The Forest Department has started a medicinal herb garden and nursery at Gene Pool in the Gudalur forest division.
More than 20 varieties of medicinal herbs are being grown at the Gene Pool which is managed by the department and an Eco-Development Committee (EDC). Forest officials said they were hoping to begin selling the plants to the public once the government permitted the EDCs to open. EDCs across the State had been closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alpinia galangal (Greater galangal), Acorus calamus (sweet flag), Andrographis paniculata (green chiretta), Vitex negundo (Chinese chaste-tree), Piper longum (long pepper), Syzigium jambos (rose-apple), Ruta graveolens (rue), Achyranthes aspera (devil’s horsewhip) and Eclipta prostrate (false daisy) are among the herbs being sold at the nursery.
“The herbs being grown in Gene Pool are all used in traditional medicine across Asia. Many of these plants are said to be used to fight ailments ranging from common cold and cough to more serious illnesses,” said a forest official from the Gudalur forest division.
Currently, more than 2,000 plants are being grown at the nursery in Gene Pool, with funds sanctioned by the Special Area Development Programme. The EDC also hosts a few green houses as well as an orchidarium and a fern house, where rare species of native plants are being grown and maintained.
District Forest Officer (Gudalur division), Sumesh Soman, said it was planned to sell the medicinal herbs to visitors of EDC once it was opened. “There are a lot of tourists from Kerala who visit the Nilgiris and travel via Gudalur. Based on demand, the herbs can also be sold to local communities,” said Mr. Soman. There were plans to set up a sales counter at Gene Pool shortly, he added.