Using tours
The tours are self guided walking tours in the garden, created by our staff. The aim of the theme tours is to provide an easy way to explore the garden.
  • Select a tour from the dropdown list above. The tour will then be shown in a list and on the map.
  • Click on an item in the list or click a map marker to view further information.
Eugenia confusa • 1 • red-berry stopper (English)
  • This species is arguably the showiest of our native stoppers of the family Myrtaceae. Look for migratory warblers foraging among its fruiting or flowering branches from September to May.
Ceiba pentandra • 2 • kapok (English)
  • The famous Kapok Tree is an iconic canopy tree across much of the neotropics. At the garden, it is a favorite of Yellow-chevroned parakeets which feed on its fruit. Its bare-branched winter form may attract a flock of Cedar Waxwings or wandering Red-shouldered Hawk.
Pavonia bahamensis • 3 • swamp bush (English)
  • The Bahama Swamp bush’s inconspicuous yet nectar-loaded blooms are a legendary attractor of hummingbirds and nectivorous warblers. Look for sparring Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Northern Parula, or Cape May Warblers among its branches from October to May.
  • The giant lilies of the Sibley Victoria Pool serve as refuge for a proliferation of native live-bearing minnows. If you are lucky, you may spot a stealthy Green Heron lurking nearby as it plans its next meal.
Fouquieria splendens • 5 • ocotillo, coach-whip (English)
  • Ocotillo is a favorite of a diverse array of hummingbirds across much of the desert Southwest. Here, it is readily visited by our migratory and wintering Ruby-throated Hummingbirds when in flower.
Holmskioldia sanguinea • 6 • Chinese hat plant (English)
  • Look for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Northern Parulas, or Cape May Warblers as they flirt among the tangled branches of the Chinese hat in search of the sweet nectar its interestingly shaped flowers deliver.
Adansonia digitata • 7 • baobab (English)
  • The towering Boabab offers the perfect high-vantage point for predatory hawks and flycatchers as they search for prey across the garden’s grounds. Cedar Waxwings or Hill Mynah may also use its bare branches during Winter and early Spring.
Thelypteris grandis • 8 • stately maiden fern (English)
  • The shadowy understory of the locally rare Stately Maiden Fern glade area may host one of our various terrestrial migratory warblers from September to May. Well-camouflaged Ovenbirds or Swainson’s Warbler often lurk in the shadows as they forage through leaf litter across shady areas of the garden.
Ceiba speciosa • 9 • silk floss tree (English)
  • The intense flush of pink flowers on the Silk Floss Tree coordinates perfectly with the Fall migration season here in south Florida. Orioles, hummingbirds, and parakeets will readily feed from its branches during this time. Insectivorous songbirds like tanagers and cuckoos will also take advantage of the bounty of insects the tree attracts.
Chrysophyllum oliviforme • 10 • satin leaf (English)
  • A native relative of the popular fruit tree Caimito, Satinleaf has smaller but equally juicy fruit that attracts large frugivores like Red-bellied Woodpeckers and the reclusive White-crowned Pigeon. Its airy branches may also attract Blue-gray Gnatcatchers or various species of warbler.
Callicarpa americana • 11 • American beauty berry (English)
  • A native staple across all of Florida, the spectacular fruit of Beautyberry is a tried-and-true favorite of Northern Mockingbirds, Northern Cardinals, Gray Catbirds and Black-throated Blue Warblers.
  • Quietly take a seat near our array of bird feeders situated in the butterfly garden and you stand a good chance of spotting a colorful Painted Bunting or Northern Cardinal. Feeders are only set up from the months of September to May to coincide with the Painted Bunting's migratory and overwintering period. There are two styles of feeder in the garden, each separately filled with white millet and safflower seed. White millet is a favorite of the Painted Bunting, while safflower is a larger grain which is a favorite of the bunting's larger cousin and year-round resident, the Northern Cardinal. Both of these species are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females have different appearences. Male Painted Buntings are adorned with a vibrant array of blues, greens, and reds while females and immature birds of both sexes have a more subdued, entirely green color. Male cardinals are a striking bright red color while females and young birds are brown with a reddish tail and wings.
Salvia coccinea • 13 • tropical sage (English)
  • Tropical Sage attracts both hummingbirds to its numerous crimson blooms as well as Painted Buntings which are fond of its ripe seeds. Look for this species growing throughout the butterfly garden; and if you don’t see any buntings, make sure to check the millet feeders that are installed from September to April.
Hamelia patens • 14 • firebush (English)
  • In fruit and flower year-round, Firebush is an excellent source of food for Hummingbirds, Catbirds, and Mockingbirds. Painted Buntings or Ovenbirds may use its dense, shady cover as shelter as well.
Ficus aurea • 15 • strangler fig (English)
  • The mighty strangler fig is the ultimate attractor of fruit-eating migratory birds. If the tree is in fruit with small reddish-purple figs along its branches during the Spring or Fall, it is sure to host an assortment of colorful warblers, tanagers, and orioles.
Cycad Circle • 16
  • Cycad Circle is surrounded by open grassy areas, which are a great vantage point to look to the sky. Many species of hawk, vulture, swallow, and swift may be spotted as they fly overhead in pursuit of flying insects, or simply as they glide along their migratory route. Grassy lawns are also a favorite foraging grounds of Northern Mockingbirds year-round, and Palm Warblers during the Fall, Winter, and early Spring.
Roystonea regia • 17 • Florida Royal Palm, royal palm (English)
  • The towering Royal Palm often stands higher than any other native tree in the canopy in the garden. As such, look for our largest flying birds, Blue-and-gold Macaws, adorning its fronds. Its fruit is a favorite of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Gray Kingbirds, and White-crowned Pigeons. The palm-loving Yellow-throated Warbler is also a common visitor to this tree’s canopy. Cavities in dead Royal Palms are also a favorite nesting site for Pileated Woodpeckers, Hill Mynas, and a variety of Parrots elsewhere in the garden.
Quercus virginiana • 18 • southern live oak (English)
  • The grand Live Oak has the potential to attract the highest diversity of birds. Its bounty of acorns and diversity of insect life will attract all local species of woodpecker, migratory warblers, tanagers, orioles, cuckoos, gnatcatchers and vireos.
  • The running water of the rainforest area stream is a favorite of the water-loving terrestrial waterthrushes. Listen for the metallic “chink” call of these tail-bobbing, terrestrial warblers as they forage near any wet areas in the garden. The Louisiana Waterthrush is one of our earliest migrants, catch it from February to March in the Spring and July to August in the Fall. Its cousin, the Northern Waterthrush, has a more typical migration window and can usually be encountered from April to May and September to October.
Bursera simaruba • 20 • gumbo-limbo (English)
  • The attractive Gumbo limbo is a favorite of Summer Tanagers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and all local species of vireo when in fruit. Its open canopy will often host insectivorous warblers from September to May.
Psychotria nervosa • 21 • wild coffee (English)
  • Shade-loving Wild Coffee fruit is a favorite of Gray Catbirds and Northern Mockingbirds. They may also provide understory habitat for Ovenbirds and other cover-loving species.