What's Blooming in May
Heritage Plants Available in the Garden Shoppe
Several of the plants that grew on the property during Thomas Edison's time are available for sale in the Edison Ford Garden Shoppe. We select plants that are seasonally appropriate and are happy to provide horticultural tips. We also carry many organic products for the vegetable garden. This month's available plants are as follows:
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | PRICE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allamanda Vine Brown Bud | Allamanda cathartica | $12 | |
| Assorted Flowering Annuals | (Many varieties) | $1.50-5 | |
| Avocado | Persea americana | $30 | |
| Bamboo | Various varieities (clumping only) | $30-$150 | |
| Banyan Tree | Ficus benghalensis | $25-35 | |
| Tropical Begonia Shrub | Begonia odorata alba | $6-$12 | |
| Bo Tree | Ficus religiosa | $20-35 | |
| Bougainvillea (Several Varieties) | Bougainvillea spp. | $10-75 | |
| Bromeliads | Tillandsias (air plants) | $3-10 | |
| Bull-Horn Acacia | Acacia | $15 | |
| Cactus and Succulents | Various | $5-15 | |
| Caladiums | Caladiums many varieties | $4 | |
| Citrus Various Sizes (we can order) | Ctrus sp. | $20-$120 | |
| Confederate Jasmine | Trachelospermum | $6 | |
| Copperleaf Shrub | Acalypha spp. various | $6-12 | |
| Crinum Lily | Crinum sp. Various varieties | $5-10 | |
| Crotons | Croton sp. | $6-10 | |
| Desert Rose | Adenium sp. | $15-30 | |
| Dwarf Poinciana | Caesealapinia pulcherrima | $10-$25 | |
| Grafted Gardenias | Gardenia jasminoides varieties grafted on rootstock | $25 | |
| Herbs & Heirloom Vegetables | (Many varieties) | $2-5 | |
| Mango | Mangifera indica | $35.00 | |
| Orchids and Supplies | Various varieties | $5-$40 | |
| Palms | Foxtail and Royal | $10-20 | |
| Pink Ball | Dombeya wallachii x seminole | $15 | |
| Purple Firespike | Odontenema | $10 | |
| Queen’s Wreath | Purple drooping flowers | $10 | |
| Staghorn Ferns | Platycerium bifurcatum | $10-20 | |
| Strawberry Pots | With or without plants | $150-200 | |
| Various Butterfly/Native Plants | Porterweed, passion vine, almond bush, Jatropha bush, shooting star, texas sage, firespike/purple and red | $1.50-20 | |
| Various Container Additions | Sedum, sweet potato vine, coleus, | $2-$8 |
Plants Currently Blooming with Fruit or Seedpods
Nursery
(Behind the Edison Botanic Research Lab)
Organic VICTORY GARDEN contains a variety of seasonal produce grown by Edison Ford horticultural staff. Many items such as plants, seeds, compost, fertilizers, and other soil amendments are sold in the Edison Ford Garden Shoppe.
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kapok | Ceiba pentandra | Green seed pods/seeds in silk littered on ground | Old & New World Tropics |
| Red Powderpuff | Calliandra haematocephala | Red powderpuff flowers | Tropical America |
Edison Research Gardens
(Parking lot side of property)
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| African Tulip Tree | Spathodea campanulata | Orange flowers | Tropical Africa |
| Bangar Nut | Sterculia foetida | 5 petaled red flowers | East Africa, Northern Australia |
| Bead Tree | Adenanthera pavonina | Seed pods curl exposing bright red seeds | Asia and South-western Pacific |
| Bo Tree | Ficurs religiosa | Small green fruit | Asia |
| Ochrosia | Ochrosia elliptica | Bright red seeds | South Pacific |
| Pink Trumpet Tree | Tabebuia heterophlla | Pink trumpet shaped flowers | West Indies |
| Royal Poinciana | Delonix regia | Bright red blooms | Madagascar |
| White Frangipani | Plumeria rubra | White fragrant flowers | Caribbean |
| Yellow Ixora | Ixora coccinea ‘maui yellow’ | Yellow flowers | SE Asia |
Banyan Tree Area
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banyan Tree (Edison signature tree) | Ficus benghalensis | Many auxiliary trunks, figs ripening | India |
| Blue Sage | Eranthemum pulchellum | Blue flowers | India |
| East Palatka Holly | Ilex x attenuata 'East Palatka' | Red berries | Native to FL |
| Golden Dewdrop | Duranta erecta ‘gold mound’ | Purple flower, yellow fruit | Tropical Americas |
Heritage Garden
(Next to ticket office)
Herb and vegetable gardens reflect the gardens the Edisons planted in this area. Extra fruits and vegetables that the Edison family and staff did not consume were sold in downtown Fort Myers.
