttar Pradesh →Tamil Nadu →

Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.

How to identify Methi

Identify Methi by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.

Check the distinctive field mark: Cultivated culinary/medicinal herb (fenugreek).
Confirm leaf type: Trifoliate (three leaflets).
Confirm leaf shape: Obovate.
Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
In India, compare location records such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and nearby regions.
Confirm it sits within the Fabaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Methi.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Trigonella foenum-graecum
Genus: Trigonella
Family: Fabaceae
Found in India: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttarakhand
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf type: Trifoliate (three leaflets)recorded
Leaf shape: ObovaterecordedEgg-shaped but broader near the tip rather than the base.“Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded

Typical of the family

Arrangement: Alternate
Margin: Entire
Venation: Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Methi itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour: Yellowrecorded

Typical of the family

Flower symmetry: Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Raceme
Fruit: Legume

Characters marked “recorded” are for Methi itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only.

About Methi

Shield Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) belongs to the Fabaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and 7 other states.

Uses

Locally it is grown for parts that are eaten, long used in traditional medicine and stripped for fibre used in rope and matting. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.