Whether you’re an avid nature lover or just looking to escape for a day, you’re sure to fall in love with Florida’s many gardens.
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Flickr/Matthew Paulson Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has been a beautiful oasis of palms, flowering vines, and tons of other tropical plants in Miami since 1938. Visit during one of their amazing festivals for a special treat.
- Bok Tower Gardens
Flickr/Trish Hartmann Bok Tower Gardens is located in Lake Wales in Central Florida. It’s named for the 205-foot “singing” bell tower, but the surrounding 250-acre garden is just as impressive. It features thousands of plants surround a swan-filled reflection pool.
- Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Flickr/Holmes Palacios These educational gardens have been in Sarasota for 40 years. Don’t miss their collection of over 5,000 orchids.
- Harry P. Leu Gardens
Flickr/VISIT FLORIDA Editor Take a detour from all the theme parks and surround yourself with the natural beauty of this 50-acre garden in Orlando. The butterfly garden and the impressive rose garden will delight visitors of all ages.
- Sunken Gardens
Flickr/Walter St. Petersburg’s Sunken Gardens were planted in a drained lake over 100 years ago. It features waterfalls and paths surrounded by more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers.
- Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
Flickr/Morgan Rochele Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is a hidden gem in Gainesville, Florida. The grounds are most colorful from June to September, and dogs on leashes are permitted (except during festivals).
- Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
Flickr/Zlatko Unger Azaleas and camellias are the highlight of this park and historic district in Tallahassee. This means the best time to visit is January through April, though the park offers biking, hiking, boating, fishing, and much more all year round.
- Naples Botanical Garden
Flickr/Chiot’s Run Naples Botanical Garden are lovely and expansive, with several themed areas, so there’s something for every kind of nature lover.
- Ravine Gardens State Park
Flickr/Sandy Auriene Sullivan This park and historic place in Palatka is another garden best visited in spring for its plentiful azaleas. Visitors love the hills (rare in Florida) and the suspension bridge.
- Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
Flickr/Mike This park near Palm Coast is a local favorite. It features gorgeous formal gardens with huge live oaks and a picturesque shoreline dotted with coquina formations.
- Mounts Botanical Garden
Flickr/Amy Wagliardo Mounts Botanical Garden is the oldest and largest public garden in Palm Beach County. It features many different gardens, including a butterfly garden, rainbow garden, garden of extremes, and several more.
- Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
Flickr/Robert Pittman Not only are these gardens the perfect model of zen-like tranquility, Morikami has incredible exhibits and festivals year-round.
- The Florida Botanical Gardens
Flickr/Matthew Paulson This “urban oasis” in Pinellas County is open weekdays 7am until sunset, and admission is free. Bring your family, friends, and even Fido for a picnic and a stroll.
- Eden Gardens State Park
Flickr/JR P This park in Santa Rosa Beach features 163 acres shaded by oak, pine, and cypress trees, plus an 1897 mansion open for tours and a dock for fishing.
- McKee Botanical Garden
Flickr/Ste Elmore
Flickr/Rain0975 This historic garden in Vero Beach began life as McKee Jungle Gardens in 1932, was forced to close in 1976, and finally reopened under it’s current name in 2001. It features thousands of native and tropical plants, an impressive collection of waterlilies, and some of the historic structures, like the Hall of Giants seen here, still remain.
Please share your experiences of these beautiful and historic gardens and let us know if we missed any of your favorites.
Flickr/Matthew Paulson
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has been a beautiful oasis of palms, flowering vines, and tons of other tropical plants in Miami since 1938. Visit during one of their amazing festivals for a special treat.
Flickr/Trish Hartmann
Bok Tower Gardens is located in Lake Wales in Central Florida. It’s named for the 205-foot “singing” bell tower, but the surrounding 250-acre garden is just as impressive. It features thousands of plants surround a swan-filled reflection pool.
Flickr/Holmes Palacios
These educational gardens have been in Sarasota for 40 years. Don’t miss their collection of over 5,000 orchids.
Flickr/VISIT FLORIDA Editor
Take a detour from all the theme parks and surround yourself with the natural beauty of this 50-acre garden in Orlando. The butterfly garden and the impressive rose garden will delight visitors of all ages.
Flickr/Walter
St. Petersburg’s Sunken Gardens were planted in a drained lake over 100 years ago. It features waterfalls and paths surrounded by more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers.
Flickr/Morgan Rochele
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is a hidden gem in Gainesville, Florida. The grounds are most colorful from June to September, and dogs on leashes are permitted (except during festivals).
Flickr/Zlatko Unger
Azaleas and camellias are the highlight of this park and historic district in Tallahassee. This means the best time to visit is January through April, though the park offers biking, hiking, boating, fishing, and much more all year round.
Flickr/Chiot’s Run
Naples Botanical Garden are lovely and expansive, with several themed areas, so there’s something for every kind of nature lover.
Flickr/Sandy Auriene Sullivan
This park and historic place in Palatka is another garden best visited in spring for its plentiful azaleas. Visitors love the hills (rare in Florida) and the suspension bridge.
Flickr/Mike
This park near Palm Coast is a local favorite. It features gorgeous formal gardens with huge live oaks and a picturesque shoreline dotted with coquina formations.
Flickr/Amy Wagliardo
Mounts Botanical Garden is the oldest and largest public garden in Palm Beach County. It features many different gardens, including a butterfly garden, rainbow garden, garden of extremes, and several more.
Flickr/Robert Pittman
Not only are these gardens the perfect model of zen-like tranquility, Morikami has incredible exhibits and festivals year-round.
This “urban oasis” in Pinellas County is open weekdays 7am until sunset, and admission is free. Bring your family, friends, and even Fido for a picnic and a stroll.
Flickr/JR P
This park in Santa Rosa Beach features 163 acres shaded by oak, pine, and cypress trees, plus an 1897 mansion open for tours and a dock for fishing.
Flickr/Ste Elmore
Flickr/Rain0975
This historic garden in Vero Beach began life as McKee Jungle Gardens in 1932, was forced to close in 1976, and finally reopened under it’s current name in 2001. It features thousands of native and tropical plants, an impressive collection of waterlilies, and some of the historic structures, like the Hall of Giants seen here, still remain.
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