Calicut University Botanical Garden named as Kerala’s Second Biodiversity Heritage
Botanical Garden under the Department of Botany, University of Calicut. | Photo credit: special arrangement
The Botanical Garden under the Department of Botany at the University of Calicut has been named the second Biodiversity Heritage Site of Kerala through an official notification by the state government.
The status follows the efforts of former botany professor Santhosh Nambi, along with the National Biodiversity Council and the State Biodiversity Council, a press release said on Saturday (November 7, 2026). The first biodiversity heritage site in Kerala is the Ashramam Mangrove area near Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam.
An extensive collection of rare plants
The 19.5 acre garden houses an extensive 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, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and North Eastern States.
An additional 13.5 acres of natural greenery has been preserved in its original state, and large water reservoirs on the grounds help replenish groundwater in neighboring areas.
Tactile and olfactory demonstrations of plants
The garden was founded in 1968 under the leadership of prof. BK Naira and owes its heritage status to generations of faculty members who have built its plant collection. Today it serves botany students and researchers from all over India. It also features tactile and olfactory displays of plants for visually impaired visitors with Braille captions and audio guides.
Children can take advantage of a short walking trail through wooded areas, while paved paths connect different sections, greenhouses and ponds.
A new ₹3.6 crore research facility at the campus, the Interdisciplinary Center for Bioprospecting, funded jointly by the central and state governments under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, will work with the garden on plant conservation projects.
Published – 7 Nov 2026 07:00 IST