

They started giving tours of their groves, even introducing peacocks in the 1940s. The Wrays and business partner Frank Stirling planted their first citrus trees in 1927 and eventually had 2,000 acres with over 60 varieties of citrus. This hammock is located on one of the high points in Broward County, which is one reason it was the home site selected by Floyd and Jane Wray when they built their residence in 1927. One of the most beautiful landscapes in the park is a hammock of live oak trees, many of them 150 to 200 years old.

(Photo: Bonnie Gross) Florida history at Flamingo Gardens Here’s a list of wildlife at Flamingo Gardens.įlamingo Gardens has lush gardens of tropical and semi-tropical plants.

Wildlife encounter shows are scheduled daily for 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. It delighted young and old when we said “hello” to a crow and it said “hello” back. These smart crows have learned to say a few words. Nearby is one of the fattest alligators I have ever seen.Īnother favorite: As you head toward the aviary, pause in front of the fish crows cage. You also can get exceptionally close to the African spurred tortoises, whose pen has low railings. You can get up close to the surprisingly active African Spurred Tortoises at Flamingo Gardens in Davie. I have always admired roseate spoonbills in the wild, but I had never seen one two-feet away before. The birds, many born in the aviary, are so used to visitors that you can view them from quite close. Again, buy a $1 bag of bird food (different than flamingo food) so you can have this interaction.ĭon’t miss spending time in the half-acre free-flight aviary, where you can walk among 250 birds from 45 species. Hungry ibises and peacocks are everywhere, and they’re a lot of fun to feed too. There is a lot more to Flamingo gardens wildlife than flamingos! It wasn’t just the kids who thought this was the coolest thing ever. Be sure to buy a $1 bag of flamingo food when you buy your tickets. (Photo: David Blasco)Īt Flamingo Gardens, you can even feed the flamingos, whose big funny beaks are very gentle as they scrape your palm for handout food pellets. The food for the flamingos is $1 a bag and you can buy it when you get your tickets at the entrance. Over the years, it has added animals so that now it has more than 80 native species of birds and animals, including river otter, bald and golden eagles, bobcats, tortoises, a black bear and a Florida panther.įlamingo Gardens now the largest collection of Florida native wildlife in the state including a magnificent flock of flamingos, which now have been categorized as native to Florida.įlamingo Gardens, Davie: Flamingos eat out of your hand at the flamingo pond. Two decades ago, Flamingo Gardens began developing a new area of the park, the Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary. Today, it is home to the biggest tree in Florida (a non-native Cluster Fig measuring 54 feet 1 inch in circumference with a crown span of 95 feet) as well as 3,000 tropical and subtropical species of plants.

It was founded in 1927 by Floyd Wray, who first planted citrus trees and then added rare tropical fruit, flowering trees, and shrubs. Originally, its big attraction was its historic botanic gardens. I have visited and loved Flamingo Gardens for years. Last updated on July 6th, 2022 at 02:26 pmįlamingo Gardens in Davie combines my all-time favorite things, and they are the four main reasons to love this outpost in the suburbs:Ī flamingo at Flamingo Gardens.
