Lalbagh Botanical Garden is a 240‑acre horticultural marvel housing India’s largest collection of tropical and sub‑tropical plants, with 1,854 species from places like Persia, Afghanistan, and France. Its most dramatic natural treasure is the centuries-old Kapok, White Silk-Cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra), a 200‑ to 300‑year‑old giant with a buttressed trunk reaching 25–30 meters tall. In spring, the Kapok blooms with huge orange‑scarlet flowers, and by mid‑June its dark‑green pods burst to spill fluffy white silk‑cotton that looks like cotton and feels like silk. The garden also features about 14 other giant silk‑cotton trees with massive girth and roots that form hollow spaces large enough for an adult to hide, alongside the Crystal Palace‑inspired Glass House, a 3‑billion‑year‑old rock, manicured flowerbeds, and a floral clock that changes design with each season.