The Gardens Fact Sheet

Federally chartered by Congress in 1964 as a not-for-profit institution, the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) is comprised of a network of gardens and preserves, including McBryde Garden, Allerton Garden, and Limahuli Garden and Preserve on the island of Kaua‘i; Kahanu Garden on Maui; The Kampong in Florida; and two preserves on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. To follow is a closer look at each one of the Gardens:

Situated on the south shore of the Hawaiian Island of Kaua‘i, McBryde Garden is nestled in the picturesque and historical Lawa‘i Valley, which is known for its diversity of climate, soils, and topography. NTBG’s first garden, McBryde Garden encompasses 252 acres offering a kaleidoscope of distinct micro-environments—cool, hot, wet, dry, lake, cliff or meadow. A veritable botanical ark of tropical flora, McBryde Garden is home to the largest ex situ (the conservation and protection of plants outside of their native habitats) collection of native Hawaiian flora in existence, extensive plantings of palms, flowering trees, orchids, and many other plants that have been wild-collected from tropical regions of the world. The living collections in McBryde Garden are maintained primarily for conservation, scientific, and educational purposes and secondarily for their horticultural, ornamental, cultural and/or medicinal values. NTBG's Conservation Program is based at this site and the Garden contains a state-of-the-art horticulture and micro-propagation facility.

Location: 4425 Lawa‘i Road, Po‘ipu, South Shore, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i
Tours: Daily, self-guided; all tours require 15-minute tram ride into Valley
Hours: 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m.
Duration: A minimum of 1.5 hours
Distance: Combination of transportation by vehicle and one-mile walk
Attire: Comfortable walking shoes, long pants and/or mosquito repellent, hat, water
Cost: Adults $20; children 6-12 yrs. $10; children 5 yrs. and under free
Reservations: Not required; first come, first served basis.
Check-in: 15 minutes prior to tour departure at the Visitors Center at 4425 Lawa‘i Road, Po‘ipu
Phone: (808) 742-2623 general, guided or group tours

Allerton Garden lies between the Pacific Ocean and McBryde Garden in Lawa‘i Valley, on the south shore of the Hawaiian Island of Kaua‘i. It is a garden paradise, transformed through time by the hands of a Hawaiian Queen, by a sugar plantation magnate and most significantly by an artist and an architect. The endless possibilities found in this dramatic topography led to the creation of this masterpiece of garden art. A series of outdoor “rooms” were created with walls of plants surrounding gravity-fed pools and fountains. European and Asian statuary and artifacts also grace the estate. Towering rain-forest trees with tall curving roots grow near bronze mermaids, a grove of swaying golden bamboo, a cut-flower garden, and tropical fruit trees. Here the focus is on landscape design, but among the plantings are important botanical species of the tropics, including varieties of palms, ki (ti), heliconias, and gingers. Allerton Garden is managed by NTBG for the Allerton Gardens Trust.

Location: 4425 Lawa‘i Road, Po‘ipu, South Shore, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i
Tours: Monday through Saturday. Call for Sunday tour times. Guided; all tours require 15-minute tram ride into Valley
Hours: 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m.
Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours
Distance: Combination of transportation by vehicle and one-mile walk
Attire: Comfortable walking shoes, long pants and/or mosquito repellent, hat, water
Cost: Adults (13 yrs. and above) $35; children 10-12 yrs. $20. Children 10 yrs. and above only on tour
Reservations: Required using a credit card
Check-in: 15 minutes prior to tour departure at the Visitors Center at 4425 Lawa‘i Road, Po‘ipu
Phone: (808) 742-2623 general, groups or Japanese tours


Limahuli Garden and Preserve is set in a verdant tropical valley on the north shore of the Hawaiian Island of Kaua‘i. Once a Hawaiian ahupua‘a (ancient land division stretching from the mountains to the sea), the Garden was selected by the American Horticultural Society as the “Best Natural Botanical Garden in the United States.” In Hawaiian, the name Limahuli means “turning hands,” in honor of the ancient Hawaiians who built agricultural terraces out of lava rock and planted cultivars of kalo (taro), an important cultural food crop, on this site. In fact, within the garden’s boundaries are ancient agricultural crop terraces created by the Polynesians nearly 1,000 years ago. The plant collections at Limahuli Garden showcase Hawaii’s indigenous plants as well as Polynesian and modern introduced plants, demonstrating the invasive nature of introduced species on native plant communities. Behind the Garden is the Limahuli Preserve, nearly 1,000-acre natural preserve where conservationists and restoration biologists are working to preserve species native to this habitat.

