🇱🇰 The flowers of Sri Lanka
25 pages from Sri Lanka: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 4 cities and regions.
Sri Lanka is home to over 3,200 species of flowering plants, with nearly a quarter found nowhere else. Its wet southwestern forests hold most of these endemics, including unique trees and orchids. The island’s flora stands out for its high diversity and concentration of rare species in a small area.
The plant life of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s plant life is shaped by its tropical climate and varied rainfall. The southwestern 'wet zone' receives heavy rain and supports dense forests rich in species, while the larger 'dry zone' in the north and east has less rainfall and fewer plant types. The island has remarkable plant diversity for its size, with over 3,200 flowering species in more than 1,000 genera. Endemism is high: about 23% of flowering plants are unique to Sri Lanka. Most of these rare species are found in the wet zone’s forests.
From region to region in Sri Lanka
Plant diversity is highest in the wet zone, which covers only a quarter of the island but contains nearly 90% of its flowering plants and almost all endemics. The dry zone, which makes up most of the land, has fewer species and less endemism. Mountainous areas and rainforests, such as Sinharaja and the Knuckles Range, are especially rich in unique plants, including rare orchids and ferns.
Flowers to know in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s flora includes many plants found nowhere else, such as almost all of its 55 dipterocarp tree species. The palm genus Loxococcus, with its single species Loxococcus rupicola, is unique to the island. New species continue to be discovered, like the orchid Gastrodia gunatillekeorum and the gesneriad Henckelia wijesundarae. The wet forests also shelter rare liverworts and a high number of endemic lichens.
Threats and protection in Sri Lanka
Most endemic flowering plants are restricted to the wet zone, making them vulnerable to habitat loss. Conservation is crucial, as the wet zone’s forests are home to nearly all the island’s rare species. New discoveries highlight the need for ongoing protection, especially in areas like Sinharaja and the Knuckles Range, where many unique plants and lichens have been found.
The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Wildlife of Sri Lanka", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
Cities and regions of Sri Lanka
Sacred lotusNelumbo nucifera
The pink aquatic flower sacred in Asia and grown for food, worship and beauty
🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Water flower
WaterlilyNymphaea
Floating aquatic flowers found in ponds and lakes worldwide
🇪🇬 Egypt and 7 more · Water flower
Water-lily familyNymphaeaceae
Floating aquatic plants with showy flowers and round leaves
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 2 more · Wildflower
BaelAegle marmelos
A spiny tree with fragrant yellow-green flowers and hard-shelled aromatic fruit
🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Flowering tree
Camellia
Evergreen shrubs and trees with showy blooms, best known for tea and garden flowers
🇨🇳 China and 6 more · Garden flower
LantanaLantana camara
A colourful shrub with clusters of small, changing flowers
🇧🇷 Brazil and 9 more · Flowering shrub
Mesua
Evergreen shrubs and small trees from tropical southern and southeast Asia
🇮🇳 India and 4 more · Flowering tree
Daffodil orchidIpsea speciosa
A rare bright yellow orchid of the hills in Sri Lanka and southern India
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 1 more · Wildflower
Freshwater mangroveBarringtonia acutangula
A riverside tree with long drooping white flower clusters
🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 8 more · Flowering tree
Osbeckia octandraහීන් බෝවිටියා
A pinkish-purple wildflower native to Sri Lanka, used in traditional medicine
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 1 more · Wildflower
MahuaMadhuca longifolia
A tropical tree with sweet edible flowers and oil-rich seeds
🇮🇳 India and 4 more · Flowering tree
Place
Hakgala Botanical Garden
A cool-climate garden with orchids and roses near Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
Nuwara Eliya, 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka · Botanical garden
Orange jasmineMurraya paniculata
A fragrant shrub or small tree with white flowers and orange-red berries
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Wildflower
Ceylon ironwoodMesua ferrea
A slow-growing tree with drooping red leaves and large white scented blooms
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 6 more · Flowering tree
Decoration
Gajra
A floral hair garland worn by women in South Asia for celebrations and daily wear
🇮🇳 India and 4 more · Garland or wreath
Hairy Water LilyNymphaea pubescens
A night-blooming water lily with softly hairy leaves and large pink or white flowers
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 7 more · Water flower
Decoration
Kolamகோலம்
South Indian geometric floor art made with rice flour or powder at home entrances
🇮🇳 India and 5 more · Carpet or floor pattern
Decoration
Loy Krathongลอยกระทง
The Thai festival of floating candle-lit baskets on water
🇹🇭 Thailand and 7 more · Custom, November
Yellow oleanderCascabela thevetia
A tropical shrub with funnel-shaped yellow flowers and toxic seeds
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 more · Flowering shrub
Flame lilyGloriosa superba
A striking red and yellow climbing flower, national emblem of Zimbabwe and Tamil Nadu
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe and 9 more · Wildflower
Decoration
Vesak
The Buddhist festival marking the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 7 more · Custom, Apr to Jun
Foxtail orchidRhynchostylis retusa
A long, hanging orchid with many pink-spotted white blooms
🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Wildflower
Arabian jasmineJasminum sambac
A small white jasmine with a strong, sweet scent, treasured in Asia for garlands and ceremonies
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering shrub
Decoration
Pūjā in Buddhism𑀧𑀽𑀚𑀸
A ritual offering and devotional act in Buddhist practice
🇮🇳 India and 3 more · Offering or rite
Dillenia suffruticosa
Large yellow-flowered shrub and national flower of Brunei
🇧🇳 Brunei and 3 more · Wildflower
Unscented dendrobiumDendrobium anosmum
A Southeast Asian orchid with large purple, raspberry-scented flowers
🇵🇭 Philippines and 3 more · Wildflower
Place
Henarathgoda Botanical Garden
A historic botanical garden known for its tropical plant collections and rubber trees
Colombo, 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka · Botanical garden
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Bael: Asit K. Ghosh Thaumaturgist, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Camellia: junichiro aoyama, CC BY 2.0, source
- Flame lily: Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, source
- Osbeckia octandra: Anuragl19, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Waterlily: Ragesoss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Water-lily family: Marie-Lan Nguyen, CC BY 2.5, source
- Pūjā in Buddhism: Luca Galuzzi ( Lucag ), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dillenia suffruticosa: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Unscented dendrobium: sunoochi, CC BY 2.0, source
- Henarathgoda Botanical Garden: L Manju, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mesua: Scott Zona, CC BY 2.0, source
- Daffodil orchid: Walter Hood Fitch (1817-1892) del. et lith. Description by Joseph Dalt, Public domain, source
- Freshwater mangrove: Nguyen Quang Tuan, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mahua: Nvvchar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hakgala Botanical Garden: Own work of Buddhika Mawella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Orange jasmine: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Ceylon ironwood: Anand Osuri, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gajra: Amarnath, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Hairy Water Lily: Bernard Loison, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Arabian jasmine: Taken by Fanghong, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lantana: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kolam: mckaysavage, CC BY 2.0, source
- Loy Krathong: John Shedrick, CC BY 2.0, source
- Vesak: ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ - เ, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sacred lotus: T.Voekler, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Foxtail orchid: Andri Suprihardi, CC BY 2.0, source
- Yellow oleander: Anshik Kumar Tiwari, CC BY-SA 4.0, source