KEY WEST

The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden has five ADA-accessible garden trails

A PROTECTED

PARADISE Reconnect with nature at the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden

By Heather Turk

With so much to experience in Key West — from visiting The Hemingway Home and Museum to taking a selfie in front of the Southernmost Point Buoy located just 90 miles from Cuba — it’s easy for travelers to forget that vacations are supposed to be relaxing. Luckily, the longest continuously running attraction on the island offers visitors a breathtaking respite where they can settle into the rhythm of Mother Nature. Celebrating its 85th anniversary in 2021, the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is the only frostfree native tropical forest and botanical garden in the continental United States. A conservation site for many endangered and threatened flora and fauna native to the Florida Keys, Cuba and the Caribbean, the serene 15-acre attraction gives guests the unique opportunity to experience the Keys’ native biodiversity while learning more about its importance.

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“Every time I walk the garden, I find something new and marvel at the wonder of nature,” said Misha McRae, executive director of the Key West Botanical Garden Society, which preserves, develops, expands and maintains the historic attraction as an arboretum, botanical garden, cultural heritage museum, wildlife refuge and educational center. “I find that helping the environment via the protection of native habitat is so rewarding.”

Far from your typical botanical garden, the garden at Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden showcases 529 native species of endangered, threatened and rare flora — including some species found nowhere else in the world. Visitors won’t find any roses or tulips here. What they will find is a rare collection of Cuban palms and colorful plants like the dwarf poinciana.

The garden features the only salt-free fresh water pond in the Keys as well, which makes it a major migratory stopping point for 208 identified species of Neotropical birds from places as far as South America and Canada. Additionally, it’s home to many rare species of Florida Keys wildlife, including dragonflies, turtles and lizards like the native anole.

Visitors can explore the lush grounds on one of 12 self-guided tours that take guests through its nature trails and past several exhibits, including a Cuban chug exhibit that showcases a collection of vessels used to successfully exit Cuba. There’s also a playground for kids to enjoy and two 1 ½-acre butterfly gardens that attract, nurture and protect over 39 species of butterflies throughout the year. Special events are held regularly, too, including a separately ticketed speaker series on relevant conservation issues that takes place on the third Saturday of each month, December through May.

The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is open daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Guided tours are available by appointment. keywest.garden

The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is one of only three sites of freshwater in the Florida Keys

Wild coffee is just one example of the many types of endangered, threatened or rare plants found in the botanical garden

The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is home to a variety of dragonflies, including seaside dragonlets

Photos courtesy of the Key West Botanical Garden Society