Calicut University botanical garden named Keralam’s second biodiversity heritage site

The Botanical Garden under the Department of Botany at the University of Calicut. | Photo Credit: special arrangement The Botanical Garden under the Department of Botany at the University of Calicut has been named Keralam’s second biodiversity heritage site following an official gazette notification by the State government.The status follows efforts by former botany professor Santhosh Nambi, along with the National Biodiversity Board and the State Biodiversity Board, a press release said on Saturday (November 7, 2026). The first biodiversity heritage site in Keralam is the Ashramam Mangrove area near Ashtamudi Lake creek in Kollam.Vast collection of rare plantsSpread over 19.5 acres, the garden houses a vast collection of rare plants, including bryophytes, ferns, cacti, aquatic plants, wild ginger, wild bananas and medicinal herbs. The collection includes species from the Western Ghats, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the north-eastern States.A further 13.5 acres of natural greenery has been preserved in its original state, while large water reservoirs on the premises help recharge groundwater in neighbouring areas.Tactile and olfactory plant displays​Founded in 1968 under the leadership of Prof. B.K. Nair, the garden owes its heritage status to generations of faculty members who built up its plant collection. Today, it serves botany students and researchers from across India. It also features tactile and olfactory plant displays for visually impaired visitors, with Braille labels and audio guides.Children can use a short walking track through the wooded areas, while paved paths connect the different sections, greenhouses and ponds.A new ₹3.6-crore research facility on the campus, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioprospecting, funded jointly by the Central and State governments under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan scheme, will work with the garden on plant conservation projects. Published - November 07, 2026 07:00 am IST