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Fruit and Spice Park
Rating Details »
Categories: Botanical Gardens, Parks, Flowers & Gifts, Local Flavor [Edit]
24801 SW 187th AveHomestead, FL 33031
(305) 247-5727
8 reviews for Fruit and Spice Park
We went in the middle of winter and so much as available to try. I bet summer is amazing, but was very impressed!
I've been wanting to take a trip to India to visit where spices grow. Not exactly within my budget, this place has held me back. It's out of the way, but real easy to get to by us on our way to the Keyes.
You must go on the tour to know the more about what you are looking at. You can only eat what's on the ground. I saw someone shake the tree alittle to get the juicy fruit to fall. Not a bad idea!
I had the best tasting passionfruit here.
I often think about my visit to here. It's so much fun, just go!
The sausage tree is so beautiful, too.
I want to go back!
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warning: i went here when 50% of the park was closed for renovations. I would advise calling ahead and seeing what is in bloom, what free samples they have, and what is open.
The park is pretty big for what it is. What it excells in: fruit of the americas. there are some gorgeous trees and things i've never seen before. the park is spacious but there's lots of stuff to snoop around in and get nosy. It is far from civilization (which i think starts to break down as you exit miami proper personally) and worth the drive if there's something you want to get out of it. I think going when stuff is ripe and great and catching an event or class would be stellar. I went in fall and there were things to see, but i realize a few months earlier would have been better.
weaknesses: for a fruit park the asia section was pretty weak. It may have been in the closed portion, but i was expecting durian, mangosteen, pomelo, and rarer. I either missed them or they weren't there. The spices section was real weak. It seemed like a typical spice garden, and less tropical spices than i would have liked.
You can either take a tour where they explain it to you or bring a guide. The gift shop is nice with good books, sun hats strangely, and various fruit and spice products. there are free fruit samples which is nice.
While you're there hit up RF Orchids, a massive nursery nearby that is beyond stellar.
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Loved driving out here. Once you turn off on US-1, it's a whole 'nother world. Plantations and tropical fruit farms and a variety of lizards crossing the road. It's like suddenly finding yourself in the South again, but there are fields full of dragonfruit and palm trees instead of corn and wheat. And just like the South, I found an abundance of friendliness and hospitality (and pick-up trucks).
They offer tastings of the fruit that is ripe or almost ready/in season at the front desk. I was greeted with the smell of jackfruit when I walked in...yum. People who had never had it before kept coming back for more, saying, "It tastes kinda weird, but I keep on wanting more!"
I highly recommend the tour as well. Included in the park admission price, it was educational, funny, and it allows you to pick things off trees (instead of the ground) if you get the tour guide-slash-groundskeeper's permission. He's really easy-going and has lots of silly stories...was able to quickly get all the people on the tour involved and talking to each other.
My favorites were marula (which can get you drunk if you eat too much of it), ice cream bean, again the jackfruit, and a mango that had *just* dropped to the ground, which meant it was *perfect*. Bring a knife, a kitchen towel, a water bottle (for swishing or rinsing your hands), and possibly a spoon...you'll need it! We came prepared. Also bring some insect repellant to spray on before you enter the park.
Since everything's organic, it's really cool just being able to eat stuff fresh or off the ground (after a quick brush-off). My only wish is that more fruits could be in season at the same time!
[edit: I've uploaded a bunch of pictures now.]
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This park is a Garden of Eden! I looked forward to visiting for over 6 months, and I am going to be coming back every 6 months (so much changes every season!)
They have an amazing collection fruit trees from around the world. Over 150 varieties of Mangos, and that's just one fruit! You can taste them if they have fallen naturally or at the charming gift shoppe that has lots of books you can't find anywhere else on fruit topics.
I can't wait to go back! They have a festival coming up on June 20th. Join their fan page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.co...
because the drive from miami is long, you kind of expect something on the scale of the botanical garden, but it's not like that. so have the right expectations.
the grounds are less manicured; it's much more of an au natural feel. for the most part, you have to come at the right time of year to see all the fruits.
FYI: currently, part of the park is under construction.
the tour is also variable, but interesting enough for about an hour
you can eat some of the things found in the park or sample the ones picked at the beginning of the day (better to go early, take the 11 o clock tour)
the scenery on the way out here is different--farmland, nursuries, plant purveyors, etc.
not much in the way of a picturesque setting, so i think people interested in food would like this place the most (not as much material for photographers)
also, nearby is monkey jungle, so you could combine it with that trip.
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I will admit, I am a total botanical gardens nerd. It may not be the coolest thing to be nerdy about, but it's just how I roll. My standards are high, obviously, and I was not disappointed at the Fruit and Spice Park.
The fruit and spice park is one of the (or maybe THE) only tropical botanical gardens in the country. This place is huuuuge, so be prepared to walk a lot. There's a tram that drives around the park; it's helpful if you aren't feeling like walking around in the heat and sunshine.
You are also encouraged to sample the fruit that falls to the ground, which is nice- everything from mangoes to jackfruit. Iguanas dot the landscape, sunning in the grass.
Give yourself lots of time here, because there is a lot of ground to cover. It's absolutely gorgeous. And if the sun gets to you, go chill in the banana grove for awhile. It's shady!
This county-owned park is such a reprieve for Miami... and not only that, but I found it to be quite educational as well. Why? Because you learn about the exotic fruits and grows in southern South Florida.
Sapote, eggfruit, carambola, and various other fruits can even be sampled here for free. And for those unwilling to put something exotic into their mouths - there's an explanation of how it may taste.
And they sell Gaby's Farm Ice Cream - famous for having exotic flavors, such as black sapote and lychee. They're quite good!
You can also venture out the territory to see the plants, but honestly, what's inside the building is the best part.
Friendly and educational staff. Good products. Free sampling. Educational experience. Excellent introduction to the agricultural farming capabilities of Miami's Redland.
ALSO... pay the $6, and even though the grounds is not even remotedly as nice as that of Fairchild Tropical Garden, it is worth it as the tour guide Christy is excellent, knowledgeable, and encourages you to try the fruits that is growing right on the spot! It's a fun experience and definitely an affordable one. RECOMMENDED.
I was so dissapointed after my trip to the fruit and spice park. I love everything nature and doing outside activities but this place was definitely not worth the money or my precious time. I will never go there about simply because it was very boring and uninformative the plants and fruits I saw here I can see in my backyard. Maybe the reason for this was because I went on the tour they offer and it was not what I expected at all.
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