John G. Gifford Arboretum, Florida, United States
5.0 (8 reviews) Spent 1-2 hours Ranking #15 in Coral Gables Gardens
An Oasis In The Middle of Busy Coral Gables
The John G. Gifford Arboretum is tucked away at the northwest corner of the University of Miami (UM) Campus in Coral Gables. We needed to "kill" some time before going to a UM talk, and this was the perfect place to do it, and, at the same time discover a rare "find." Their website is excellent, providing a history of the garden, directions, a map, and checklists for the birds, butterflies, and dragonflies that are found there. The Arboretum is divided into 14 sections, broad divisions of the plant kingdom. There are numerous examples of trees for each section. The signage is excellent, far better than most public or private gardens that I have been to (I have been to many). I believe that every tree had an identification tag on in! If you live in south Florida, this place is worth a visit three or four times a year. In that way, sooner or later, you will get to see all the trees in bloom.
Address
1301 Memorial Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33146-2508
Mobile
Website
http://arboretum.as.miami.edu
Current local date and time now
Saturday, May 11, 2024, 1:36
User Ratings
5.0 based on (8 reviews)
Reviews
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5Nick Byrd 5:00 PM Oct 26, 2018
Perfect break, fresh air, and educational distraction
During a long lunch break at a conference at U Miami, I wanted to stretch my legs, see something interested, and distract my mind from work for a bit. This was a perfect fit. Glad I visited. Probably my favorite outdoor location on U Miami’s campus. Note: the location and hours were wrong on Trip Advisor. I found it via Google Maps and when I did, I realized that it can’t really be closed. There are no gates or patrol or anything like that. New bragging right: I can now reliably distinguish and identity three species of palm tree that are common in South Florida—fountain palm, palmetto palm, and royal palm. Also, I now know of three more species of tree that I do not want on my property, due to their incredible thorns—see pictures.
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5dldmia 5:00 PM Jul 18, 2017
Beautiful trees worth seeing
On the edge of the U Miami Campus, this oasis of trees makes a cool, shaded walk. The many, varied species are worth getting to know. While much smaller than Fairchild Tropical Botannical Gardens, this is free and easy to see. Towards the NW part of campus, by parking lots near Doctors Hospital.
