McKee Botanical Garden, Botanical garden and nonprofit organization in Vero Beach, Florida.
McKee Botanical Garden is a botanical garden spread across 18 acres of tropical land in Vero Beach, with more than 10,000 native and exotic plant species throughout the property. The grounds are crisscrossed with paths that guide visitors through different planting areas.
The garden was founded in 1929, when Waldo E. Sexton and Arthur G. McKee bought an 80-acre tropical hammock along the Indian River. It opened to the public in 1932 as McKee Jungle Gardens. After closing in 1976, most of the land was sold; the Indian River Land Trust bought the site in 1995, and the current garden was dedicated in 2001.
The garden takes its name from Arthur G. McKee, the millionaire engineer who bought the tropical hammock with Waldo E. Sexton in 1929. It reopened in 2001 after the Indian River Land Trust bought the vacant site in 1995, and since 1998 it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as McKee Jungle Gardens.
The garden is easy to explore on foot, with plenty of paths for visitors of all mobility levels. It is wise to wear sturdy shoes and bring water, especially on hot days.
The garden's plant list includes Victoria cruziana, a giant water lily whose leaves can reach over a metre across, along with Nelumbo cultivars such as 'Mrs. Peggy Slocum'. These aquatics grow in the ponds designed by William Lyman Phillips.
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