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Edison Home Fort Myers

Gardens in Florida

Named for the bounty of its flora, Florida is the best place in the United States to visit public gardens and botanical gardens


It’s our tropical and temperate climate zones that make Florida such a compelling place for gardens to “go wild” with plantings. Some of our state’s earliest attractions were tropical gardens that wowed visitors from colder climates.

Today, you’ll find colorful gardens to visit in every corner of Florida, with a heavy concentration in the tropical zones of south Florida.


Featured Gardens

White azaleas blooming foreground in a woodland garden Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park Explore a true Tallahassee treasure on gentle garden paths amid plantings dating back to 1923 or along well-trodden trails into wild woodlands along Lake Hall and Lake Overstreet.
Reflecting pool with palms Bok Tower Gardens Art, architecture, and nature intersect among fifty acres of gardens first planted a century ago atop Iron Mountain at Lake Wales.
Boardwalk looping along lakeshore as seen from above Bonnet Springs Park Offering a bounty of outdoor and nature activities along with museums and public spaces, Bonnet Springs Park is an urban gem in the city of Lakeland, a top destination statewide for family nature fun.
Adderly House at Crane Point Hammock Crane Point Hammock Part native, part cultivated, Crane Point Hammock is 63 acres of tropical hammock in the heart of Marathon, with one of the most extensive trail networks in the Florida Keys.
Deering Estate homes The Deering Estate The Deering Estate at Cutler, a Miami-Dade county park, preserves both the historic buildings and a remnant of the Addison Hammock, a pine rockland along the old road following Cutler Ridge.
Thomas Edison home Edison & Ford Winter Estates Tropical gardens from the 1920s grow lavishly around the historic winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers.
Palms framing large rectangular ponds Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Established in 1938 as one of the world’s largest collections of tropical plants, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is an integral part of the history of Florida botany and of Coral Gables.
Jacksonville Arboretum boardwalk 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
Alligator on a log in a water garden Kanapaha Botanical Gardens One of the most beautiful and complex gardens in Florida, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens sits beneath grand live oaks with two dozen themed gardens on 68 acres.
Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden Boardwalks and footpaths wind through curated plant collections against a backdrop of natural habitats at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden.
Pond in a tropical garden 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
Lily pond perched above walkway with people Naples Botanical Garden At Naples Botanical Garden, buildings, landscaping, and nature live in harmony, with a delicate balance of natural spaces and lush gardens accented with art achieved.
Peering out from tropical plants at a path Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens Established in 1919 by botanist Henry Nehrling, what is now the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens has improved over a century's worth of expansion into an accredited zoological park.
Parade grounds around pond with tropical plants Pinecrest Gardens Established in the 1930s as a tropical tourist attraction, Parrot Jungle, this tropical forest in Pinecrest has deep roots, if you will, showcasing both native and exotic tropical species.
Overlook on blue spring with people Rainbow Springs State Park A botanical and a geological delight, Rainbow Springs wraps the beauty of a first-magnitude spring with gardens and waterfalls once part of a classic Florida attraction.
Swinging bridge at Ravine Gardens Ravine Gardens State Park With swinging bridges over a deep ravine painted in bright colors by azaleas each February, Ravine Gardens State Park offers hiking and biking loops in Palatka
Glass bottom boats docked at a spring Silver Springs State Park One of the world's largest and deepest springs, Silver Springs pours out more than 550 million gallons of water daily, forming the Silver River.
Brick carillion tower Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park At Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, Florida pioneer crafts and Florida folk music are as important as the lovely setting on the Suwannee River.
Flamingo feeding at Sunken Gardens Sunken Gardens One of Florida's oldest roadside attractions, Sunken Gardens is now a county park showing off more than a century's worth of botanical bounty in St. Petersburg.
Washington Oaks Gardens Washington Oaks Gardens State Park Notable for its historic landscaped gardens under a canopy of ancient live oaks, Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is also the home of one of Florida's rare rocky shorelines.

See ALL Gardens


More Botanical Wonders

Go beyond the gardens into botanical beauty on Florida’s public lands by looking for destinations with specific botanical features to enjoy.

River Loop cypress Big Trees Public lands with Champion trees, virgin forests, landmark trees, and trees of notable size.
Man looking small sitting atop massive boulder on a bluff among other boulders Florida Habitats A haven of biodiversity, Florida has ever-changing landscapes along its trails. Learn about the habitats you'll experience along them.
Boardwalk in a mangrove forest Mangroves Florida is the only state in the United States where you can hike among mangrove forests. Here's where to find them.
Pitcher plants in the Apalachee Savannahs Pitcher Plants The showiest carnivorous plants of Florida, six major species of Sarracenia are found along Florida's trails
tropical forest Crane Point Hammock Tropical Forests Florida is the only place you can hike in a tropical forest in the continental United States.
Lake Jesup Wilderness Wildflower Hikes Discover great wildflower walks in Florida no matter the season, with spring and fall top blooming periods.

