Historical Ancient Trees in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an evergreen country full of lush vegetation with lots of trees and shrubs. It is well endowed with Mother Nature’s blessings to be rich in amazing flora and fauna. The whole island is a green mass of land, where the plant life is prosperous and vibrant with all hues of green colour.

Out of these amazing flora in the country, there are some ancient trees more than thousands or centuries of years old. They have withstood all-natural phenomena over these years and survived until now showing their ability to overcome any hardships.

Here we are going to show you a few of these amazing ancient trees in the country, worthy to see during your visit to Sri Lanka.

1. Jaya Sri Mahabodhi Tree

Jaya Sri Mahabodhi Tree (Ficus religiosa) stands at Mahamevna Gardens in the sacred city of Anuradhapura. This is the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world, which is more than 2500 years old. This branch bought to Sri Lanka from the Bodhi tree at Buddha Gaya in North India, where Lord Buddha attained his enlightenment.

As the closest living link to the Lord Buddha, Jaya Sri Mahabodhi is deeply revered and worshipped as a holy tree by Sri Lankan Buddhists.

World’s Oldest Human-Planted Tree

What is so special about the Jaya Sri Mahabodhi Tree? It is the oldest human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date and history. It was brought to Sri Lanka by Indian emperor Asoka’s daughter, Sanghamitta Maha Theri. She carried a sapling from the southern branch of the original sacred Bodhi Tree in Buddha Gaya. It was ceremonially planted in Anuradhapura Royal Park in Mahamewna by King Devanampiya Tissa in 288 BC. Since that time, this great tree has been cared for and protected by Sri Lankan Kings.

There is a gold-painted fence for the protection of the Bodhi tree. Several surrounding younger Bodhi trees protect the great Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi from storms and winds. Moreover, water canals have built around the trees to avoid excess watering to the tree. Buddhists make offerings and wish their vows at the foot of this sacred Bodhi Tree.

If you are visiting Anuradhapura, remember to see this oldest surviving tree in the world that withstands over 2500 years at Mahamevna Park.

2. Baobab Tree

The Baobab Tree in Mannar is a fascinating tree with a long history. It isn’t an indigenous tree to Sri Lanka and it is believed as brought here by Arabian traders in 1277. The oldest and the largest baobab tree at Pallimunei is said to be about 800 years old. This is an amazing ancient tree in Sri Lanka, completely worthy of a visit.

This tree is quite popular due to its extraordinary shape, size, and age. The distinct feature of this gigantic tree is its massive trunk with a higher circumference than its height. The circumference of the tree is around 20 meters and its height is 10.5 meters. It looks like an upside-down tree because its branches look like roots. It is an interesting monstrous tree with a shapeless trunk and a rough bark that resembles the skin of an elephant. Therefore it is called Ali Gaha or Elephant Tree by the locals.

This Baobab tree is located at the northeastern tip of Mannar Island, approximately 1 km away from the main town in Pallimunei. The Baobab tree has adapted to the arid climate of Mannar very well. In the wet months, water is collected in its thick, corky trunk to be used during the dry months. It can survive in dry arid Mannar using this stored water.

There are about 40 Baobab trees are surviving in Sri Lanka, out of which 34 planted in Mannar. Most of these trees are 300-400 years old. Although it is not an indigenous tree to Sri Lanka, it is a protected variety that gives an amazing view to visitors. If you are visiting Mannar, remember to visit this famous Baobab tree on the island.

3. Breadfruit Tree

Another ancient tree in Sri Lanka is the Breadfruit tree in Galle Dutch Fort. Are you thinking about what’s so special in a breadfruit tree? But the one at Galle Fort is the very first of its kind on the island. This oldest breadfruit tree (Artocarpus incisisus) was bought in Sri Lanka by Dutch people around 300 years ago. Now it has grown all over the place into a giant breadfruit tree and fruits are flowering in the tree. Breadfruits are used to make the delicious Breadfruit curry which is a famous vegan dish in Sri Lanka.

This tree locates in Akersloot Bastion, closer to the Old Dutch Hospital in Galle Fort. The Old Dutch Hospital building is one of the ancient buildings in the Fort.  Now it has developed into a shopping and dining complex. If you are visiting Galle, this centuries-old historical Breadfruit tree dating back to the Dutch colonial era is a marvelous sight to witness inside the Fort.

