Sri Lankan orchid

         Sri Lanka is home to over 170 species of orchids, 74 of them found nowhere else in the world. Some of the most precious orchids can be seen in the wild in the Sinharaja Rainforest and Horton Plains. The Royal Botanical Gardens, Paradeniya near Kandy is world famous for its Orchid House, where visitors can see more than 300 varieties of exquisite orchids, from the rare indigenous Foxtail and Vesak orchids, to many natural and hybrid species.

Orchid Vanda

Orchid Vanda

Orchid Vanda

Orchid Oncidium

Orchid Dendrobium

Orchid Dendrobium

Orchid Dendrobium

Orchid Phalaenopsis

 

Orchid endemic

Flowers in Sri Lanka - Haggala Botanical Gardens

         Hakgala Botanical Garden is one of the four botanical gardens in Sri Lanka. The other three are Peradeniya Botanical Garden, Henarathgoda Botanical Garden and Mirijjawila Botanical Garden, Hakgala Botanical Garden is second largest botanical garden in Sri Lanka, Haggala Botanical Gardens is picturesquely situated in the hill country, a mere 16 kilometers away from the city of Nuwara Eliya. The comfortable cool weather that prevails throughout the year compliments the exotic flora and fauna, creating a true paradise.

History

        The garden was established in 1861 as an experimental cultivation of Cinchona, a commercial crop thriving at the time. Once after the Tea replaced the Cinchona, it was turned into an experimental Tea cultivation. In 1884 it transformed to a garden. Since then many sub tropical and some temperate plants were planted in the gardens.