Uttarakhand develops biggest palmetum in north India

The first palmetum of Uttarakhand and the biggest in north India has been developed by the research wing of the state forest department in Haldwani.

Spread over three acres, the palmetum funded by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has around 100 different species of palms, Chief Conservator of Forest Sanjiv Chaturvedi said on Sunday.

Around 20 species of palm at the palmetum are endangered or threatened, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list.

Of the total number of palm species at the palmetum, one named Trachycarpus takil (Takil Palm) is endemic to Uttarakhand.

It is the only palm species that can survive in sub-zero temperatures and is declared threatened by the Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board, Chaturvedi said.