Saramsa Garden

Saramsa Garden, or Ipecac Garden, is a public garden near Ranipool in Pakyong district, Sikkim, on NH-717A, about 14 km from Gangtok and 12 km from Pakyong. The Sikkim Forest Department established it in 1922 to grow fruit such as pineapple, guava, oranges and lychee for the Palace and the British Political Officer.

From 1940 the department grew ipecacuanha here, a medicinal plant used for syrup of ipecac, brought from Malaysia; cultivation ended in 1970 but the old name has stayed. It was converted into an orchidarium in 1975, and most of the plants and trees seen today were introduced between then and 1980. It also serves as a recreational garden for picnickers, and in 2008 it hosted the International Floriculture Show, which drew 50,000 people on each of its three days.