The History
The history of the Peradeniya Royal botanical gardens dates as far back as 1371, during the reign of King Wickramabahu the 3rd from 1747 to 1780.This was made Royal Garden during the reign of King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe and King Rajadhi Rajasinghe temporarily who resided here during 1780 to 1798.
Thereafter the ground of the present Botanical Garden was formed by Mr. Alexander Moon in the 1821 six years after the final conquest of the Kandyan Kingdom. During Moon’s superintendence, the opening of the Royal Botanical Gardens Peradeniya garden was cleared an opened in the year 1843 bringing plants from the Kew garden from slave island (Colombo) and from Kaluthara Garden and mostly planted Cinnamon and Coffee. Mr George Gardner, Dr. G H K Thwaites, Dr. Henry Trimen, Sir Joseph D Hooker, Dr. J C Wills, Mr H F McMillan , Mr D M C Jayawera, Mr. D T Ekenayake, Mr D B Sumithraachchi improved the condition of the Botanical gardens tremendously.
About
Peradeniya Botanical gardens covers an extent of 147 acres (59 Hectares), have a collection of cultivated species over 4000 and gets two million visitors each year. It is considered to be the second largest Botanical garden in the south Asia. There are avenues such as Cook’s pine avenue, Palmyra palm Avenue, Cabbage palm Avenue, and Double Coconut Avenue. In 1901, King George v of the United Kingdom and queen Mary, planted a Cannonball Tree in the garden premises, Lord Mountbatten the Supreme commander of the allied forces in the South Asia during the World War II, used Perdeniya Royal Botanical gardens as the Head Quarters of the South East Asia command. In addition, it has been a film location for local and international films and had been a location for the famous film “The Bridge on the River Kwai in 1957.
Orchid house and Gardens
In the Orchid House, it displays of exotic blooms of Catteleya, Dendrouim, Arachinis,Oncidium,Phalaenopsis, Vanda and their hybids. some hardy tropical orchids including the largest orchid in the world (Grammatophyllum speciosum) and the Green orchid ( Coelogyne meyeriana) seen near the Orchid House.
Flower garden
Flower garden laid out with beds of flowering annuals and perennials. There is a collection of shade loving plants and the most striking feature here is the ribbon border of variety of Coleus along the paths, and the flower garden is near the Orchid House.
Fernery
Another beautiful landscape shaded by lofty trees draped with climbing creepers. Collection of about Hundred indigenous and exotic species of ferns.
Great Lawn
Great Lawn is near the monument road and along the Cook’s Pine (Araucaria columnaris) avenue. In the centre of the great Lawn occupies a great Java Willow or Java Fig Tree (Ficus benjamina) is a unique feature to this Great Lawn. It is a nice place for a picnic with kids.
The lake
The Lake in the Peradeniya Botanical garden situated in the south drive to the left of the main entrance. This Lake is done in the shape of Sri Lanka and covered with different varieties of Water Lilies (Nympaea sp)
Spice Garden
The Spice Garden situated on the right side of the main entrance. There are some of the old Nutmeg Trees planted in 1840 is still in full bearing. Cinnamon, Cardamom, Pepper, all Spices tree (Pimentra dioica) By Leaves (Pimentra racemose) and other spice varieties are grown in this spice Garden.
Double coconut palms
Among the 200 species of Palms in the Garden, the most remarkable is the Double Coconut (Lodoicea maldivica) from the Seychelles. The largest seed in the plant kingdom produced by the Double Coconut and the fruit takes five years to mature.
Palm Avenues
The Cabbage Palm (Roystonia orleace) avenue, Palmyrah Palm( Borassus flabellifer) avenue, the Royal Palm (Rosytonia regia) avenue, are three magnificent avenues in the Peradeniya Botanical gardens which all visitors enjoy and a great place for a great camera click.
Pant house & Cacti
Near the Orchid House small Plant house and the Cactus house is situated. A variety of house plants such as African violet, Episcia, Dieffenbachi,Clathea, Philodendron,Bromelia and Anthuriums and a collection of xerophytic cacti and succulents such as aloes, Agaves,Opuntia, Cereus,rebutia, Rhipsalis etc..) Plants over 800 species are exhibited in the Cactus House.
Bamboo Collection
The Giant Bamboo of Burma (Dendrocalamus giganteus) known as the world’s largest bamboo, Yellow Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) The Feather Leaved Bamboo (Dendrocalamus membranaceus) the Prickly Bamboo (Bambusa spinosa) and the Dwarf Chinese Bamboos Collection are along the river drive.
The Objectives of the Botanical garden
- Carry activities related to authentication, ethnobotany and ex-situ conservation of plants.
- Develop technologies related to exploitation of lesser known and under- utilized plants.
- Management and development of Botanical gardens, National Herbarium and allied units.
- Disseminate information on plants and related subjects.
- Provide educational opportunities on plants to public, schoolchildren and others.
- Development of floriculture and amenity horticulture.