In 1876 AD, the first seedlings of Brazilian rubber tree ever planted in Asia, grew and prospered in Henarathgoda Botanical Gardens. It is interesting to note that perhaps this single factor helped in the establishment and proliferation of the rubber industry in Southeast Asia. Several south east Asian countries are engaged in rubber trade and industry which contribute significantly to the exchequer of the country.

Henarathgoda Botanical Garden is located around thirty kilometers north-west of Colombo, near Gampaha off Colombo-Kandy road. The variety of trees in this botanical garden is simply mindbogglind and some of the trees are from far away places like Brazil. Every tropical tree has been represented, or rather trees are there from every corner of the tropical world. It is really something to see a tree from as far away place as Brazil, specially if the tree is something so unusual as the Para rubber tree. The scientific name for this tree is hevea brasiliensis. The garden is open every day but most beautiful during the monsoons as most of the trees are at their green best. In this context it is to be mentioned that in Sri Lanka there are rains at least twice a year, the long wet season helps the gardens to maintain the year round verdure.