4. Jiant Java Fig Tree

Just 5 km outside of Kandy city, the stunning Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden is the best place to see all kinds of amazing trees and plants in Sri Lanka. It is the largest Botanical Garden in the Country, which is 147 acres and home to 4000 different species of plants. Out of them, some trees are more than a century old and remember to have a look at them, while visiting the garden.

One of the most ancient trees in Sri Lanka is the giant Java Fig tree (Ficus benjamina). This is a tree indigenous to Malaysia and introduced to Sri Lanka in 1861. This huge tree stands at the centre of the great lawn, looking like a giant umbrella from the distance. It has spread over an area of about 2420 sq. meters. It has widely spread branches and a giant canopy, where its huge intertwined branches are an amazing sight to witness.

Many visitors spend much of their time under this giant tree, shaded by the large canopy. It is an ideal spot for a picnic or to have lunch, while taking a break from the journey. The cool, shady environment under the tree is a nice place to enjoy the surrounding scenery. It’s important to protect this wonderful tree for future generations while enjoying and playing around it.

5. Cannon Ball Tree

The astonishing Cannonball Tree (Couroupita guianensis) in Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens is another amazing tree worthy to see. A cannonball tree was planted in the garden to commemorate the visit by England’s King George V to Sri Lanka in 1901.  This century-old tree has now grown into a huge one, about 15 m tall and a girth of about 1 m.

There are snake-like aerial roots in the trunk of the tree and it produces sweetly scented beautiful flowers. Among this tangle of vines and bunches of flowers, there are clusters of Cannonball fruit. It has got this name because its fruits are large and spherical measuring about 15-20 cm in diameter. They are very heavy and these fruits aren’t edible.

6. Opanayaka Yoda Puswela

A large Pus Wela or giant woody vine (Liana) can be seen near Hunuwila, Opanayake between Pelmadulla and Balangoda. This woody creeper belonged to the species Entada rheedii, an endemic plant species growing in the wet zone and the lower hills.

This plant is among the ancient trees in Sri Lanka. This giant creeper is believed to be at least 400 years old. This is one of the biggest of this plant variety in the country where the circumference of the plant was measured as 168 cm.

This huge creeper is located near the Wey Ganga, a tributary of the Kalu River. You can see the bigger part of the vine on the left bank. A part of it goes over the river to the other side and stretches out over four acres in the forest canopy.

7. Tamarind Tree in Kebiliththa

The Tamarind Tree in Kebiliththa is among the most ancient trees in Sri Lanka. This tamarind tree is about 9 feet high and located in a small plot of land which is clean and clear. It is considered a sacred place and is well known as “Siyambalawa Devalaya”. This is a pilgrimage destination for both Buddhists and Hindus and remains as a historical secret place that has a legacy of the distant past.

According to the legends, God Katharagama or Skanda Kumara meditates and occupies this ancient tree of Kabiliththa Devalaya. People visit this place throughout the year to get blessings from God. Devotees perform pujas around the roots of this ancient tamarind tree.   

It is located in Zone No. 02 belonging to the Yala National Forest Reserve. Since it is situated in the heart of Yala National Park, the route is placed along the thick jungle. Hence visiting this place isn’t an easy ride for anyone. This extremely difficult drive requires a four-wheel drive vehicle with mechanical skills.

8. First Tea Plant

The tea tree is not a plant native to Sri Lanka and it was introduced in 1839 from India by Dr. Wallich. He brought tea seeds from Assam and planted them in the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens.

James Taylor who was born in Scotland came to Ceylon in 1852 and first started tea cultivation. In 1867, he took steps to plant tea seeds obtained from the Peradeniya Botanical Garden in Lulkandura Estate. Thus, the first tea plant in Sri Lanka is located at Lulkandura Estate in Kandy.

This estate has a historical value as it marks the beginning of tea cultivation in Sri Lanka. James Taylor was able to send the first shipment of Ceylon tea to the London auction in 1875. The very first tree he planted in the estate is still there and it is more than 150 years old.

To sum up, here we have bought a brief guide about the ancient trees in Sri Lanka, which have a well-documented history and are worthy to see while visiting the island. It’s fascinating to think about how these trees have survived these long years facing all climatic hardships. We hope they will flourish for a long time for future generations.

Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Love Sri Lanka, Time Out, and Mongabay. All copyrights reserved by original authors.