See ALL Botanical Sites

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Our Florida Hiking Guides

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Book cover of Florida Trail Hikes
The Florida Trail Guide fifth edition
50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala guidebook
Five Star Trails Orlando guidebook

FarOut Guides

Our comprehensive trail logistics presented on offline maps:

Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles)
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles)
Eastern Continental Trail in Florida (92 miles)


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Our Florida Coffee Table Books

Discovering the Florida Trail coffee table book
The Florida Trail coffee table book

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

METROS: Bradenton. Clearwater. Crestview. Daytona Beach. Destin. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Myers. Fort Walton Beach. Gainesville. Jacksonville. Kissimmee. Lakeland. Melbourne. Miami. Naples. Ocala. Orlando. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Port St. Lucie. Punta Gorda. St. Petersburg. Sanford. Sarasota. Sebring. Stuart. Tallahassee. Tampa. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach.

MULTI-REGION: Atlantic Coastal Ridge. Atlantic Coast. Bartram Trail. Big Bend. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail. Gulf Coast. Lake Wales Ridge. WATERWAYS: Indian River Lagoon. Intracoastal Waterway. Kissimmee River. St. Johns River. Withlacoochee River.

NORTHWEST FLORIDA: Altha. Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Big Bend Scenic Byway. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Bruce. Cantonment. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. DeFuniak Springs. Eastpoint. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Freeport. Fountain. Gulf Breeze. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Holt. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Munson. Navarre. Navarre Beach. Newport. Niceville. Panacea. Panama City . Perdido Key. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Santa Rosa Beach. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. George Island. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Sumatra. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka. Woodville. WATERWAYS: Apalachicola River. Blackwater Bay. Blackwater River. Chipola River. Choctawhatchee Bay. Choctawhatchee River. Coastal Dune Lakes. Ochlockonee Bay. Perdido River. St. Marks River. Wacissa River. Wakulla River. Yellow River.

NORTH FLORIDA: Alachua. Amelia Island. Archer. Baldwin. Branford. Bronson. Bunnell. Callahan. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Cross City. Cross Creek. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fanning Springs. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Fort White. Glen St. Mary. Green Cove Springs. Hawthorne. High Springs. Inglis. Jacksonville Beaches. Jacksonville Northshore. Jasper. Jennings. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler. Lake City. Live Oak.Macclenny. Mandarin. Mayo. Mayport. Micanopy. Middleburg. Old Town. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Palm Valley. Perry. Ponte Vedra. Rodman. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Waldo. Welaka. White Springs. Williston. Worthington Springs. Yankeetown. WATERWAYS: Santa Fe River. St. Marys River. Suwannee River. Tolomato River. Upper Withlacoochee River.

CENTRAL FLORIDA: Altamonte Springs. Apollo Beach. Apopka. Astatula. Astor. Auburndale. Bartow. Babson Park. Bayport. Belleview. Bithlo. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Cassadaga. Christmas. Chuluota. Citrus Springs. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Edgewater. Enterprise. Eustis. Ferndale. Fort Meade. Frostproof. Geneva. Gibsonton. Haines City. Hernando. Hernando Beach. Holopaw. Homosassa. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Largo. Leesburg. Lithia. Longwood. Lutz. Maitland. Malabar. McIntosh. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. Narcoossee/Lake Nona. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Nobleton. Oak Hill. Oakland. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Ocoee. Oldsmar. Orange City. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Paisley. Palm Bay. Plant City. Poinciana. Polk City. Ponce Inlet. Port Orange. Ridge Manor. Riverview. Ruskin. Safety Harbor. Silver Springs. Sorrento. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. Tarpon Springs. Thonotosassa. Titusville . Umatilla. Viera. Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Weirsdale. Wimauma. Windermere. Winter Garden. Winter Haven. Winter Park. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction. Zephyrhills. WATERWAYS: Alafia River. Halifax River. Hillsborough River. Lake Apopka. Little Manatee River. Ochlawaha River. Rainbow River. Tampa Bay. Wekiva River. Wekiva River Basin.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: Alva. Boca Grande. Cape Coral. Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Ellenton. Englewood. Estero. Immokalee. Marco Island. North Port. Osprey. Palma Sola. Palmetto. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Sanibel Island. Venice. WATERWAYS: Caloosahatchee River. Manatee River. Myakka River. Pine Island Sound.

SOUTH FLORIDA: Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Big Cypress Swamp. Bowling Green. Clewiston. Everglades City. Indiantown. LaBelle. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Ortona. Pahokee. Palmdale. Port Mayaca. South Bay. Wauchula. Zolfo Springs. WATERWAYS: Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Peace River.

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA: Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coconut Creek. Coral Gables. Coral Springs. Davie. Delray Beach. Fellsmere. Flamingo. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Indrio. Jensen Beach. Juno Beach. Jupiter. Jupiter Farms. Key Biscayne. North Hutchison Island. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Palm Beach. Palm Beach Gardens. Pompano Beach. Redland. Sebastian. South Hutchinson Island. WATERWAYS: Florida Bay. St. Lucie River.

FLORIDA KEYS: Big Pine Key. Islamorada. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Overseas Heritage Trail.


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