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Peradeniya is famous for the Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in Asia. It is situated in a slope of the Mahaweli river and attracts many visitors from Sri Lanka as well as from abroad.Another key attribute of this city is the University of Peradeniya which is the second oldest University in Sri Lanka. Its buildings are of mixed colonial and Indian style amongst the lush vegetation of the Sri Lankan hill country. The Department of Agriculture is also located here.

Cannonball tree Couroupita guianensis

Royal Botanical Garden, is renowned for its collection of a variety of orchids. It includes more than 4000 species of plants, including of orchids, spices, medicinal plants and palm trees. The total area of the botanical garden is 147 acres (0.59 km2), at 460 meters above sea level, and with a 200-day annual rainfall.

The best known attraction of the Gardens is the famous Orchid House, which house for more than 300 varieties of exquisite orchids from the rare indigenous Foxtail and Vesak orchids, to many natural and hybrid species which have made this one of the best known orchid centers of the world.

A colony of Indian flying foxes in Peradeniya Botanical Gardens near Kandy, Sri Lanka, was spread over 20 hectares and numbered 24,480 bats in September 2002.

Peradeniya possibly supports the largest aggregation of the Indian flying fox known currently.

The Royal Botanical

Gardens is a veritable

museum of endemic plants and is a facility

where many experiments are carried out. At the moment there are 6 scientists

included in the floriculture

research team. The botanists in

the gardens have explored

and documented the floral wealth

of Sri Lanka, and continue to

do so.

Peradeniya is the Royal Botanical Gardens which was the pleasure garden of the last King of  Kandy. The Peradeniya Garden is easily one of the best of its kind in the world. The many beautiful avenues will lead one to sections which provide a burst of tropical colour.

Palm Seeds

Pittosporum tobira

Melaleuca quinquenervia

Melaleuca trees, (Melaleuca quinquenervia), also known as punk trees or paperbark tea trees, are native to Australia. In that country, melaleuca is well-known, planted in parks, valued by beekeepers, attractive to birds and bats

Jatropha pandurifolia Andre

Melaleuca quinquenervia

In fact it is the largest bio-repository in Sri Lanka with over 148,000 specimens (all the plants found in Sri Lanka up to now are preserved as dried specimens in the Herbarium.

Cycas rumphii, female with seeds

Cycas rumphii, commonly known as queen sago or the queen sago palm, although palm-like in appearance, it is not a palm

Cycas rumphii,

The trunk of the cycad contains a starchy pith from which sago can be prepared by drying, grinding and washing.

Cycas rumphii,

The seeds contain a toxic glucoside, pakoein, but can be treated to become edible by pounding, repeated washing, and cooking. The bark, seeds and sap are used in poultices to treat sores

The trunk of this tree can produce very hard wood that can be used to make chopping boards. The wood can last over 100 years, particularly as termites and weevils do not eat this kind of wood. People always use this wood for creating the floors of their homes and love to sleep on it

Keerthi Devendra & Tembusu

The Tembusu (Fagraea fragrans)

The Tembusu (Fagraea fragrans)

The Tembusu (Fagraea fragrans)

Almost in the centre of the lawn stands yet another marvel of nature, the Giant Java Willow Tree right in the middle of this lawn. The hundred year old Giant Java Willow Tree, Ficus Benjamina, a large handsome tree indigenous to Malaysia, introduced to Sri Lanka in 1861 magnificently spreads over an area of over 2500 sq metres, which looks like a giant umbrella which has been spread over the lawn, where many lovers stop to share a moment or take photographs under its shady environs.

This is a large handsome tree indigenous to Malaysia and introduced to Sri Lanka in 1861.

The specimen here is over 100 years old and has spread over an area of about 2500 sq. meters

the Giant Java Willow Tree, Ficus Benjamina, is one of the major attractions of the Gardens, the tree spreading over an area of 2500 square metres. The tree is well known as the ‘Ibba Tree’ (tortoise tree) after the peculiar formation. It was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1861, and is also one of the oldest trees in the Gardens. Visitors are allowed to come near the tree, but it is not healthy for the tree when people stand and dance or hang by the branches doing Tarzan impressions.  There have been occasions when overenthusiastic visitors have actually broken branches.  The guards are of course vigilant and are quick to caution those who overstep limits, but they alone cannot do it.  

The fruits are medium and edible Some berries are so bitter that they are even worse than biting into a lemon.

Text : InternetPictures: Sanda Foişoreanu Nicoleta Leu InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Chamras Saewataporn - Flower