🇱🇰 The flowers of Sri Lanka

39 pages from Sri Lanka: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 7 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.

Where this page comes from

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.

Flower experiences in Sri Lanka

All 1

🇱🇰 Kandy · All yearRoyal Botanical Gardens, PeradeniyaSri Lanka's great botanical garden in a loop of the Mahaweli river, known for orchids and palm avenues.

Cities and regions of Sri Lanka

Central Province 1 Colombo 1 Gampaha 1 Horton Plains National Park 1 North Central Province 1 Nuwara Eliya 1 Uva Province 1

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

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

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

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

Bush clockvineThunbergia erecta A tropical African shrub with velvety blue or purple flowers and yellow centers 🇬🇦 Gabon and 8 more · Garden flower

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

Foxtail orchidRhynchostylis retusa A long, hanging orchid with many pink-spotted white blooms 🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Wildflower

Common GorseUlex europaeus A tough, spiny yellow-flowered shrub of Western Europe 🇳🇿 New Zealand and 6 more · Flowering shrub

KadambaNeolamarckia cadamba A tropical tree with fragrant orange globe-shaped flowers from South and Southeast Asia 🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Flowering tree

Indian coral treeErythrina variegata A thorny tree with scarlet flowers, grown across Asia and the Pacific 🇧🇷 Brazil and 7 more · Flowering tree

Yellow Flame TreePeltophorum pterocarpum A tall tree with masses of golden yellow summer flowers 🇦🇺 Australia and 7 more · Flowering tree

Red water lilyNymphaea rubra A red-flowered water lily found in rivers and ponds of South and Southeast Asia 🇲🇲 Myanmar and 2 more · Water flower

Rhododendron arboreum A Himalayan rhododendron with clusters of red, pink, or white bell-shaped flowers 🇳🇵 Nepal and 7 more · Wildflower

Flame of the forestButea monosperma A tree with vivid orange-red flowers, sacred in Hindu and Buddhist traditions 🇮🇳 India and 7 more · Flowering tree

Golden showerCassia fistula A tree with long clusters of bright yellow flowers in late spring and early summer 🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Flowering tree

ChampakMagnolia champaca A tall tree with fragrant yellow to orange flowers, prized in South and Southeast Asia 🇲🇲 Myanmar and 7 more · Flowering tree

Scarlet jungleflameIxora coccinea A dense evergreen shrub with year-round scarlet flower clusters 🇮🇳 India and 6 more · Flowering shrub

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

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

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

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Champak: Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.), Public domain, source
Bael: Asit K. Ghosh Thaumaturgist, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Camellia: junichiro aoyama, CC BY 2.0, source
Indian coral tree: Yu-Ju Chang, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Flame lily: Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, source
Osbeckia octandra: Anuragl19, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Scarlet jungleflame: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Waterlily: Ragesoss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Water-lily family: Marie-Lan Nguyen, CC BY 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
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
Orange jasmine: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
Ceylon ironwood: Anand Osuri, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
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
Common Gorse: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
Kadamba: This work was made by Tushar Hossain and released under the license(s), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Yellow Flame Tree: Steve Fitzgerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Red water lily: Rl, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Rhododendron arboreum: Marcus334, CC BY 3.0, source
Flame of the forest: SumaTagadur 05:01, 28 March 2007 (UTC), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Golden shower: Delonix, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Bush clockvine: Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source