Strolling through Flamingo Gardens is part science, part art and all tropical paradise. The 60-acre oasis showcases more than 3,000 species of rare, exotic, tropical, subtropical and native plants. The Arboretum boasts some of the largest trees in Florida including a Cluster Fig that’s 102 ft. tall with a 54 ft.+ circumference and a crown span of 95 feet! Jurassic Park has nothing on this place. You can spend a day just exploring the thousands of orchid species. There’s also a Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden, Fragrance Garden, Tropical Rainforest and much more. The world-famous flamingos are joined in the garden’s Everglade’s Wildlife Sanctuary by Jose the Bear, panthers, bobcats, colorful parrots, colorful Quaker parrots, sun conures, cockatoos, macaws, and a glamorous toucan. The Sanctuary is also home to one of the most successful otter breeding programs in the U.S., a natural Seabird Rookery, Aviary, Birds of Prey Center and an American Crocodile Habitat. They recently renovated the free-flight and surrounding aviaries with a $125,000 grant from The Batchelor Foundation and an additional $50,000 from the Freed Foundation; FlamingoGardens.com.