Location: 5-8291 Kuhio Highway, Ha‘ena, North Shore, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i
Tours: Tuesday through Friday, and Sunday; self-guided
Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Duration: A minimum of 1 hours.
Distance: A mile walk on a loop trail, steep in some areas
Attire: Comfortable walking shoes, long pants and/or mosquito repellant, hat, water; umbrellas are provided
Cost: Adults $15; children 12 yrs. and under free
Reservations: Only required for guided tours (please call for availability)
Check-in: At Limahuli Garden Visitors Center
Phone: (808) 826-1053 general, guided or group tours

On the rugged Hana coast, along the far eastern shores of the Hawaiian Island of Maui, Kahanu Garden grows in splendid isolation, nestled in one of the largest, untamed native hala (Pandanus) forests in the Islands. The living collections at Kahanu Garden focus on plants of the Pacific Islands, particularly those of ethnobotanical (the study of the use of plants in various cultures) value to Hawaiians and other cultures of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, and are used primarily for conservation, scientific research and education. Among the different ethnobotanical collections that are housed here is the world's largest collection of breadfruit cultivars, which serves as a germplasm repository for this important South Pacific food crop. Collections also include other plants native to the Hawaiian Islands, and to East Maui specifically. At Kahanu Garden, one learns the cultural relationships between the people and these remarkable plants that were transported around the Pacific on ancient voyaging canoes. Situated in the storied land of Honomo‘ele, Kahanu Garden is also home to Pi‘ilanihale, a massive lava-rock structure that is believed to be the largest ancient place of worship (heiau) in Polynesia. This awe-inspiring cultural site is registered as a National Historic Landmark.

Location: 650 ‘Ula‘ino Road, Hana, East Shore, Maui, Hawai‘i
Tours: Monday through Friday; self-guided
Hours: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Duration: A minimum of 1 hours
Distance: A mile walk over flat terrain
Attire: Comfortable walking shoes, long pants and/or mosquito repellent, hat, water
Cost: Adults $10; Children 12 yrs. and under free
Reservations: Not required
Check-in: Kiosk at Garden gate
Phone: (808) 248-8912

Located on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove, Florida, The Kampong is formerly the residence and private garden of noted plant explorer Dr. David Fairchild. The living collections at The Kampong are a treasure trove of tropical fruit cultivars and flowering trees from Indo-Malaysia and the central and south Americas. Among its heritage collections are a cornucopia of exotic fruit, including candle fruit, peanut butter fruit, egg fruit, cocoplums, and over 50 varieties of mango. A popular spot for plant enthusiasts of all ages and serving as the mainland campus for NTBG's educational courses, The Kampong is a living classroom used by universities and colleges for botany and horticulture courses as well as by visiting scientists from all over the world who are studying the numerous species of palms, cycads, and flowering trees. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Location: 4013 S. Douglas Road, Coconut Grove, Florida
Tours: Monday through Friday; self-guided
Hours: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Duration: A minimum of 1 hour
Distance: Varies by individual preference
Attire: Comfortable walking shoes
Cost: Adults $10; students 7 or older $5; children 6 yrs. and under free
Reservations: Required
Check-in: Ring from gate
Phone: (305) 442-7169 general, guided or group tours

Hawai‘i residents and visitors can make a tangible difference in the preservation of the planet’s most endangered species and the cultural and botanical heritage of the Pacific and its indigenous people by becoming an annual member of NTBG. Members’ dues help support such vital activities as the rescue of threatened plant species, care of the plants in NTBG’s gardens and preserves, study of tropical species and raising awareness. Memberships range from $50 to $1,000 and include unlimited admission to all NTBG gardens and garden tours, 10 percent discount at the Garden Shops, members’ publications and invitations to NTBG lectures and events. Supporting Member ($500) and Silver Fellow ($1,000) membership levels offer additional benefits such as special edition Our Garden. Our World. gardening gloves or an Our Garden. Our World. t-shirt. To become a member, please call (808) 332-7324 x246 or visit OurGardenOurWorld.com.

Media Contact
Caroline Witherspoon or Danielle Douglass
Becker Communications, Inc. (808) 533-4165