Tulip Garden opens to public in Palampur

Tulip Garden, developed by the CSIR–Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), Palampur, was formally opened to the public on Monday by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Dr OP Yadav.

Spread across the scenic premises of CSIR-IHBT, the garden showcases 50,000 tulip bulbs of six varieties, carefully cultivated under mid-Himalayan agro-climatic conditions. The colourful bloom is a testimony to the institute’s scientific expertise in bulbous ornamental crop research and floriculture technologies tailored for hill regions.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Dr Sudesh Kumar Yadav, Director, CSIR-IHBT, said that the garden represented a successful blend of science-led innovation, advanced horticultural research, farmer participation and public outreach. He described the initiative as a living laboratory that demonstrated the potential of ornamental horticulture as a sustainable livelihood option for farmers in Himalayan states.

The garden is expected to draw a large number of visitors from within Himachal Pradesh and other parts of the country, thereby promoting scientific tourism and environmental awareness. The popularity of the initiative continues to grow, as over one lakh visitors from across India visited the garden last year, making it one of the major seasonal attractions in the region.

Highlighting the institute’s national outreach, CSIR-IHBT has also supplied 22,000 tulip bulbs to the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) for public landscape displays in the national capital. This collaboration underscores the rising demand for high-quality, indigenously produced planting material and reflects the institute’s growing role in strengthening India’s ornamental horticulture sector.

In addition, the institute supplied 3,000 tulip bulbs to the Himachal Pradesh State Forest Department for the development of a tulip garden at Saurabh Van Vihar, Palampur, further extending the benefits of scientific floriculture to public green spaces in the state.

The Tulip Garden will remain open to visitors during the blooming season, offering residents, tourists, students, and nature lovers a unique opportunity to witness world-class floriculture nurtured through Indian scientific research.