Semmozhi Poonga, Chennai, Tamil Nadu India

Semmozhi Poonga literally translated to "Classical Language Park", is a botanical garden in Chennai set up by the horticulture department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The garden was opened on 24 November 2010 by then Cheif Minister of Tamil Nadu Kalaignar M.Karunanidhi. It is the first botanical garden of the city. The garden is located in the Cathedral Road–Anna Salai junction, opposite to the American Consulate.

     The botanical garden is built at a cost of 80 million, covering an area of 20 acres (320 grounds). More than 500 species of plants are being grown in the area, in addition to the 80 trees that was already in 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.

     The area in which the botanical garden stands today was formerly the location of the Woodlands Drive-In restaurant and the Agri-Horticultural Society.[3] The land was sub-leased to the Woodlands Hotel by the Agri-Horticultural Society in August 1989. Early in 1989, the Tamil Nadu Government had set in motion the closure of the restaurant. After almost two decades, the restaurant ended its operation on 12 April 2008. On 13 November 2009, the Supreme Court gave its consent to the state government to set up the garden.


     The arch near the entrance plaza is a vertical garden which is a unique feature of the botanical garden. The vertical garden, with an inbuilt irrigation and drain system for easy maintenance, is 22 feet long and 14 feet high intended to improve the scenic beauty of the park at the entrance. The arch is covered by 7,000 plants from 35 different species including dracena, lilies, ophiopogon, schefflera, phyllodendron and flowering plants like krishnagantha. The 10-feet-high green wall has plants raised in a poly trace imported from Canada. Micro-tube irrigation has been arranged for watering the plants. The plants cling to the 700-sq.ft. wall, which serves as the entry point.

A butterfly garden near the cascade fountains along the Anna flyover has been carved up into the shape of a butterfly, with flowering plants of more than 30 species completely fenced. The aroma garden acts as a welcoming greenhouse for winged visitors, with species like parijatham and pavalamalli found to flock the place in bulk. An amphitheatre with concrete benches and covered by ferns has been built on the rear side of garden to host social and cultural functions.