Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Florida is one of the world's preeminent botanic gardens, with extensive collections of rare tropical plants including palms, cycads, flowering trees and vines. Established in 1938, the 83-acre garden is among the region's most popular visitor attractions and offers a variety of programs in environmental education, conservation and horticulture. An international leader in tropical plant research, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden plays an important part in preserving the biodiversity of the tropical environment.
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Cycad (July 8, 2006)
Cycad (July 8, 2006)
Cycad (July 8, 2006)
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is a native of South Africa and one of the most unusual and attractive members of the banana family (Musaceae). This popular plant bears a unique flower that resembles a brightly colored bird in flight, giving it the common name, bird-of-paradise. In contrast to the banana, the bird-of-paradise is trunkless. (July 8, 2006)
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) (July 8, 2006)
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Marjory Stoneman Douglas, champion of the Florida Everglades and founder of Florida's environmental movement passed away on May 14, 1998, at the age of 108. Her lifetime achievements include work as a civil rights activist, a crusader for women's rights, a journalist and playwright, and the first Florida woman in the U.S. Naval Reserves. Her greatest legacy, however, is the profound impact she had on the environment, notably in South Florida. Her book entitled "The Everglades: River of Grass," published in 1947, served to bring public attention to the Everglades at a time when people looked upon the Everglades as little more than a swamp. The book took five years to research, but as she later wrote, it was "an idea that would consume me for the rest of my life." Ms. Douglas was one of America's greatest conservationists and the first editor of Fairchild's magazine. The existence of the Everglades National Park is largely due to her efforts. She also lobbied extensively for the formation of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. This life-size cuspture of Ms. Douglas took over a year to create by sculptor and Fairchild volunteer Freda Tschumy and was unveiled at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Key Biscayne Nation Center in April 2005. Tschumy says that her idea was to "create a teaching device to show that even if you're not big and strong, even if you're not young, if you have devotion to an idea, you can make a wonderful difference in the world." This sculpture is situated in the Palmetum. (July 8, 2006)
Resurrection Fern (Polypodium polypodioides) Resurrection Fern is an epiphyte that grows attached to branches of forest trees and sometimes upon rocks or dry ground. This fern's long thin rhizomes grow creeping along narrow cracks or in the furrows of the host tree's bark. Along the length of the rhizome the fronds are arranged in a linear fashion. The Resurrection Fern gets its name because it can survive long periods of drought by curling up and appearing dead. When just a little water is present, the fern will uncurl and reopen, appearing to resurrect. This tiny plant has even been taken on a space shuttle mission to watch it resurrect itself in space! (July 8, 2006)
Cycad (July 8, 2006)
Iris Domestica (July 8, 2006)
Cycad (July 8, 2006)
Cycad (July 8, 2006)
Cycad (July 8, 2006)
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