Kampong

Located on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove, Florida, The Kampong contains a fascinating array of tropical fruit cultivars and flowering trees.

The garden is named for the Malay or Javanese word for a village or cluster of houses. Some of the first plantings there came from Indo-Malaysia, brought there by the renowned explorer/horticulturist who introduced these species to the United States and who owned the property in the early 1900s. The collections were expanded and diversified by the next owner, who eventually gifted the garden to the NTBG.

Heritage collections from Southeast Asia, Central and South Americas, the Caribbean, and other tropical locales create a cornucopia of exotic fruit, including candle fruit, peanut butter fruit, egg fruit, cocoplums, and over 50 varieties of mango. Numerous species of palms, cycads, and flowering trees are studied by scientists from the world over.

The Kampong serves as the mainland campus for the NTBG's educational courses, as a living classroom used by universities and colleges for botany and horticulture courses, and is a popular spot for plant enthusiasts of all ages.

The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Kampong Tours

Enter the gates of this hidden oasis tucked in metropolitan Miami. See the sausage tree, named for its pendulous fruit hanging from ropelike stalks. Stand dwarfed by a hundred-year-old baobab from Tanzania that weighs almost 50 tons. Drink in the haunting fragrance of plants prized by the perfume industry. See the vibrant magenta blossoms of the pink trumpet tree as they color the horizon. Touch the hard hexagonal projections on the skin of the jakfruit, the world's largest tree fruit, or the feathery foliage of the canary yellow royal poinciana from Guyana.

Discover the place that the “Columbus of American Horticulture” called home.

Guided Tours:

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on scheduled dates

Reservations required; call (305) 442-7169
Adults $20; ages 62 and over or Students with I.D. $15; children 4-12 yrs. $10; children 3 yrs. and under when accompanied by adult free