Earlier this year, we embarked on a whirlwind world tour. We visited 5 countries with 8 different stops and took 14 flights in 3 weeks. Our travels landed us in Miami on the USA federal election day. Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens has been on my bucket list of gardens to visit for quite some time, so it was a must to make our way there during our stay.
The weather did not disappoint either, with Miami serving up steamy, sultry tropical weather for our stay… so much so that we only managed to fit in 1.5 hours at the gardens, especially with a 1 year old in tow!
Upon visiting the gardens, there is a visitor centre at the entrance. Many friendly and helpful staff are ready to answer enquiries. They also provide directions on arrival. There was also a tram service. A tram tour of the full gardens was available, although it wasn’t running the day we were there. The staff driving the tram whisked us quickly from the visitor centre to the butterfly house. It was an absolute treat for us and our 1-year-old loved it.
Near the butterfly house are several of the gardens conservatories, with some rare, fascinating, and beautiful plants along with an incredible glass sculpture by the renowned glass artist, Dale Chihuly. His sculptures are dotted around the gardens.
Despite not technically being in the tropics (it’s not far though!), Miami has quite a monsoonal, humid tropical climate which is probably analogous to Cairns in Australia. A lot of things that I grow back home in my garden in Brisbane and I would categorise with a ‘meh’, grow wondrously large and resplendent in this climate. A prime example is Cordyline fruticosa ‘Lilinoe’, which is nice in Brisbane but does so much better in the tropics. Indeed, the profusion of foliage at Fairchild Tropical Gardens is something of a marvel.
The garden has a stunning collection of palms, some of which I have never seen before. Miami is landscaped with palms en masse, and in my opinion is a ‘must visit’ city for palm enthusiasts.
There are some very naturalistic parts of the garden too, reminiscent of a tropical rainforest or jungle. The sound of relaxing streams meandering through the overgrowth adds to the ambiance. Water features heavily throughout the garden, and there are several ponds filled with tropical waterlilies, including the incredible larger-than-life Victoria amazonica.
The gardens are truly stunning and a must for tropical plant enthusiasts visiting Florida. The landscape has been developed, planned, and meticulously maintained over a very long period of time and is a fine example of landscaping with tropical plants; a true ‘ordered jungle’, to use the terminology of the late Made Wijaya (AKA Michael White).
I could not leave the gardens without a souvenir from the gift shop, purchasing a copy of “101 Gardens You Need to Visit Before You Die” by Stefanie Waldeck. Of course, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens is featured in the book!
Zacaconia Tropical Gardens 