Established on 1st August, 1956 with jurisdiction of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh encompassing four biogeographic zones viz. the Trans Himalaya, the Western Himalaya, the Gangetic plains and the semi arid with a vast array of climatic conditions ranging from more or less hot desert to cold desert regions. The Centre has three associated gardens at Dehradun, Pauri (Nag Dev) and Khirsu.