Horticulturist — Plant Curation & Research

About Pravaa

Pravaa is a design-led plantscaping studio based in Mumbai, creating living environments for homes, workplaces and hospitality.

We use nature as a design medium, combining plantscaping, biophilic design and plant science to create spaces that look considered, feel alive and function better.

We don't simply choose plants because they look good. We understand the space, light, airflow, interiors, people and purpose first — and then curate what belongs there.

Our work spans indoor plantscaping, terraces, vertical gardens, moss installations and ongoing plant care. At the heart of it is a simple belief:

The right plant, in the right place, can completely change how a space feels.

About the Role

We're looking for a horticulturist who is genuinely obsessed with plants.

Not just someone who knows the standard list of indoor plants.

Someone who wants to know what else exists.

Different species. Different cultivars. Different forms. Different colours. Different leaf shapes. Different growth habits. Plants that most people haven't seen, let alone considered for an interior.

The Horticulturist — Plant Curation & Research will be responsible for continuously expanding Pravaa's plant knowledge and plant palette — researching new species and cultivars, identifying unusual and hard-to-find plants, understanding their growing requirements, and exploring how they can realistically be grown and maintained in Mumbai's conditions.

This could mean discovering another Alocasia with an unusual leaf form or colour, finding a rare cultivar in a nursery somewhere in India, investigating a plant available internationally, understanding whether it can actually survive in Mumbai, and then figuring out how we could make it work.

The role sits at the intersection of horticulture, research, sourcing and design.

What You'll Do

01 — Discover

Continuously research recent, unusual and interesting plant species and cultivars

Go beyond commonly available indoor plants and actively explore what is available across India and internationally

Research different varieties, forms, colours, textures, growth patterns and mature sizes

Build relationships with specialist nurseries, collectors, growers and plant suppliers

Identify plants that could add something distinctive to Pravaa's design palette

Keep track of new discoveries rather than waiting for them to appear in conventional nursery catalogues

If you've ever gone down a three-hour rabbit hole researching different Alocasias, Anthuriums, Philodendrons or Ficus cultivars — this might be for you.

02 — Research & Understand For every interesting plant, you should want to understand:

What is it?

Where does it come from?

How does it grow?

What light does it actually need?

What humidity, temperature and soil conditions does it prefer?

How does it behave indoors?

How large does it become?

How difficult is it to maintain?

What pests or diseases affect it?

Can it adapt to Mumbai?

Where can we source it?





What would it take to keep it healthy once installed?

Build and maintain a growing Pravaa plant knowledge base , documenting species, cultivars, growing conditions, sourcing information and practical learnings.

03 — Make Plants Work in Mumbai

This is one of the most important parts of the role.

We don't want someone who simply says:

“This plant doesn't grow in Mumbai.”

We want someone who asks:

“What would it take to make it work?”

Study how plants respond to Mumbai's heat, humidity, monsoon, air-conditioning, indoor light levels and changing conditions.

Experiment with growing environments, substrates, potting approaches, acclimatisation and care routines to understand what can realistically be achieved.

The goal is not to force unsuitable plants into spaces.

It is to understand the limits of what is possible — and push those limits intelligently.

04 — Source

Search for plants through specialist nurseries and growers across India

Develop a network of reliable and specialist plant vendors

Identify difficult-to-source species and cultivars

Explore international availability where relevant

Research legitimate and compliant pathways for bringing suitable plants into India when they cannot be sourced locally

Evaluate vendors based on plant quality, authenticity, health, size, consistency and availability

Help Pravaa build a stronger and more differentiated plant procurement network

05 — Curate for Projects

Work with the Pravaa design team to translate horticultural knowledge into design decisions.

Recommend plants based on light, space, interiors and purpose

Suggest unusual alternatives when a conventional plant isn't right

Help designers understand what a particular species can and cannot do

Recommend combinations based on form, texture, colour and growth behaviour

Help determine appropriate plant sizes and maturity levels

Ensure that visually ambitious plant selections remain horticulturally realistic

Help build plant palettes for individual projects and specific environments

06 — Grow, Acclimatise & Maintain the Collection

Support plant acclimatisation before installation

Monitor plant health and growth

Identify pests, diseases, nutrient deficiencies and environmental stress

Develop appropriate soil, nutrition and watering approaches

Maintain healthy stock and specimen plants

Experiment with propagation where appropriate

Track what performs well and what fails — and why

07 — Keep Learning The plant world is constantly changing.

We expect you to keep discovering.

Follow specialist growers, botanical resources, nurseries, collectors, exhibitions and horticultural developments.

Build knowledge not just through books,



but through observation, experimentation and conversations with people who grow plants seriously.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone with deep curiosity, strong horticultural fundamentals and an almost unreasonable enthusiasm for plants.

Someone who

Can spend an afternoon researching one unusual plant and genuinely enjoy it

Gets excited when they discover a species or cultivar they haven't seen before

Knows the difference between species, cultivars and varieties and cares about the distinction

Is fascinated by leaf forms, colour variation, growth habits, texture and plant behaviour

Doesn't stop at “this plant looks good”

Wants to understand why it grows the way it does

Is naturally curious about plants from different parts of India and the world

Is willing to experiment and learn from failure

Has the patience to observe plants over time

Can balance plant ambition with horticultural reality

Understands that the rarest plant isn't necessarily the best plant for a particular space

Can communicate horticultural knowledge clearly to designers and non-horticulturists

Is comfortable working in a design-studio environment

Has a high standard for plant quality and presentation

Most importantly

We want someone who is always asking, “What else is out there?”

Qualifications

Degree / diploma in Horticulture, Botany, Plant Science, Agriculture or a related field

Strong knowledge of plant identification and horticultural fundamentals

Understanding of indoor plant physiology, soil, nutrition, watering, light and plant health

Experience with plant nurseries, horticultural research, interior plantscaping or specialist plant sourcing is preferred

Familiarity with plant procurement and vendor networks is an advantage

Experience with propagation, acclimatisation or specimen plant care is an advantage

Strong research and documentation skills

Comfortable working on-site in Mumbai

Exceptional candidates from other backgrounds may also be considered if they can demonstrate deep practical plant knowledge and genuine horticultural curiosity.

The Pravaa Way

At Pravaa, we don't want to keep using the same 20 plants in different pots.

We're building a deeper plant vocabulary.

We want to discover plants that make people stop and ask:

“What is that?”

But discovery alone isn't enough.

We want to know where it can live, how it will behave, how we can grow it, how we can source it and whether we can keep it thriving.

Because our job isn't simply to find beautiful plants.

It's to find the right plants — even when the right plant is something we've never worked with before.

If plants are a genuine obsession for you, we'd like to meet you.

Location: Mumbai

Work Mode: Full-time · On-site

Experience: Freshers + Experienced candidates

Industry: Horticulture · Plantscaping · Biophilic Design · Plant Research

Send your CV + portfolio / relevant work / plant work to:

[email protected]

Pravaa

Designed by nature, defined by intention.

📌 Horticulturist (Maharashtra)
🏢 Pravaa
📍 Maharashtra