Popham’s Arboretum is the only preserved arboretum in the dry zone of Sri Lanka and is located in Dambulla. Arboretums are made up of trees and shrubs that have been conserved and cultivated for study and research and are usually attended by many university students as well as school children. Popham’s Arboretums was founded in 1963 by the well-known British planter F. H. Sam Popham.

A typical semi-evergreen dry forest is made up of common aboriginal, ebony, lone, Magoza, vera, Milla, Siyambala, Velan and Ceylon ironwood. Wooden bridges built over small canals that are completely immersed in the beauty of nature and the endless flow of animals with the sounds of wildlife and birds and the smell of the surrounding good earth is simply a beautiful experience. The surrounding forests not only provide shade but also provided habitat for thousands of wildlife as well as local and foreign birds.

The specialty of visiting Arboretum is its ‘night safari’ or ‘night walk’ across the desert on the rare Loris Road. So if you are a lover of nature, going to this man-made forest is something you should never miss.