The16 Most Beautiful Gardens You Can Visit in Florida
A dreamy Florida vacation typically conjures images of white sandy beaches and crystal clear blue water as far as the eye can see. But when it comes to tourist attractions in Florida, the Sunshine State's abundance of beautiful green botanical gardens may be just as alluring. After all, a quiet, relaxing stroll through a garden can be just as restorative as the ocean—and it's most certainly a feast for the eyes.
Florida's botanical gardens are teeming with landscape inspiration to enjoy on vacation and to take home with you, too—from tranquil water elements like serene reflecting pools and gentle waterfalls to plentiful beds filled with the prettiest flowering shrubs like camellias and azaleas, bougainvillea, and frangipani. Thanks to its warm, subtropical climate and a slew of serious horticulturalist residents who transplanted species from around the world during the 20th century, the state boasts a wide range of plant biodiversity, making Florida home to some of the most beautiful gardens in the world.
Today's generation of incredibly talented Floridian landscape designers and conservationists are dedicated to celebrating and protecting Florida's flora and fauna, as seen in gardens from the west coast of the state in Clearwater and Sarasota to Palm Beach and Miami on the east side. Here are 16 famous gardens in Florida, as well as some new discoveries, worthy of a detour from your next beach vacation.
The Kampong
Coconut Grove, Florida
One of five gardens that comprise the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the Kampong is the former estate of horticulturalist and explorer Dr. David Fairchild, who traveled throughout Southeast Asia and other tropical regions in search of exotic plants he could introduce in the United States.
Today, the gardens feature a wide array of tropical fruit cultivars, including more than 50 varieties of mango and flowering trees.
Don't miss: The palm collection includes species native to south Florida, such as the Royal Palm and Southeast Asian varieties like the Talipot.
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden
Coral Gables, Florida
Founded by Col. Robert H. Montgomery in 1938, Fairchild is named for Montgomery's friend and fellow tropical plant conservationist Dr. David Fairchild. Many plants still on display in the garden were collected by Dr. Fairchild, including a large African baobab tree. Another highlight that underscores the garden's conservation efforts: the Lin Lougheed Spiny Forest of Madagascar, which exhibits rare plants from the island country's endangered desert habitat.
Don't miss: The Lisa D. Anness Butterfly Garden exhibits plants (many of which are native to South Florida) that attract and sustain butterflies throughout their life cycles. Butterflies are most abundant here from May-October.
Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden
Delray Beach, Florida
This Palm Beach County museum features six distinct gardens designed by Hoichi Kurisu and inspired by significant gardens in Japan. Each of the six gardens also references six different periods in history, ranging from the 9th to the 20th century.
Don't miss: One of only three such collections in the world, the museum's collection of bonsai trees have been named a World Bonsai Friendship Federation (WBFF) Cooperation Center.
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
A creation of Chicago-born artist Frederic Clay Bartlett, this 1920s oceanfront estate is dedicated to historic and environmental conservation. The lush grounds uniquely boast five distinct ecosystems, including dunes, maritime forest, and wetlands. Discover a wide range of plantings—from tropical vegetation to arid plantings—as well as a hibiscus garden, and a special treat for orchid lovers awaits in the estate's Orchid Display House.
Don't miss: Example of Bartlett's work, as well as his wife Evelyn's, can be viewed in the main house. Look for wildlife such as migratory birds and even manatees in the canal.
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
Gainesville, Florida
Twenty-four distinct gardens, including Florida's largest public display of bamboo and the largest herb garden in the Southeast, comprise the 62-acre Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. In addition to bamboo, the gardens' signature plants include giant Victoria water lilies and Asian snake arums.
Don't miss: The Camellia Show is a two-day festival in early January during which prize-winning camellias of all sizes, shapes, and colors are on display (and some are for sale, as well).
Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
Jacksonville, Florida
The Cummer Museum was founded in 1961 after the death of Ninah Cummer, who bequeathed her art collections and historic gardens to the museum. Designed by famed landscape architects Thomas Meehan & Sons, Ellen Biddle Shipman, and the Olmstead Brothers, the more-than-100-year-old gardens remain largely intact, thanks to preservation efforts by the museum.
After the riverfront gardens sustained significant damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017, a massive reconstruction effort led by Athens, GA-based landscape architecture firm WLA Studio was completed in June 2019. The firm used historic records from the Cummer family archives—including plant logs, photos, and invoices—to preserve the historic character of the gardens.
Don't miss: The Italian Garden, designed in 1931 by Shipman, displays Cummer's collection of marble garden ornaments.
