Glenn Lindgren: They say that everyone has a green thumb in Miami. Stick just about anything in the ground and in a week or two you have a giant leafy green thing growing in the backyard.

Raúl Musibay: Miami has a wide variety of tropical and semi-tropical plants. For most visitors from northern climes, Miami plant life is a new experience.

Jorge Castillo: Drive around any Miami neighborhood and you're going to see a lot of things you never saw in Dubuque!

Glenn Lindgren: The plant life here is quite remarkable and definitely beautiful. The county and state have really helped with massive plantings -- especially palm trees -- along the turnpike and expressways.

Jorge Castillo: Many of these trees replaced trees damaged by Hurricane Andrew.

Raúl Musibay: Drive through a tree-lined street in Coral Gables and you will enjoy a wonderful tropical plant experience.

Jorge Castillo: If you really want to get to know and love Miami flora, there are a few places where you can get out the car and immerse yourself in a tropical garden.

Glenn Lindgren: If you don't know a Mangifera indica (mango) from a Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree), why not visit a place where they have people who can set you straight? In no time, you too can be a tropical plant expert.

Glenn Lindgren: Here in one location you can experience just about the entire spectrum of plants and trees that are typical of the ones you'd find in the average Miami backyard.

Raúl Musibay: You'll also see many exotic and rare specimens here!

Jorge Castillo: The Fairchild Gardens first opened to the public in 1938. Robert H. Montgomery created the Gardens and named them in honor of his friend David Fairchild, a world-renowned botanist.

Glenn Lindgren: Every backyard fruit grower in Miami owes a debt of gratitude to Fairchild. He is credited with bringing the mango to cultivation in the United States.

Raúl Musibay: The Fairchild Gardens cover 83 acres of land and is located just off the Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables.

Jorge Castillo: One of the highlights of the collection is the 100 rare native plant species from South Florida and the Caribbean.

Glenn Lindgren: Many people enjoy visiting the gardens on weekends. However, if you are in town during the week on vacation, why not come on a weekday when the gardens are much less crowded?

Jorge Castillo: The only exception to this is the many festivals that the Fairchild Gardens holds each year. These weekend events do draw crowds, but they add another interesting element to your visit.

Raúl Musibay: Two of the most popular events of the season are the International Orchid Festival and the International Mango Festival.

Jorge Castillo: The Orchid festival features thousands of orchid plants that you can buy and take home.

Raúl Musibay: And the Mango Festival? Yes, there are plenty of mangos for sale here!

Glenn Lindgren: You might wonder why, in a city that is just overflowing with mangos in the summer, would any local person go to a place to see MORE mangos?

Raúl Musibay: The Mango Festival features many different varieties of mangos, many unusual and some exotic.

Jorge Castillo: So many people come just to try the different varieties. A mango auction is very popular.

Glenn Lindgren: You also can sample mango cuisine at a mango brunch.

Jorge Castillo: All of the events at Fairchild usually include food booths on the grounds, so you can enjoy a lunch or snack as you stroll around.

Raúl Musibay: Many people told us about this park where the fruits, and even the spices literally grow on trees!

Jorge Castillo: Finally, we just had to check it out for ourselves and we weren't disappointed.

Glenn Lindgren: Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation owns and manages the Fruit and Spice Park.

Glenn Lindgren: Preston B. Bird and Mary Calkins Heinlein created the Park in 1944. Bird was a County Commissioner whose campaign platform included the goal of creating and tropical park, and that's exactly what he did after his election.

Jorge Castillo: What, a politician actually keeping a campaign promise?

Jorge Castillo: They have more than 500 species of plants including 65 varieties of bananas and 80 varieties of mango!

Glenn Lindgren: Visitors can roam the grounds on their own and with a map and the identifying signs, you can see a lot on your own.

Raúl Musibay: And some of the fruit is poisonous.

Glenn Lindgren: Although this isn't DisneyWorld, they do have a motorized tram that takes visitors on a guided tour.

Jorge Castillo: The nice thing about the tour? Your guide will usually take you to a plant or tree and let you pick one fruit for your own personal consumption.

Glenn Lindgren: The other nice thing about the tour? You want eat anything poisonous by mistake!

Jorge Castillo: The Park has the ubiquitous gift shop, however it's here you'll get a chance to sample several types of tropical fruits, so don't just rush the kids through here.

Glenn Lindgren: Besides, the gift shop does have many nice things for sale including fruit, juices, jams, jellies, teas, and "a wonderful selection of cookbooks."

Raúl Musibay: Yes, you can even buy a copy of Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban here!

Jorge Castillo: Oh, we almost forgot to mention Park Manager Chris Rollins. He's the guy who has really made the park what it is today.

Jorge Castillo: If you're doing our Krome Avenue Fruit and Vegetable Tour, the Fruit and Spice Park is highly recommended.

Raúl Musibay: Enjoy the fruit!

ADMISSION: Adults $15.00 | $12 Senior citizens 65 and older | Children 12 and under free

NOTE: The first Wednesday of each month is Contribution Day, when visitors set their own admission fee.

HOURS: Open seven days a week, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM | Closed Christmas

TRAM TOURS: Hourly

LENGTH OF VISIT: Allow 2 to 4 hours

ADMISSION: Adults $5.00 | Children (6 -12 years of age) $1.50 | Children under 6 Free

HOURS: Open seven days a week, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM | Closed Christmas

TRAM TOURS: Daily at 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM

LENGTH OF VISIT: Allow 1 to 3 hours

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