About the Kampong

Located on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove, Florida, The Kampong contains a fascinating collection of tropical plants. 

The garden is named for the Malay or Javanese word for a village or cluster of houses. Some of the first plantings there came from Indo-Malaysia, brought  by David Fairchild, the renowned explorer/horticulturist who introduced many species to the United States.  He  owned the property in the early 1900s. The collections were expanded and diversified by the next owner, Mrs.Kay Sweeney, who eventually gifted the garden to the National Tropical Botanical Garden. 

Heritage collections from Southeast Asia, Central and South Americas, the Caribbean, and other tropical locales create a cornucopia of exotic fruit, including candle fruit, peanut butter fruit, egg fruit, cocoplums, and over 50 varieties of mango. Numerous species of palms, cycads, and flowering trees are studied by scientists from the world over.

The Kampong serves as the mainland campus for the NTBG's educational courses, as a living classroom used by universities and colleges for botany and horticulture courses, and is a popular spot for plant enthusiasts of all ages. The Kampong has entered into a research collaboration with Florida International University.