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crinum Lily | Crinum sp. | White and burgundy blooms | China |
| Gardenia Trees | Gardenia jasminoides | White fragrant flowers | Tropical Asia |
| Golden Dewdrop | Duranta erecta | Purple flowers, yellow fruits | Tropical Americas |
| Orange River Lily | Crinum bulbispermum | Pink flowers | South Africa |
| Paw Paw, Papaya | Carica papaya | White blooms, round green fruit | Columbia |
| Pineapple | Ananas comosus | Fruiting | Brazil & Paraguay |
| Tamarind | Tamarindus indica | Brown Bean shaped pods | India |
| Yellow Cestrum | Cestrum auranticum | Yellow clustered flowers | North America |
Edison Caretaker's Gardens
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annato or Lipstick Plant | Bixa orellano | Red seed pods | Tropical America |
| Angel Trumpet | Brugmansia x candida | White trumpet flowers | Peru |
| Black Sapote | Diospyros digyna | White button flowers | Eastern Mexico, Central America |
| Blue Plumbago | Plumbago auriculata | Blue phlox-like flowers | South Africa |
| Bougainvillea | Bougainvillea glabra | Purple bracts with small white flowers | Brazil |
| Bull-Horn Acacia | Acacia cornigera | Yellow stick flowers | Central America |
| Crape Jasmine | Tabernaemontana divercata var flora plena | White flowers | India |
| Crinum Lily | Crinum asiaticum | White spider like blooms | India |
| Crotons | Codeaium varigatum | Colorful foliage throughout gardens | India |
| Dwarf Poinciana | Caesalpinia pulcherrima | There is a Red, yellow and pink flowered variety on 3 different small trees | West Indies |
| Dwarf Ylang Ylang | Desmos chinensis | Yellow finger-like flowers | Tropical Asia |
| Gamboge or False Mangosteen | Garcinia xanthochymus | White flowers | India |
| Gardenia | Gardenia jasminoides | Fragrant white flower | China |
| Golden Champaca | Magnolia champaca | Green fruit non edible | China, India, SE Asia |
| Indian Ginger | Alpinia calcarata | Pearl colored upright flowers | India |
| Lady of the Night | Brunfelsia plicata | White fragrant flowers | Jamaica |
| Morton Bay Chestnut | Castanospermum australe | Reddish-Orange flowers | Australia |
| Peacock Ginger | Kaempferia elegans | Lavendar flowers | SE Asia |
| Red Button Ginger | Costus woodsonii | Yellow edible flowers emerging from red bracts | SE ASia |
| Strawberry Guava | Psidium cattleianum var. littorale | Green fruit | Brazil |
Moonlight Garden
(Next to Edison Caretaker's House & Edison's Little Office)
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antique Rose | Rosa spp. "Mrs. B. R. Cant" | Pink rosette flowers | Worldwide |
| Almond Bush | Aloysia virgata | White fragrant flowers | Argentina |
| Angel Trumpet | Brugmansia x Super Nova | Large white tubular flowers pendulous | South America |
| Angelonia | Angelonia | White flowers | South Africa |
| Bougainvillea, 'Barbara Karst' | Bougainvillea spectabilis | Red bracts; white flowers | Brazil |
| Pentas | Pentas lanceolata | Clustered umbels of white star shaped flowers | East Africa |
| Prosperity Rose | Rosa spp. "Prosperity" | Antique white climbing rose | Worldwide |
| Tropical Begonia | Begonia odorata alba | White flowers | Tropics |
| Water Lily | Nymphaea spp. | Fragrant large lavender & pink flowers | Hybrids |
| White & Blue Plumbago | Plumbago auriculata and alba | White and blue phlox-like flowers | Tropical World |
Edison Pool Area
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banana | Musa acuminata | Fruits visible | Southeast Asia and Australia |
| Firebush | Hamelia patens | Red/orange flowers | Florida native |
| Frangipani | Plumeria rubra (many varieties and colors) | Fragrant flowers many colors | Tropical Americas |
Edison Rose Garden
(Next to Edison Ford House)
A formal garden of antique roses, representing Mina Edison’s interest in roses, has been installed on the north side of the Edison House. A long list of her roses is in the Edison archives. Roses with an *asterisk were on Mina’s 1929 list.
