MIAMI — Just south of downtown Miami lies a place that feels worlds away from the bustling city. The Kampong, a tropical paradise founded by one of America's most prolific inventors, now boasts one of the nation's most extraordinary gardens.
"We are comprised of five gardens and preserves, four are in Hawaii and we are the only one on the mainland," said Brian Sidoti, the garden's director.
The Kampong has a unique past rooted in botanical exploration. David Fairchild, a famous plant explorer who worked for the USDA, purchased the property in 1916 with his wife. For decades, he traveled far and wide in search of useful plants to bring back to America.
"So many of the varieties that we have today on our table were brought by David Fairchild— mangoes, avocados, quinoa, chickpeas," Sidoti said.
The property was donated in 1984 and today strives to grow a brighter tomorrow with a clear mission.
"To enrich life by perpetuating tropical plants, ecosystems, and cultural heritage," Sidoti said.
This living collection is unparalleled in its diversity. Visitors can experience the fragrant ylang ylang tree, whose scent carries remarkable distances.
"It's very fragrant, especially at night. You can be across the street or half a block away and you can recognize the scent," Sidoti said.
The garden houses thousands of species, providing the perfect habitat for pollinators. The pollinator garden demonstrates how over half the food we eat requires these crucial creatures.
"We wanted to connect people again with their food and how important food is, the bees, the butterflies, the wasps, the ants, they're all pollinators, the bats," Sidoti said.
Visitors can feast their eyes on different berries and discover plants they may have never seen before. The garden features wild lime, which serves as the host plant for giant swallowtail butterflies, and scorpion tail plants that provide nectar for various butterfly species.
"You can make jelly out of this, and it's edible," Sidoti said about one of the berry varieties. "There's actually two different kinds, there's the purple berries and another variety with white berries."
The garden demonstrates how everything in nature is intertwined and could serve as a catalyst to jumpstart careers for future botanists, scientists, or simply folks who appreciate nature.
"We do partner with Florida International University, Miami Dade College, and universities on different projects to help train the next generation of plant scientists and conservationists," Sidoti said.
The garden's roots reflect Fairchild's deep desire to continue the love of botany for future generations.
"He wanted every child to have a microscope and have that discovery and be plant explorers," Sidoti said.
A serene stroll through The Kampong shows how plants are the unsung heroes of human life, quietly turning sunlight into breath, food, shelter, and wonder.
"It's really, really critical - people don't necessarily associate what plants do for us, whether it be oxygen, the food, medicine - that's all critical to our lives," Sidoti said.
Watch "Finding Florida" each Sunday at 10 a.m. on WPTV!
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
