Located in central Orlando, Leu Gardens offers visitors a chance to spend an unforgettable afternoon immersed in the beauty of nature. Guests can stroll through 50 acres of botanical gardens containing 12,000 plants. At the heart of the attraction lies the Leu House Museum, a turn of the century heritage home that once belonged to the Leu family. The Leu House Museum and the gardens within which it is situated were donated to the city by Harry P. Leu and his wife Mary Jane in 1961.

  • What is the history of the Leu House Museum?
    • While the Leu House Museum is named after its most recent occupants, it previously belonged to four separate families.
    • The property was first used to grow cotton, sugar cane, and corn under the Mizelle family, who settled on the land in 1858.
    • After the untimely death of David W. Mizelle, the home was occupied by Duncan Pell and Helen Gardner.
    • Helen Gardner was a silent movie star, writer, and director, and was notably the first woman to own her own production company.
    • Later, the Woodward family converted the home into their summer retreat, naming it LaBelle.
    • In 1936, Harry P. Leu and his wife Mary Jane moved in, cultivating the famous gardens with seeds collected from around the world.
  • What educational opportunities does Leu Gardens offer?
    • Leu Gardens offers a variety of tours, educational programs, and events for visitors of all interests.
    • Visitors can enjoy docent-guided tours of both the gardens and the museum.
    • Self-guided and group tours are available, with special programming for children from pre-K to 12th grade and Scouts.
    • The museum hosts monthly society meetings for local groups such as:
    • Central Florida Orchid Society
    • Orlando Area Historical Rose Society
    • Ikebana International Chapter 132
    • Visitors can also attend classes and workshops on topics such as honey tasting, breeding tropical orchids, and landscaping with perennials.
  • What exhibitions can be found at the Leu Museum?
    • The Leu Museum’s permanent collection includes works by artists such as M. B. Foster, Frank Farmer, and Chrissie Mervine.
    • The museum features eight oil-on-canvas works by M. B. Foster, a renowned naturalist and horticulturalist.
    • His discoveries include the famous Aechmea orlandiana, named after Orlando.
    • Several sculptural pieces are placed throughout the gardens, adding a whimsical character.
  • What types of plants can be found in Leu Gardens?
    • Leu Gardens features a diverse array of plants, flowers, and trees.
    • Visitors can find everything from vines to tropical philodendrons.
    • Each exhibit contains QR codes that provide additional information via smart devices.
    • There are 29 different sections in the garden.
  • What unique plant species can visitors explore?
    • The banana plant collection features variants with flavors like vanilla ice cream and peanut butter.
    • The bromeliads depicted in M. B. Foster’s paintings are also present in the gardens.
    • Brilliantly colored bromeliads grow both on the ground and on trees.
  • What wildlife can be found in Leu Gardens?
    • The gardens' unique ecosystem supports a variety of creatures.
    • Butterflies are commonly seen among the shrubs, trees, annuals, and perennials.
    • These butterflies attract hummingbirds and night-flying moths.
  • What rare plant collections can visitors explore?
    • The bamboo collection features rarely seen variants of this plant.
    • The cycad collection showcases 50 variants of plants that once coexisted with dinosaurs.
  • Is there a citrus grove at Leu Gardens?
    • As a tribute to the gardens’ former owner, there is a display containing a citrus grove with over fifty trees.

Leu Gardens, 1920 North Forest Avenue, Orlando, FL 32803, Phone: 407-246-2620

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