Landscape Division

University of Peradeniya

Plants of Peradeniya

University of Peradeniya is famous for its flowers and plants. One should visit during the flowering season (March-April) to experience the true beauty of the University park. Everyday the University is visited by a large number of visitors to see how the tradition rich buildings blend harmoniously with the magnificent open glades planted with foliage, fruit and flowering trees. The selection of the plants used in landscaping has been done with great care to make sure that flowers will be plentiful throughout the year. So, regardless of the time of the year you visit the University, you will be always greeted by flower filled plants. The main plants used in the landscaping of University park are listed below.

Amherstia nobilis Wall.

Fabaceae

Common name: Pride of Burma

Native range: Myanmar, Thailand

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-drained, moist, loamy soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Evergreen tree, grows up to 10-15 m

Flowering: Throughout the year

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers, foliage and fruits

Landscape Uses: Ornamental shade tree in parks & gardens

Jacaranda mimosifolia D.Don

Bignoniaceae

Common name: Jacaranda

Native range: Northwest Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well drained, sandy soil with moderate soil moisture

Light: Full sun

Habit: Evergreen tree, grows up to 8-15 m

Flowering: March-April

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Ornamental tree in parks & gardens, roadside tree

Handroanthus serratifolius (Vahl) S.O.Grose

Bignoniaceae

Common name: Yellow Trumpet tree

Native range: Tropical South America

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-drained, medium loamy, moist soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows up to 6-15 m

Flowering: March-April

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Ornamental tree in parks & gardens

Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos

Bignoniaceae

Common name: Pink Trumpet Tree

Native range: Central & Tropical South America

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-drained, medium loamy, moist soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows up to 11 m

Flowering: March-April

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Ornamental tree in parks & gardens

Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) DC.

Bignoniaceae

Common name: Rosy Trumpet Tree

Native range: Central America

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-drained, sandy loamy, moist soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows >30 m

Flowering: March-April & August-September

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Roadside tree, ornamental tree in parks & gardens

Dolichandra unguis-cati (L.) L.G.Lohmann

Bignoniaceae

Common name: Cat Claw

Native range: Central & South America

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-drained, moist soil

Light: Full sun to semi-shade

Habit: Liana

Flowering: Late March

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Ornamental plant in Parks & gardens, green walls

Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers.

Lythraceae

Common name: Pride of India

Native range: Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia

Climate: Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Soil: Alluvial loamy, moist soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows 6-15 m

Flowering: April-June

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Roadside tree, General/ ornamental tree in parks & gardens

Ficus benjamina L.

Moraceae

Common name: Weeping Fig

Native range: Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, Australia, Southwestern Pacific

Climate: Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Soil: Well-drained. fertile, moist soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Evergreen tree, grows >20 m

Desirable features: Ornamental fruits

Landscape Uses: Shade tree in parks & gardens

Mesua ferrea L.

Calophyllaceae

Common name: Ceylon Ironwood

Native range: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam

Climate: Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Soil: Well-drained, fertile, deep, clay soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Evergreen tree, grows up to 30 m

Flowering: April-June

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers and foliage

Landscape Uses: Shade/ornamental tree, roadside tree

Magnolia pterocarpa Roxb.

Magnoliaceae

Common name: Evergreen Magnolia

Native range: Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, Nepal, West Himalaya

Climate: Tropical, Sub-Tropical

Soil: Sandy loam, moist soil

Light: Full sun to half shade

Habit: Evergreen tree, grows to about 12-18 m

Flowering: April-

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Landscape tree

Saraca asoca (Roxb.) W.J.de Wilde

Fabaceae

Common name: Ashoka Tree

Native range: Jawa, Laos, Malaya, Myanmar, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam

Climate: Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Soil: Well-drained soil, moist soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Evergreen tree, up to 10 m

Flowering: February-April

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Roadside tree, ornamental tree in parks & gardens

Brownea grandiceps Jacq.

Fabaceae

Common name: Rose of the Jungle

Native range: Brazil North, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-drained soil, moist soil

Light: Semi-shade to full sun

Habit: Evergreen tree, up to 7 m

Flowering:

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Ornamental tree in parks & gardens

Araucaria columnaris (G.Forst.) Hook.

Araucariaceae

Common name: New Caledonia Pine

Native range: New Caledonia

Climate: Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal, Temperate

Soil: Well-drained, fertile clay, sandy, loamy soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Evergreen tree, up to 30 m

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Avenue tree, focal plant

Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC.) Backer ex K.Heyne

Fabaceae

Common name: Flame Tree

Native range: Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malesia to northern Australia

Climate: Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Soil: Fertile loamy, well-drained soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows to about 9-12 m

Flowering: March-May

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Roadside tree, shade tree

Cassia fistula L.

Fabaceae

Common name: Golden Shower Tree

Native range: Southeast Asia, Myanmar

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-drained, sandy, loamy soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows to about 8-10 m

Flowering: May-August

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Roadside tree, ornamental tree

Delonix regia (Bojer ex Hook.) Raf.

Fabaceae

Common name: Flame of the forest

Native range: Madagazcar

Climate: Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal

Soil: Clay, loamy, sandy, moist soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows to about 12-18 m

Flowering: May-June

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Roadside tree, parks & gardens

Congea velutina Wight

Lamiaceae

Common name: Velvet Congea

Native range: Malaya, Myanmar, Sumatera, Thailand

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-Drained Soils

Light: Full sun

Habit: Vine

Flowering: January-April

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Ornamental vine in parks & gardens

Congea tomentosa Roxb.

Lamiaceae

Common name: White Congea

Native range: Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, India, Laos, Myanmar

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-Drained Soils

Light: Full sun

Habit: Vine

Flowering: January-April

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Ornamental vine in parks & gardens

Petrea volubilis L.

Verbanaceae

Common name: Purple Wreath

Native range: Central & Tropical South America

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-drained, loamy soil

Light: Full sun to semi shade

Habit: Vine

Desirable features: Ornamental foliage

Landscape Uses: Ornamental vine in parks & gardens

Plumeria rubra L.

Apocynaceae

Common name: Frangipani

Native range: Tropical Americas

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-Drained Soils

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows to about 8-10 m

Flowering: May-October

Desirable features: Ornamental/fragrant flowers

Landscape Uses: Roadside tree, parks & gardens

Plumeria obtusa L.

Apocynaceae

Common name: Temple Tree

Native range: Central America, Caribbean islands

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-Drained Soils

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows to about 5-12 m

Flowering: May-October

Desirable features: Ornamental/fragrant flowers

Landscape Uses: Roadside tree, parks & gardens

Phanera kockiana (Korth.) Benth.

Fabaceae

Common name: Kock's Bauhinia

Native range: Borneo, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Sulawesi, Sumatera

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-Drained Soils

Light: Full sun

Habit: Liana

Flowering: Year-round

Desirable features: Ornamental/fragrant flowers

Landscape Uses: Parks & gardens

Roystonea regia (Kunth) O.F.Cook

Arecaceae

Common name: Royal palm

Native range: Central America and Caribbean

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Well-drained, moist soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows to about 15-25 m

Flowering: Through out the year

Desirable features: Ornamental foliage

Landscape Uses: Roadside/Avenue tree

Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr.

Fabaceae

Common name: Monkey Pod Tree

Native range: Central America & Northern tropical South America

Climate: Tropical

Soil: Loamy, moist soil

Light: Full sun

Habit: Deciduous tree, grows to about 20-30 m

Flowering: March-May; end of the year

Desirable features: Ornamental flowers

Landscape Uses: Roadside/Avenue tree, Shade tree in gardens

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