Peradeniya
Botanic Gardens,
botanical garden in Peradeniya, near Kandy, Sri Lanka, noted for its rich and
varied collections of tropical woody plants. Occupying 59 hectares (146 acres),
it has about 4,000 species of plants. The most important specimens of the
garden include palms, some of which are planted in impressive avenues. Significant,
too, are the collections of orchids, gymnosperms, and flowering trees.
The
gardens were founded in 1821 primarily to introduce coffee trees and various
other tropical plants of economic importance to the region. Even after it took
on a more botanical emphasis in the 1840s, the garden remained a center for
horticultural activities. Under the directorship of the botanist George H.K.
Thwaites, the garden played a pivotal role in establishing the country’s
flourishing tea industry in the late 1870s. Thwaites also brought in and
cultivated the Brazilian rubber tree, which became a crop producer vital to Sri
Lanka’s economy. The botanical collection has developed into one of the finest
in the region.
Great pics! We went there but dont have as many pics :-(
ReplyDeleteBtw...we loved the big fig tree!
http://www.tickingthebucketlist.com/2014/11/peradeniya-botanical-gardens-snapshot.html