Laid out in the year 1848, Botanical Gardens in Ooty is one of the prominent tourist attractions of India. Situated in the lower Doddabedda Peak, the garden is sprawling over an area of more than 22 acres of land. The entire region is under the maintenance of Tamil Nadu Horticultural Department.

The erstwhile garden which was formed to supply vegetables and fruits to royal residents of British who used to spend their summer vacation there, got a drastic transformation into a vast area of numerous varieties of plants and was opened as a public garden. The entire Botanical Garden is split into upper portion, the garden and the lower portion.

Botanical Garden is home to indigenous varieties of herbs, shrubs, ferns, bonsai and trees. It has taken almost ten years for the entire region to be set up and beautified into a full-fledged garden. The upper portion of the garden is set up at an elevation of 2250 meters above the sea level, with temperate climate and monsoon rains, Botanical garden is an ideal picnic spot to spend an entire day even.

Out of all the attractions, the most prominent of all is the fossil tree whose trunk is estimated to be 20 million years old. Uprooted from the National Fossil Park at Tiruvakkarai in South Arcot District of Tamil Nadu, the fossil tree is preserved in Botanical Gardens even today.

This is a classic example of polystrate fossil. Sections New Garden, Italian Garden, Public Conservatory, Nurseries, Terrace Gardens, Glass house Gardens are the other popular attractions of Botanical Gardens. Toda Mundi is yet another popular exhibit in the lower section of Botanical Garden, illustrating the house and the lifestyle of the tribal people of Nilgiris region , Todas.

Plan to spare a day to explore every section of Botanical Garden where the nature has stories to be told and retold forever and ever.