The foundation of Ooty Botanical Garden was laid down in the year 1848 and was designed so as to have a terraced terrain. The slopes of the hill lie at an ascent of 2500 metres above mean sea level, as a result of which the garden enjoys a temperate climate ideal for a number of plants and shrubs to grow. The Botanical garden in Ooty is home to many rare species of trees, chief among them being the cork tree, the only one of its kind in India. The paperbark tree, the monkey puzzle tree and an old fossilized tree estimated to be 20 million years old round out the other rare species. The monkey puzzle tree has been named so because even monkeys fail to climb it. In addition to these, a number of exotic and indigenous vegetation of plants, shrubs, ferns, trees, herbal and bonsai plants are found here as well.