Site of the Crimmins Nursery in the 1930s, the 3.5 acres of gardens at Heathcote Botanical Gardens are a peaceful retreat within the city of Fort Pierce, offering wandering pathways through a variety of themed plantings, with many whimsical mosaic benches on which to sit and relax.
Historic Spanish Point
At Spanish Point, scents hang heavy in the morning air: a moonflower in the act of closing for the day, the sweetness of citrus blossoms, the purple morning-glory clambering over mangroves, the brush of salt breezes.
Hollis Garden
A beauty spot along Lake Mirror in downtown Lakeland, Hollis Garden is a collection of themed garden rooms
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
In a tropical forest across the street from Fort Lauderdale Beach, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is the former estate of Chicago attorney Hugh Taylor Birch, stretching to the Intracoastal Waterway
Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens
For a surprising diversity of habitats and hilly terrain, the Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens is a hidden treasure for hikers and a bonanza for botanical delights
Joan M. Durante Community Park
A bayfront park on Longboat Key with boardwalks meandering through mangrove forests plus wide shell paths traversing a native upland hammock.
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
One of the most beautiful and complex gardens in Florida, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens sits beneath grand live oaks with more than a dozen themed gardens on 62 acres. Bamboo is their specialty, with Florida’s best collection of these tall grasses.
Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden
With boardwalks and natural footpaths winding amid curated collections against a backdrop of natural Florida Keys habitats, the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is a delightful natural destination.
Koreshan State Park
When Dr. Cyrus Teed founded a commune along the banks of the Estero River in 1894, he envisioned a utopia in the tropics. Koreshan State Park preserves that slice of history.
Maitland Art Center
Conceived in the Art Deco era and shaded by a canopy of ancient oaks, the Maitland Art Center is, in part, a fantasy of a Mayan temple with formal gardens around historic art studios.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Most notable for its collection of more than 6,000 orchids, Marie Selby Gardens are a must-see for those who love tropical plants, especially epiphtyes. The many specialized gardens range from a children’s garden play area to succulents and cycads to a banyan grove, mangrove walkway, and tropical fruit and medicinal gardens.
McKee Botanical Garden
Established as McKee Jungle Gardens by local legend Waldo E. Sexton in 1929 with the guidance of landscape architect William Lyman Phillips, this carefully designed tropical garden is a Florida gem