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Situated in a loop of the Mahaweli River and 6 km west of Kandy, site of Peradeniya Botanical Gardens was a seat of power between 1371 and 1377, during the time of the itinerant capitals, however nothing remains from this period today. King Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1747-1780) created the garden as the Royal Pleasure garden and later came to live here. This garden cover some 60ha (150 acres) of trees, lawns and flowering shrubs, including a 20-ha (50-acre) arboretum of more than 10,000 trees.
In 1815 the British took Kandy under their control and prisoned the last king of the Country, King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe. Under British rule, the royal park became a botanical garden in 1821 and is the largest of Sri Lanka ‘s three main botanical gardens. Here, exotic crops such as coffee, tea, nutmeg, rubber and cinchona (quinine) – all of which later became important to Sri Lanka’s economy – were tested. Sights include a palm avenue planted by the British in 1905. Another British import was the enormous spreading Javafig (covering 1600 sq m) which sprawls across the lawn, grown from a sapling brought from the East Indies .
There are extensive well-kept lawns, an Orchid House containing an outstanding collection, an Octagon Conservatory, fernery, banks of giant bamboo from Burma and numerous flower borders with cannas, hibiscus, chrysanthemums, croton and colourful bougainvillaea. The tank has water plants including the giant water lily and papyrus reeds. You will also see exotic species, especially palms (Palmyra, talipot, royal, cabbage), Ficus elastica (latex-bearing fig or ‘Indian rubber tree’ with buttress roots), an amazing avenue of drunken-looking Cook’s Pines and some magnificent old specimen trees.
In the center of the gardens is an artificial lake in the shape of the island of Sri Lanka , beside which a white-domed rotunda commemorates George Gardner, superintendent of the gardens in the mid 19th century.
Opening Hours
| Open Days | all 365 days |
| Opening Hours | 7.30 AM – 6.00 PM |
| Ticketing Hours | 7.30 AM – 5.00 pm |
Tickets and Fees (2021 Update)
| Description | LKR |
|---|---|
| Local Adults | 100 |
| Local Children below 12 years | 20 |
| Foreign Adults | 2,000 |
| Foreign Children below 12 years | 1,000 |
| Electric Cars (4 seater) – 1 hour ride | 1,000 |
| Electric Cars (8 seater) – 1 hour ride | 2,000 |
| Paddle Boats (2 person) – 30 minute | 300 |
| Vehicle Parking fees | 50-250 |
Also See
- Attractions of Sri Lanka
- Heritage of Sri Lanka
- Waterfalls of Sri Lanka
- Nature and Wildlife of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Peradeniya Botanical Gardens
The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites
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Traveling Directions to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens
| Route from Colombo to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens | Route from Kandy to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens |
| Though : Kandy Road – Peradeniya distance : 115 km Travel time : 3.5-4 hours Driving directions : see on google map | Though : Peradeniya distance : 5 km Travel time : 10 minutes Driving directions : see on google map |
