Tropical gardens like Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden are FULL of surprises, but there's so much more than what meets the eye. Botanical gardens are home to incredibly rare plants and provide a lifeline that ensures they aren't wiped out forever.
Let's go on a tour!
This giant, historic Staghorn fern was donated to Fairchild in 2014. It's literally larger than my house. It's a common plant but rare to see at this size. WOW.
 Rare plants |
| Self Destructing Palm discovered in Madagascar in 2007. I genuinely think this is. the most massive baby palm I've ever seen. |
A grove of Copernica palms, endemic to Cuba.
The Falla Palm (Copernicia fallaensis) looks like metal! The fronds are so stiff and symmetrical. These palms are endemic to Cuba - which means that’s the only place you’ll find them in the world. There are only 84 adult Falla palms in the wild. It's hard to wrap my head around that!
Considered one of the rarest palms in the world to find in the wild. Hemithrinax ekmaniana is native to just 3 small cliffside in Cuba and there are only a few adults in the wild. They eventually become taller palms, but I love them at this size.
Around the garden is this lovely native population of native Florida airplanes. They are HUGE! Tillandsia utriculata don't pup after blooming - they only reproduce from seed. The plants grow on trees and get their nutrients from leaf debris and rain water.
Also dangling from trees - some gorgeous Orchids! Here are a few.
How cute are these orchids! Calettya in full bloom and kind of smells like daffodils
| This is such a fun way to display Vanda Orchids |
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How about this amazing orchid?
Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim. it's the world's first orchid hybrid and the national flower of Singapore! The thin stems are cute!
Speaking of unusual flowers, how about the Cannonball tree? It produces flowers on the trunk, not on the leaves. It's a really cool look! Redbuds exhibit this behavior to a less extreme degree. The phenomena is called cauliflory. What a pretty name!
Rainbow Eucalyptus has gorgeous exfoliating bark
Unfortunately someone decided to damage this beautiful tree. It should heal at some point.
Jamaican Poinsettia
Beautiful Brugmansia and alocasia. What a cool combo! I have to try this in my yard.
I thought it was really fun to see cold tolerant palms thriving in Miami! It's no surprise they'd do well, but with countless other options for palms, it was really cool to see these.
Needle Palm
Large Sabal minor
Even the street plantings in Fort Lauderdale had some Sabal minors!
The White Backed Palm (Kerriodoxa elegant) is so tropical looking and has some surprising cold tolerance. They seem to be manageable down to zone 9!
One of my favorite "winter" blooms. This is Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow plant! (Brunfelsia pauciflora) The blooms change color as they age.
How cool to see tomatoes in January. Love it!
Heliconia living its best life
Breadfruit tree
Probably Ensete glaucum banana
Pachypodium lamerei (Madagascar Palm) for sale
Hydriastele beguinii obi island is a gorgeous palm that suddenly died for me after doing well for several years. It's a great choice for Florida, probably not a great container plant here in New York unfortunately!
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