Montgomery Botanical Center

Coral Gables, Florida, United States

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The Montgomery Botanical Center in Coral Gables, Florida, was established in 1959 by Nell Montgomery Jennings to honor her late husband, Robert Hiester Montgomery, co-founder of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

The 120-acre property, originally their private estate called the Coconut Grove Palmetum, boasts one of the world’s largest and finest collections of palms and cycads. Robert Montgomery began the collection in the early 1930s, acquiring rare palm species and seeds globally, which grew to include over 400 palm species and 50 species of cycads by the late 1930s.

The center focuses on botanical research, conservation, and education, housing research labs, a herbarium, library, and nursery facilities. Although not generally open to the public, it offers guided tours by appointment and serves as an important scientific institution dedicated to the study and preservation of tropical plants.​