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Bonnet House Garden: A Trove Of Rare & Unique Trees

By Bonnet House Blog One Comment

For decades, the Bonnet House estate has been well-known for its historical significance to the South Florida community. But part of what makes Bonnet House so special is the natural environment in which it was built. The Bonnet House grounds encompass one of the last examples in South Florida of a native barrier island habitat. Five distinct ecosystems can be found on the property including the Atlantic Ocean beach and primary dune, a freshwater slough, the secondary dune which includes the house site, mangrove wetlands, and a maritime forest. Because of our unique location and expansive grounds, Bonnet House is home to a variety of rare trees that you won’t easily find in the rest of the United States.

The Jabuticaba Tree, for example, is native to Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, and Bolivia. Jabuticaba Trees are able to flourish here at Bonnet House because of their adaptability. These trees prefer moist, rich, slightly acidic soil, but they can also grow satisfactorily on alkaline beach-sand type soils as long as they are tended and irrigated. These trees flower frequently and produce a tasty thick-skinned berry year-round. Rangpur Lime Trees can also be found on our estate. These trees originated in India, but were brought to Florida in the late 19th century, and can now be grown throughout the world. They also bear an edible fruit that looks and tastes like a hybrid between a mandarin orange and citron. Avocado and Mango trees are also common throughout the Bonnet House estate.

Avocado trees are native to South Central Mexico but thrive in South Florida because of the humid, warm environment, and well-aerated soil. Mango trees on the other hand, are native to India but they also require a warm, humid climate in order to survive. For this reason, in the United States, these trees are only able to grow in Southern Florida and California.

The Bonnet House gardens also include Sapodilla trees. These are a rare find in North America, as they are only native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. They can only survive in warm, tropical environments and will easily die if the temperature drops below freezing. South Florida’s warm climate makes it the perfect place for these trees to flourish. The Ear Tree is also native to Central America and can be found at the Bonnet House estate. These trees are a species of flowering tree in the pea family and are known for their expansive, spherical crown and ear-lobe shaped seed pods.

The Bonnet House estate is home to another rare tree that is native to Africa, Arabia, and Australia. These trees are known as Baobabs, and are commonly located in seasonally arid environments and shed their leaves during the dry season. They can survive harsh drought conditions by storing large quantities of water in their trunk (up to 32,000 gallons) for long periods of time. Although all of these trees are native to other countries, each can be found right here in South Florida. At Bonnet House, part of our mission involves educating the public about the Bartlett’s environmental legacy, and encouraging its preservation. You can see these rare trees, and so many more exciting species of plants and animals at Bonnet House Museum & Gardens.

Plan your next visit today!

orchid festival

Bonnet House Garden Mart

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Featuring the 11th Annual Orchid & Exotic Plant Sale with over 3,000 attendees. Orchids, Exotics, Fruit Trees, Butterfly Garden Plants, Edible Bites, Libations, Garden Art, Lectures, Orchid Displays, Farmer’s Market…
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Orchid, Garden & Gourmet Food Festival at Bonnet House

By Bonnet House Blog, Events, News, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Bonnet House Blooms December 1st & 2nd
with its
Orchid, Garden and Gourmet Food Festival

Bonnet House Museum & Gardens will be blooming during its Orchid, Garden and Gourmet Food Festival featuring the 6th Annual Orchid and Exotic Plant Sale December 1st and 2nd from 9:30am to 4:30pm! With free parking and a $10 entry fee for members and $12 fee for non-members- plant lovers and orchid enthusiasts will have the opportunity to see and buy an exclusive selection of orchids and exotic plants.

In addition to the unique collection of exotic orchids and plants sold by over 30 local vendors, the two-day event will feature gourmet food trucks, libations, orchid care lectures, cooking and gardening demonstrations, a silent auction display, live music, a farmer’s market and a creative kids corner.

The event will take place Saturday and Sunday, December 1st and 2nd from 9:30am to 4:30pm.  The entry fee is $10 for members and $12 for non-members for the fair and grounds and an additional fee of $8 for the self-guided tour through the house. Tickets to the event are now available online at www.bonnethouse.org/calendar.

Event Features:

Orchid Displays & Silent Auction – Various orchid displays created by the participating vendors will be available for auction.

Gourmet Food Trucks – Food trucks throughout the property offering edible bites from cheese sandwiches for kids to grilled fish and Italian fare for adults.

Wine, Beer, Mimosa’s & Bloody Mary’s– Enjoy an invigorating mixture as you wander through the garden.

Orchid and Exotic Plants – Featuring over 30 vendors including bamboo, butterfly garden plants and much more.

Orchid Supplies – Vendors to provide all you need to plant and grow orchids.
Garden Art – Attractive and unusual orchid and/or garden related items from several vendors.

Lectures – Educational lectures and how-to demonstrations on caring for your garden and preparing healthy meals for the entire family.

Kids Corner – Part of the fruit grove will be turned into a creative corner for children featuring face painting and orchid collage for kids.

Green Market – Herbs, organic fruit and vegetables and helpful tips on gardening will be available.

Self-guided Tours of the House and Grounds – Stroll through the grounds and house at your leisure and experience the charm and beauty of the Bonnet House estate.

Rest Areas – Where you can sit and relax in the shade.
The Bonnet House Gift Shop – Near the main house, offers a unique choice of snacks and bottled juices, as well as a variety of interesting books, jewelry and array of gift items.
Lots of Free parking – The entrance to the parking lot is on N. Birch Road off of Sunrise Blvd. between A1A and the Intracoastal Waterway.

This year’s sponsors include The Home Depot, Market 17, Classical South Florida Radio, Whole Foods Market, AroundTown Magazine, Broward Orchid Supply, PL&P Advertising, Marando Farms, Gold Coast Youth Orchestra and Waste Management.