Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

About the Business

Specialties

Established in 1938 and comprising 85 acres in Miami, Fla., Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to exploring, explaining and conserving the world of tropical plants. The world-renowned plant collections feature palms, cycads, orchids, tropical fruit trees and more. Fairchild has the largest education program of any metropolitan area, reaching more than 200,000 schoolchildren each year with environmental programs like The Fairchild Challenge. It aims to inspire a greater knowledge and love for plants and gardening so that all can enjoy the beauty and bounty of the tropical world. Special events include Chocolate, Mango, Orchid and Edible Garden Festivals in addition to an annual art exhibition, concerts, plant sales and more.

History

Established in 1938.

Col. Robert H. Montgomery, a successful businessman and plant collector, wanted a botanic garden where tropical plants could grow-year round. Miami was the perfect place. He purchased a plot of land with the intention of creating a tropical garden named after his good friend Dr. David Fairchild, the great explorer responsible for introducing thousands of plant species into the U.S., including the famous cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. and the mangos so loved in South Florida. "It should become a place where everyone who has the curiosity to do so can see and touch the beautiful, the strange, the interesting forms of tropical plants that characterize the vegetation of the tropics," said Dr. Fairchild. The garden was designed by William Lyman Phillips of the Olmsted Group - the same group that designed New York's Central Park - and has been a place to learn about horticulture and a place to provide a peaceful respite from the rush of a big city since its opening in 1938.