The garden was first created in 1821 for growing coffee and cinnamon but in 1843 was established as a botanical garden with plants brought from Kew Garden in London, as well as plants from Colombo and Kalutara.
It includes more than 4000 species including spices, medicinal plants and palm trees.
In fact, a couple asked us if we could take their picture here along the Avenue of Palms. It was a momentous occasion for them as they said they had taken the same picture 37 years earlier. Really would loved to have seen the comparison from then to now.
The garden is renowned for its collection of orchids.
And there is a Couroupita guianensis a/k/a Cannonball Tree planted by King George V and Queen Mary in 1901. Although I didn't see fruits on this one, there were others in the garden that were literally loaded.
Interestingly enough, it is grown for its ornamental aspect because of the lovely scented flowers and also has some medicinal benefits, but because the fruit has an unpleasant smell, it isnt eaten by humans but instead is left for wild animals to eat or fed to farm animals.
If you look at the tree above, you might think you are just seeing leaves, but there is another fascinating inhabitant of the gardens
These fruit bats a/k/a the Indian Flying Fox are one of the largest in the world and I find them completely amazing to watch.
As with all wild animals, its populations are threatened because of habitat destruction caused by urbanization and widening of roads. Thankfully, this colony is safe here in the Royal Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya.
Much more to share but will save it for another post.
Have a marvelous Monday.
17 comments:
Those bats are soooo cool!!!
It saddens me that so many wonderful creatures are threatened with extinction.
Our hedgehog is on the decline and we used to have bats flying up and down our road but no more.
I love the cannon ball tree, so funny.
Briony
x
How beautiful, Tammy. I love visiting places like this and wish I could do it more often. I too would have loved to see the comparison photo from that couple 37 years ago in the palms. How interesting for a lot of reasons. I'm trying to think of a place my husband and I have been that we could do that with someday, maybe the giant sequoias in California, which we visited in 2003. Not that the trees would look any different by then, but we will!
I think cannon ball tree is a fun name. Looks like an interesting place to spend the day.
xx Beca
Wow what a special place thanks for sharing with us. Bats are very cool we love to see them too
That looks like such a fun and interesting place to spend the day Tammy. I have never seen a fruit bat up close in the wild. I have seen them at a zoo, but I’m not sure how I feel about that. I love it when you take us along on these trips with you. They always sound so exotic to me. Blessings always, Betsy
Dearest Tammy,
So happy for you for having seen those Kalongs, flying foxes as we've observed them evening after evening in Indonesia from our patio as they returned to the huge Banyan Trees to hang there for the night!
It is such an exotic experience and it lifts you up.
Kalongs are just fruit eaters; not dangerous or biting at all.
What a lane of impressive palm trees, that can transition you to other atmospheres...
Hugs,
Mariette
What am amazing garden! Love the cannonball tree, the fruit really does look like old rusty cannonballs. And those bats are huge! What an incredible experience. We just have little brown bats here, no bigger than your hand really.
Wendy
Hello Tammy, I admire a very beautiful garden, it is a very different experience as well as watching the fascinating fruits of the very interesting dragons
A drink made from orchid in our country is famous, the name "salep" maybe you know it will drink a nice milky and very useful is the indispensable of the winter season, with the wish of the new week.. :)
Very nice post! Love the palm tree shot! Cool bats! Aloha!
My, what an interesting blog. I admire young women like you that have the guts to travel the world. You are so brave. Don't tell my daughter I said that . . . I'm such a worrywart when it comes to her adventures.
Lovely place to spend the day. The palm tree lane is amazing!
Wow! Just wow! I would love to visit here in real life, but sure enjoyed your sharing it, Tammy! thank you. blessings ~ tanna
The gardens are gorgeous, Tammy! Thank you for the tour! The canonball tree looks amazing. I've never heard of it before. That's a lot of bats hanging in the trees and I'm glad they have a safe place there.
xo Julia
What a beautiful garden. The orchids are so colourful and intricate. I learned about the Cannonball Tree - its fruits really do look like cannon balls.
Such a beautiful place Tammy. Thank you for taking us along.
The Avenue of Palms is so elegant. I am always amazed at the patience and planning of those who plant such features, knowing they are unlikely to see the finished product! I had never heard of a cannonball tree - very aptly named and thus easy to remember. How exciting to see the bats - I like bats - we are planning to install a bat box on our new property! Have a great week!
Post a Comment