Biodiversity

Wayanad is a hotspot for biodiversity of the Western Ghats and is home to 5,000 species of flora and fauna. One can discover many spices and plants/herbs used in daily cooking and which grow abundantly in Wayanad. There are tea and coffee plantations, as well as cardamom, ginger and pepper. Wild turmeric, curry leaves, thulsi and many medical plants grow here.

The tribal communities extract the medicinal plants and non-timber forest products and have been doing so for centuries. They have their own medicinal treatment system.

An amazing variety of fruits grow in Wayanad, such as bananas, mangoes, jackfruits, avocados, pineapples, figs, guavas, gooseberries, custard apples and many more. Wayanad has its own varieties of rice such as the two famous strains, Gandhakasala and Jeerakasala.