The Garden at the End of the Rainbow.

Any garden can have colorful plants, but tropical gardens do it best, with day-glow leaves and florescent flowers in mind boggling shapes and forms. If you're into those kinds of plants, no visit to Miami is complete without a trip to the Fairchild Botanical Gardens. I'm so lucky that I occasionally have to travel to tropical gardens and get to call it work. Earlier in the year my wife and I traveled there for a photography gig, but I haven't shared any of the photos until now!

I was actually reminded of this trip when I was cruising pinterest and noticed just how popular rainbow palettes are at the moment. If there's one thing I've learned on Pinterest, it's that people can't resist plants in bright and unusual colors, even if they're not real. It seems that pinners are especially fond of roses with petals colored blue or in rainbow hues (either by photoshop or dye) but they're often described as the real deal!

Source: via Steve on Pinterest

I've started a board called Fake Plants and Other Hoaxes to set people straight about 'Moonmelons' like the one above, and it's even been featured on The Daily Dot and Mashable. I've made it a group board so that others can contribute their own faked owls and Photoshopped snakes, and the guest pinners have done great so far.

I'm just blown away that people would be drawn to such obvious fakes when the beautiful and bizarre already exists in nature! Here's a sampling of those colors, as seen at the Fairchild Botanical Garden.

An Alcantarea imperialis bromeliad against a backdrop of cycads.

Aloe vera might be useful, but this Aloe spp. is even prettier!

This Brownea spp. bears enormous orange flowerheads.

Blue ice calathea seems to cool the air of the steamy hothouse.

Cannonball tree's flowers are as impressive as the cannonball-like fruits that follow.

This Euphorbia spp. has flowers that stand in stark contrast to the vicious and drab stems.

Pink ti plants appear like beacons at the curve of the path.

I found this little patch of paradise after taking a wrong turn.

A ferny grotto shows how the color green can provide a rest from other bright colors.
Portea grandiflora (I believe) showing its true colors.

Pride of Burma, blooming for the first time that one volunteer could remember.

Quesnelia testudo is spiky but the flower spikes look like tufts of cotton candy.

Rainbow eucalyptus is known for its multicolored bark.

A red headed agama shows that animals can be colorful too.

A planting scheme by Raymond Jungles with Bismarck palms, cycads, bromeliads and purple heart.



  1. I would love to visit Fairchild Botanical Gardens one day. It's amazing. Thanks for sharing your visit Steve.

  2. that bark on the rainbow eucalyptus is amazing.... I agree that nature is fantastic just as it is....

  3. Nature creats some amazing plants without any need for fakery! As others have said the Rainbow Euc is stunning!

    Gaz: Alternative Eden

  4. My favorite tropical garden! My dream job (when I retire) would be one of the tour guides there. I've been only once and still remember every moment. David/:0)


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