Naples Botanical Garden Opens 60,000-Square-Foot Horticulture Campus

The Evenstad Horticulture Campus at the Naples Botanical Garden opened in 2024 and spans 60,000 square feet, with state-of-the-art greenhouses and labs built for studying rare tropical species.

"We're tropical. No one else can grow a lot of the things that we can grow," said Brian Galligan, vice president of horticulture, according to FGCU360. "So really it's expected of us to be growing these oddball things from around the world that have amazing conservation merit."

This marks the site's most significant update since 2014. Gone are the old buildings with their patchwork equipment. In their place stands one of North America's premier centers for tropical plant study and preservation.

Three Florida Gulf Coast University alumni now fill vital positions at the facility. Andrea Grace leads 11 staff members in her role as assistant director. The nursery team includes specialist Emily Rodriguez and gardener Shelby Dotson.

Inside the labs, scientists work to save endangered species. Rodriguez's team studies over 15 cacti from Puerto Rico to determine what the plants need to thrive.

The expanded site now stores more seeds from across the globe. Nick Ewy, who directs the collections, sees endless possibilities for training future plant scientists in this space.

Looking ahead, more hands-on programs will launch soon. Students gain real experience here, working alongside experts to protect and study the world's rarest plants.