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

The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is a super cool place to visit in Florida! It's a special kind of park called an arboretum and botanical garden. This means it's a living collection of many different trees, shrubs, and palms. You can find some truly amazing and rare plants here.

This garden is on Stock Island, which is part of Key West, Florida, in the United States. It's open every day, so you can always go explore. There's a small fee to get in, but if you live nearby, you can visit for free on the first Sunday of each month. It's a great spot to learn about nature and see some incredible plants!

Amazing Champion Trees

The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is home to some really special trees. Seven of its trees are recognized as "champions" or "challengers" in the National Champion Tree system. This system is managed by American Forests and the Florida Division of Forestry.

So, what makes a tree a champion? Experts measure a tree's height, how wide its trunk is, how far its branches spread, and its overall health. The very best tree of a certain type gets the title of "National Champion." The second best is called a "Challenger." It's like a competition for trees!

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

• Locust-berry (Byrsonima lucida) - This one is a National Champion!
• Wild Dilly (Manilkara bahamensis) - Another National Champion found right here.
• Barringtonia (Barringtonia asiatica) - This tree is a Florida Champion.
• Cuban Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum officinale) - Also a Florida Champion.
• Arjan Almond (Terminalia arjuna) - This tree is a Florida Challenger.
• Black Olive (Bucida buceras) - Another Florida Challenger.
• Pongam (Pongamia pinnata) - This one is also a Florida Challenger.
• Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia) - This beautiful tree gets an Honorable Mention.

Other Cool Plants to Discover

Besides the champions, the garden has many other interesting native and imported trees and shrubs. It's like a treasure hunt to find them all!

Some of these plants include:

• Poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum)
• Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera)
• Black Ironwood (Krugiodendron ferreum)
• Spanish Stopper (Eugenia foetida)
• Pigeon Plum (Coccoloba diversifolia)
• Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
• Milk Bark (Drypetes diversifolia)
• Cinnamon Bark (Canella winterana)
• Gumbo Limbo (Bursera simaruba)
• Woman's Tongue (Albizia lebbeck)
• Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum sanctum)
• Blolly (Guapira discolor)
• Purge Nut Thicket (Ximenia americana)
• Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis)
• Senegal Date Palm (Phoenix reclinata)
• Florida Thatch Palm (Thrinax radiata)
• Shortleaf Fig (Ficus citrifolia)
• Marlberry (Ardisia escallonioides)
• Silver Palm (Coccothrinax argentata)
• Red Stopper (Eugenia rhombea)
• Key Thatch Palm (Leucothrinax morrisii)
• Jamaica Dogwood (Piscidia piscipula)
• False Tamarind (Lysiloma latisiliquum)
• Bay Cedar (Suriana maritima)
• Wild Coffee (Colubrina arborescens)
• Cinnecord (Acacia choriophylla)
• Pond Apple (Annona glabra)
• Limber Caper (Capparis flexuosa)
• Satin Leaf (Chrysophyllum oliviforme)
• Paradise Tree (Simarouba glauca)
• Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea)
• Sabal Palm (Sabal palmetto)
• Buccaneer Palm (Pseudophoenix sargentii)
• Lime Prickly-ash (Zanthoxylum fagara)
• Joewood (Jacquinia keyensis)
• Lancewood (Nectandra coriacea)
• Green Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus)
• Washington Palm (Washingtonia robusta)
• Varnish Leaf (Dodonaea viscosa)

See also

In Spanish: Bosque y jardín botánico de Cayo Hueso para niños