Cactus Garden

Panchkula, Haryana, India

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The Cactus Garden in Panchkula, officially renamed the National Cactus and Succulent Botanical Garden and Research Centre, is Asia’s largest outdoor landscaped cactus and succulent garden, spanning 7 acres (2.8 hectares) in Sector 5, Panchkula, Haryana, near Chandigarh.

Established in 1987 and named after visionary botanist Dr. J.S. Sarkaria, the garden was created to preserve and conserve rare, endangered, and extinct cactus and succulent species while also attracting tourists and researchers. It houses over 2,500–3,500 species of cacti and succulents, including the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of Indian succulents with the complete Genus Caralluma of Indian origin, and many species that are extremely rare or declared endangered.

The garden features three greenhouses, nine glass pavilions, landscaped outdoor displays, and showcases diverse cactus families like opuntias, agaves, ferocactus, echinocereus, and columnar cacti, many of which have medicinal value in Ayurveda and Unani traditions. An annual Cactus Show is held every March, drawing visitors from across the country, and the garden also offers various plants for sale.