Witness the Nelu Flower Bloom happens once in 12 years!

Do you want to visit the ‘Nelu Flower Bloom,’ which happens once in 12 years?

Then visit Hortain Plains National Park of Sri Lanka, located in the highest mountainous region of the country.

Nelu is monocarpic, and the plants grow for many years; then, in specific cycles, they flower, seed once, and then die.

In Horton Plains specifically, there are about 8 species of Nelu, and 7 of them are endemic to the park, located in the coldest region of Sri Lanka.

The flowering cycle is every 12-14 years, and the last time it bloomed in Horton Plains was in 2013, before it reemerged in 2025.

Thousands of visitors flock to the park these days to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

When in bloom, large patches of the ground (forest undergrowth, grasslands, forest edges) become covered (“carpeted”) with flowers in colors like violet, blue, pink, white, and lemon yellow.

The Thotupola Kanda trail, around the Pattipola/Ohiya entrances, and near Baker’s Falls are some of the places where this once-in-12-year ‘flower bloom’ can be witnessed best.

Hurry and visit the place, as it will be over within a few weeks’ time.

Next it will be in 2037.