Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden facts for kids

Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden
Area	11 acres (4.5 hectares)
Created	c. 1939
Operated by	Key West Botanical Garden Society

Welcome to the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden! This special place is like a giant outdoor museum for plants. It's a "frost-free" area, which means it's always warm enough for amazing tropical trees, shrubs, and palms to grow. You can find it on Stock Island in Key West, Florida, United States.

The Garden is open every day, and there's a small fee to enter. But if you live nearby, you can visit for free on the first Sunday of each month! It's a fantastic spot to explore nature and learn about some truly unique plants.

Meet the Champion Trees!

Did you know some trees are like superheroes? The Garden is home to several "champion trees." These are the biggest and best examples of their kind! They are part of a special program called the National Champion Tree system. Experts from American Forests and the Florida Division of Forestry judge trees based on their height, how wide their trunk is, how far their branches spread, and how healthy they look.

The very best tree in a species gets the title of "Champion." The second best is called a "Challenger." It's like a competition for trees!

Here are some of the amazing champion trees you can find here:

• Locust-berry (Byrsonima lucida) - This tree is a National Champion!
• Wild Dilly (Manilkara bahamensis) - Another incredible National Champion!
• Barringtonia (Barringtonia asiatica) - This one is a Florida Champion.
• Cuban Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum officinale) - Also a Florida Champion.

The Garden also has "Challenger" trees, which are almost as impressive:

• Arjan Almond (Terminalia arjuna) - A Florida Challenger.
• Black Olive (Bucida buceras) - Another Florida Challenger.
• Pongam (Pongamia pinnata) - A Florida Challenger.

Other Cool Plants to Discover

Beyond the champions, the Garden is filled with many other interesting native and imported trees and shrubs. You can see plants with fun names like:

• Poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum)
• Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera)
• Gumbo Limbo (Bursera simaruba)
• Pigeon Plum (Coccoloba diversifolia)
• Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
• Florida Thatch Palm (Thrinax radiata)
• Silver Palm (Coccothrinax argentata)
• Sabal Palm (Sabal palmetto)
• Green Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus)

It's a great place to learn about the different kinds of plants that thrive in a warm, tropical climate!

Images for kids

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  A view of the beautiful Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden.

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  A small blue butterfly, called a Cassius Blue, resting on a leaf.

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  A common green iguana enjoying the sun in the garden.

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  A large Giant Swallowtail butterfly with its wings spread.

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  Another lovely scene from the garden.

See also

In Spanish: Bosque y Jardín Botánico de Cayo Hueso para niños