Bok Tower Gardens
Lake Wales, Florida
Open since 1929, Bok Tower Gardens was developed by publisher and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward W. Bok as a bird sanctuary. The gardens, which feature a combination of native and exotic plants that provide ample food for migrating birds, were designed by landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
Don't miss: The Singing Tower, a 205-foot Gothic Revival and Art Deco structure, houses a 60-bell carillon. The tower sits at the top of Iron Mountain, one of the highest elevations in Florida, and at the south end of a reflecting pool.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Miami, Florida
Villa Vizcaya, built between 1914 and 1922 by businessman and conservationist James Deering, is set on a 50-acre estate that features approximately 10 acres of formal Italian- and French-style gardens inspired by landscape design from the 17th and 18th centuries. Surrounding manicured spaces such as the maze garden is the native forest that Deering preserved.
Don't miss: The walled Secret Garden and the Theatre Garden both showcase the garden's abundance of architectural structures and antique sculptures.
Naples Botanical Garden
Naples, Florida
This 170-acre living museum, designed by celebrated landscape designers Ellin Goetz, Ted Flato, Raymond Jungles, Herb Schaal, Bob Truskowski and Made Wijaya, is dedicated to the cultivation and preservation of plants that grow between the 26th parallel north and the 26th parallel south. Among the variety of species on display are screw pine trees, orchids, bromeliads, bougainvillea, bamboo, and jackfruit trees.
Don't miss: Designed by landscape architect Bob Truskowski, the Kapnick Caribbean Garden features towering palms, tropical fruits and vegetables, many frangipani species, steel drums for playing, and hammocks for relaxing.
Harry P. Leu Gardens
Orlando, Florida
This 50-acre urban oasis on the grounds of Harry P. Leu's former estate features a mix of tropical and temperate plants ranging from azaleas and magnolias to cycads and bromeliads. Furthermore, art enthusiasts will enjoy permanent and rotating exhibits in the Gardens House Welcome Center.
Don't miss: The extensive collection of camellias features many that were brought to Florida by the Leus from their travels around the world.
Pan's Garden
Palm Beach, Florida
Established by the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, Pan's Garden seeks to celebrate and promote the growth of native Florida plants and the wildlife they support. Many of the species in the garden, which are incorporated into upland and wetland and designed to display their naturally occurring relationships to each other, are endangered. Pan's Garden also showcases seasonal native species to highlight possibilities for residential landscaping that would support Florida wildlife.
Don't miss: The garden's entrance features the 1890 bronze sculpture of Pan of Rohallion, for which the garden is named. The Casa Apava wall, a tile wall from the 1920s, was saved from a historic home on South Ocean Boulevard.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Sarasota, Florida
Tucked into 15 acres of lush tropical foliage on the grounds of the former home of Marie and William Selby, this botanical garden is best known for its preservation of epiphytes, nonparasitic plants that grow on other plants such as ferns, bromeliads, air plants, and many species of orchids. Its collection of gardens includes an epiphyte garden, complete with a waterfall and koi pond; a fern garden; a bamboo garden; grove of banyan trees; a bromeliad garden; a butterfly garden; and a children's rainforest garden.
Don't miss: The Selby Garden Shop sells plants, jewelry, and garden accessories in addition to custom orchid arrangements.
Sunken Gardens
St. Petersburg, Florida
For more than 100 years, Sunken Gardens has welcomed visitors to explore its collection of lushly planted tropical and native plants, making it one of Florida's oldest roadside attractions. Tucked in below sea level are cascading waterfalls, a Japanese garden, a cactus garden, and a butterfly garden.
Don't miss: A flock of Chilean flamingos have lived at Sunken Gardens since 1956. Turtles, koi, and exotic birds are among the other wildlife you can observe,
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
Tallahassee, Florida
Planted more than 100 years ago by Alfred B. and Louise Maclay on the grounds of their winter home, this Tallahassee garden attracts both outdoor and botany enthusiasts thanks to nature trails that meander through the massive live oaks; swimming, kayak, and stand-up paddleboard opportunities on Lake Hall; a secret garden, walled garden, and reflecting pool; and hundreds of camellias and azaleas.
Don't miss: The 1909 Maclay House is open for tours during the high blooming season from January through April.
McKee Botanical Garden
Vero Beach, Florida
The McKee Botanical Gardens, which first opened in 1932 as the McKee Jungle Gardens, features 10,000 native and tropical plants along with one of the largest collections of waterlilies in Florida. The gardens also feature several restored historic buildings on the site, including the Hall of Giants and the Spanish Kitchen.
Don't miss: While you're there, stroll the Children's Garden, the Bamboo Pavilion, and catch the annual Waterlily Celebration in June.
Mounts Botanical Garden
West Palm Beach, Florida
The largest public garden in Palm Beach County, Mounts Botanical Garden encompasses 14 acres and 25 distinct garden areas, which range from dry creek beds and pine groves to shade gardens and a verdant children's maze. Each space is intended to inspire and educate Palm Beach residents and visitors about the diverse possibilities for planting gardens in subtropical climates.
Don't miss: Windows on the Floating World is a series of open-gridded walkways over the wetland surfaces designed to create the experience of walking on water.
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