Whitman Tropical Fruit Pavilion

Whitman Tropical Fruit Pavilion

The tropics are home to the world’s most amazing fruit trees, some too delicate and cold-sensitive to grow outdoors in Miami. The Whitman Tropical Fruit Pavilion houses some of the tropical world’s most exotic fruit in a conservatory-like structure made possible by a generous gift from William “Bill” Whitman and his family. Among our favorite trees are the durians (Durio spp.) known in Southeast Asia as the “king of fruits.” With an odor akin to rotting onions and a peculiar, spicy-sweet custard flavor, durians are an acquired taste. We also have a collection of the mango genus Mangifera, cousins of the commercial mango with more intense flavors. Along with extra warmth, we give these trees ultra-pure water, acidic soil, and the humidity of a tropical cloud forest.