If you follow me on Instagram, you know my daughter and I took a trip to Tampa, Florida. We had an wonderful time and I was amazed at all the beautiful tropical landscape.

Our first adventure was in Busch Gardens Park.  My daughter was interested in all of the roller coaster rides, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the topiaries, garden beds and wild growing plants.

Variegated Schefflera trees were very abundant in the garden beds.  It’s funny to me how these grow so easily in the humid environment and I was not able to keep mine alive in Arizona.

Croton was another very common plant, but I was astonished at this large potted Croton!

A garden bed mixed with Crotons, Caladiums, and Chinese Evergreen don’t need sprinkler watering.  They prosper naturally from the rain and humidity in this zone 9.

Orchids are Epiphytes and this is a wonderful specimen of an orchid getting it’s nutrients and water from the rain.  Look at those roots!

This Philadendron has to be decades old and it’s just taken over this building.

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park we had such a wonderful time and even more specimens of Epiphytes.  Bromeliads, Spanish Moss and Staghorn Ferns were so at home in the trees.

I even found what looked like an Alocasia plant growing from a crack in the rocks.  It’s amazing to me how plants will grow just about anywhere.

Florida truly is a beautiful state and full of lush plants.  I’m looking forward to one day growing my own tropical plants there, but for now I will enjoy my pictures.

Thanks so much friends for visiting, until next time!

Blessings,