The recently inaugurated Rhododendron Park in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh got 300 species of rhododendrons on Monday.
The news species were planted with the support of the TMES group and faculty members of Tawang Government College.
Species like R arboreum, R fulgens, R nerifolium, R campanulatum, R hookeri, and R hodgsonii were among some of the species planted.
The Divisonal Forest Officer (DFO) Abdul Qayum said that the divisional forest office had been waiting for the right time to carry out the plantation in the park, “which would prove to be an effective means of both ex-situ and in-situ conservation, and serve as an important tourist attraction.”
Hilly Tawang is home to over 60 varying species and sub-species of rhododendrons (means ‘Rose flower’). Many of them are vulnerable, and some are on the verge of extinction.
The Divisional Forest Office informed that proper scientific study is needed to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan. The park also needs a suitable infrastructure to turn it into a potential tourist destination.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu laid the foundation stone for the park on February 6.