Harry P. Leu Gardens
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| Mizell-Leu House Historic District | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. Registered Historic District) | |
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| Location: | Orlando, Florida |
| Area: | 15 acres |
| Built/Founded: | 1888[1] |
| Architect: | John T. Mizell[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | December 29, 1994 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 94001495[2] |
| Governing body: | Local government |
The Harry P. Leu Gardens are semi-tropical and tropical gardens in Orlando, Florida, USA. The gardens contain nearly 50 acres (20 ha) of landscaped grounds and lakes, with meandering trails shaded by 200 year-old oaks and forests of camellias. They are open to the public. The address is 1920 North Forest Avenue.
A 15 acre (6 ha) section of the park is a U.S. historic district. As such, it is known as the Mizell-Leu House Historic District (or Leu Botanical Gardens and Leu House Museum). It received that designation on December 29, 1994. According to the National Register of Historic Places, it contains 3 historic buildings.
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[edit] History
The Leu Gardens were started by Mr. and Mrs. Harry P. Leu, who in 1936 purchased Leu House and 40 acres (16 ha) of land. The Leus traveled all over the world and brought back many exotic plants and many varieties (240) of camellias for their gardens. In 1961, the Leus deeded the house and the gardens to the city of Orlando.
[edit] Flora
The gardens are known for their extensive collections of azaleas, vines, bromeliads, orchids and aroids, over 1,000 types of roses, and a superb camellia collection (the largest documented collection of camellias in the nation). A hothouse, now closed, provided yearly viewing of orchids and ferns. Near the garden entrance is the conservatory with a small waterfall.
The Leu Camellia Collection is one of the largest outdoor collections of its kind in the United States. Common camellias (Camellia japonica) and sasanquas (C. sasanqua) comprise the majority of the collection, with over twenty-five species from various locations throughout the world. Even the tea plant (C. sinensis) is grown Leu Gardens. It is believed that some camellias were present on the estate when Mr. Leu acquired it in 1936. From 1936 to 1955, he planted over 1500 camellias on the estate; a handful remain today. The collection also displays 50 historical varieties, developed before 1900.
- The Tropical Stream Garden includes bananas (Musa spp.), papaya (Carica papaya), passion fruits (Passiflora spp.), starfruit (Averrhoa carambola), mango (Mangifera indica 'Keitt'), guava (Psidium guajava), and lychee (Litchi chinensis). It also includes the native plants, including Palmettos (Sabal spp.), coral bean (Erythrina herbacea), seagrape (Coccolobba uvifera), spider lily (Hymenocallis latifolia), horsetail (Equisetum hyemale), spiderwort (Trandescantia sp.), and many ferns are found amongst southern live oaks (Quercus virginiana), red maples (Acer rubrum) and bald cypress (Taxodium spp.).
- The Palm Garden is one of the most extensive collections of palms in Florida, with a wide variety of palms from around the world. Examples of sub-families represented within the collection are Coryphoideae (cabbage palms, Chinese fan palms, date palms, thatch palms), Arecoideae (fish-tail palms, sugar palms, triangle palm, coconut palms), Calamoideae (rattan palms), and Ceroxyloideae (majesty palms, bottle palms, bamboo palms, spindle palms). It also includes extensive collections of Cycads and more than fifty types of bamboo.
- The Arid Garden contains various forms of cacti, a desert-like landscape and many types of plants that can survive under extremely hot conditions. It is the Gardens' smallest section.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Harry P. Leu Gardens. Florida Heritage Tourism Interactive Catalog. Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs (2007-06-18).
- ^ National Register of Historical Places - Florida (FL), Orange County. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-06-18).
[edit] External links
