 |
| Semmozhi Poonga | |
|---|---|
 Entrance of the park | |
 | |
| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Teynampet, Chennai, India |
| Coordinates | 13°03′09″N 80°15′04″E / 13.05238°N 80.25104°E |
| Area | 20 acres (8.1 hectares) |
| Created | 2010 |
| Operated by | Tamil Nadu Horticultural Development Agency (TANHODA) |
| Status | Open |
| Parking | Space for around 100 cars and 500 two-wheelers |
Semmozhi Poonga, variously spelled as Semmoli Poonga (literally translated to "Classical Language Park"), is a botanical garden in Chennai set up jointly by the Horticulture and Agricultural Engineering department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The garden was opened on 24 November 2010 by then chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and is the first botanical garden in the city.[1] The garden is located in the Cathedral Road–Anna Salai junction, opposite the American Consulate, on the erstwhile Drive-in Woodlands Hotel. Encompassing an area of 20 acres (320 grounds),[2] it was built at a cost of ₹ 80 million. More than 500 species of plants are being grown in the area, in addition to the 80 trees that were already in existence during the development of the park, some of them being more than 100 years old. The garden houses some of the popular exotic flora and rare plant species, medicinal and aromatic herbs. Many of the exotic plants are imported from countries like China and Thailand, including a plethora of bonsai varieties of ficus microcarpa and ficus ginseng.
- ^ Aishwarya, S. (12 April 2010). "City's first botanical garden nearing completion". The Hindu. Chennai. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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