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Key West Botanical Garden: Plant lovers will be charmed

Key West is full of things to do, so it’s not surprising that on many visits over many years, I had never stopped at the Key West Botanical Garden.

On a bike ride on the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, I finally visited and was charmed by the jungly paths, the butterflies, the detailed and interesting plant signage, the exhibit of makeshift boats used by Cuban rafters and especially the flotilla of turtles who gather when you play the chimes next to the pond.

Chimes hang in front of the pond at the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden. When guests play the chimes, turtles swim over.
Chimes hang in front of the pond at the Key West Botanical Garden. When guests play the chimes, turtles swim over. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

It’s a modest attraction — $10 adult admission to tour 11 acres of tropical trees and plants on Stock Island. I recommend it for plant lovers, the sort of person who will be delighted to see an unusual palm specimen like the remarkable Cuban petticoat palm.

If, on the other hand, you’re the kind of person who can’t learn enough about nature’s wondrous bounty, there’s a lot to like about the serene Key West Botanical Gardens, where you’ll see plants you would otherwise encounter only on Caribbean islands.

Turtle at Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden
Turtles gather when they hear chimes at the Key West Botanical Garden. (Photo: David Blasco)

But set your expectations correctly: The gardens are not manicured, trimmed and full of flowers; it feels more like a walk in a nature preserve.

The garden was founded more than 80 years ago during the Great Depression through the Federal Emergency Relief Administration as one of several efforts to boost the devastated Key West economy through tourism. (The Key West Aquarium is another example.) Some of its trees date to its founding.

Anhinga at Key West Tropical Botanical Garden
An anhinga at the Key West Botanical Garden, one of many birds attracted by the habitat. (Photo: David Blasco)

Right at the parking lot, you encounter one of its sweetest features. There is a beautiful view of a fresh water pond with several different kinds of chimes displayed in front of it, each with a mallet that lets visitors play a little music. When those chimes are played, the wild turtles swim over. We counted nine turtles during our little concert and more were joining as we strolled on.

That pond itself is an interesting feature. Fresh water is hard to come by in the Florida Keys and the garden is home to two of the last fresh water ponds in Key West. One of these ponds, Desbiens Pond, is an unusual “fresh water lens” – a layer of fresh water floats on top of the denser salt water that seeps up from the coral stone that forms the island.

Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden
The signage at the Key West Botanical Garden is one of its strengths. You don’t just see unusual plants, you learn their stories. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Thanks to this fresh water, migrating birds make stops here and the Key West Botanical Garden is a good birding spot. An acre of special plantings to attract butterflies ensures that butterflies also enhance the garden. (Two dozen species have been spotted here.)

If you don’t love plants, there may be better things for you to do in Key West.

What plant lovers will like best are the excellent labels on the plants. These signs don’t just ID the plant, they tell a story, such as how the plants were used by native people, pioneers or as medicine. There is also an audio tour for cell phones.

Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden
The Cuban palm collection at the Key West Botanical Garden has some great specimens, including this Cuban petticoat palm. The palm’s leaves emerge as a spiral with the older foliage forming a frilly skirt. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

The garden is a maze of trails, some with boardwalks and some around wetlands.

Be sure to seek out an unusual exhibit that is easy to miss – a display of the makeshift boats and rafts that have come to the Florida Keys by Cubans seeking freedom.  (On the garden map, look for “Cuban Chugs.”)

Here’s a YouTube video about the exhibit:

Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden

5210 College Road, Key West, FL 33040
(305) 296-1504
Open daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except major holidays)
Admission: Adults $10, seniors $7, children 12 and under free.
Wedding and special occasion venues at Key West Botanical Garden

2022-5-9-key-west-botanical-garden-map

Map of Key West Botanical Garden

What’s near the Key West Botanical Garden

The garden is on Stock Island, an island east of Key West where livestock was once kept. It’s home to two great thing about Key West: The closest-to-Key-West campground (Boyd’s) and one my favorite restaurants, the Hogfish Bar and Grill.

Resources when  planning a visit to the Key West Botanical Garden

From Florida Rambler: Find more beauty spots in Florida’s 20 spectacular botanic gardens

Special things to discover in Key West


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