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blush Noisette (1817) | Noisette rose | Cupped double blush white flowers | China |
| Catherine II (pre 1826) | China-tea rose | Light pink flower, strong fragrance | China |
| Catherine Mermet (1869) * | Tea rose | On Mina Edison’s 1920 rose list; cameo-colored flowers with pink tones at edges | China |
| Cornelia (1919) | Hybrid musk rose | Coral buds open to pink flowers with gold stamens | England |
| Enchantress (1904) | Tea rose | Double flowers of dark rose-pink fade to near crimson with touch of yellow at base | China |
| Fellenberg (1835) | Noisette rose | Loose rosy scarlet blooms | China |
| Louis Phillipe (1834) | China rose | Double deep crimson flowers with a blush center | China |
| Madame Josephine Schwartz (1880) * | Noisette rose | On Mina Edison’s 1920 rose list; white cabbage- shaped flowers | China |
| Mademoiselle Franziska Kruger (1880)* | Tea rose | White, near white, or white blended with pink flowers | China |
| Maitland White (date unknown) | Noisette rose | White flowers | Unknown |
| Maman Cochet (1893) | Tea rose | Creamy pink flowers with yellow at center | France |
| Mrs. Dudley Cross (1907) | Tea rose | Double yellow flowers that blush pink in sun | China |
| Mutabilis (1894) | China rose | Flower opens yellow, changes to orange to pink and then crimson | China |
| Rubens (1859) | Tea rose | Tawny color flower with shades of rose | China |
| Safrano (1839) * | Tea Rose | Loose apricot pink flowers | France |
| Vincent Godsif (date unknown) | Bermuda mystery – found rose | Semi-double flowers range from mauve to dusty pink | Possibly China |
Edison Main House Gardens
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bougainvillea ‘Barbara Karst’ | Bougainvillea sp. | fushia bracts | Brazil |
| Cluster Fig | Ficus racemosa | Green fruit on trunk | Asia |
| Formosa Palm | Arenga ergleri | Red and yellow fruit-not edible | Taiwan & Japan |
| Inch Plant | Tradescania zebrina | Purple blooms | Mexico |
| Roses at the Pergola | Cramoisi superieur China Rose climber 1885, Mrs. BR Cant Tea Rose 1901, Ducher China Rose 1869, Bermuda Kathleen Bermuda Mystery Rose | Various colors all antique or old garden roses for the south | Crosses originally from China to Europe |
| Yellow Allamanda | Allamanda cathartica | Yellow trumpet flowers | Tropical America |
Edison Guest House Gardens
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| African Iris | Dietes iridioides | White flowers with purple signals and yellow center | South Africa |
| Bougainvillea ‘Imperial Delight’ | Bougainvillea sp. | Variable pink-colored bracts | Brazil |
| Crown of Thorns | Euphorbia milli | Yellowish-white flowers | South Africa |
| Sausage Tree | Kiglea pinnata | Burgundy flowers held on pendulous strands | Tropical Africa |
| Tropical Begonia | Begonia odorata ‘alba’ | White flowers | South Africa |
| Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow | Brunfelsia pauciflora | Purple, lavender to white flowers (change colors) | Brazil |
Edison Gardens (Riverside)
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calabash Tree | Cresentia cujete | Gourd shaped fruit forms on trunk | Central America |
| Candlenut Tree | Aleurites moluccana | Small white flowers | SE Asia |
| Cycad Collection | Oldest known seed-bearing plant; eaten by dinosaurs | Africa and Asia | |
| Frangipani | Plumeria alba | Central America, Caribbean | White flowers |
| Ixora | Ixora chinesis | Clustered Red star shaped flowers | China |
| Jacaranda | Jacaranda mimosifolia | Blue flowers | Bolivia, Argentina |
| Loquat-Leaved Fig | Ficus saussureana | Yellow fruit | Tropical Africa |
| Roxburgh’s Fig | Ficus auriculata | Green fruit on trunk and stems | South China |
| White Orchid Tree | Bauhiia hookeri | White flowers | Australia |
Edison Gardens (Mcgregor Side)
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamanda ‘Cherries Jubilee’ | Alamanda catharica x cherries jubilee | Cherry colored flowers | Tropical America |
| Antique Roses | Louis Phillipe China Rose 1834 | red | Crosses with other classes of roses |
| Blue Plumbago | Plumbago auriculata | Sky blue flowers | South Africa |
| Jackfruit | Artocarpus heterophyllus | Large oval shaped green fruit | Central America, India |
| Longan | Euphorbia longana | Small flowers | SE Asia |
| Queen’s Wreath | Petrea volubilis | Purple drooping flowers | Caribbean |
| Shaving Brush Tree | Pseudobombax ellipticum | Pink shaving brush flowers | Tropical America |
| Tamarind Tree | Tamarindus indica | Brown seed pods used in Worcestershire sauce | East Africa |
| Variegated Pineapple | Ananas comosus ‘variegatus’ | Ornamental bright red pineapple on top | Central America |
| White Sapote | Casiminoa edulis | Green round fruit-not ripe yet | Mexico |
| Ylang Ylang Tree | Cananga odorata | Yellow fingerlike fragrant flowers-perfume tree essential oil in Chanel #5 | SE Asia |
Ford Gardens
| COMMON NAME | BOTANICAL NAME | DESCRIPTION | ORIGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bleeding Heart Vine | Clerodendrum thomsonaie | White bracts with red center flowers | West Africa |
| Green Buttonwood | Conocarpus erectus | Green seed pods | Florida Native |
| Jatropha Trees | Jatropha integerrima | Clusters of small red flowers | Cuba |
| Joy Perfume Tree | Magnolia champaca ‘alba’ | White fragrant flowrs | SE Asia |
| Mangoes | Mangifera indica | fruits | India, West Indies |
| Mexican Flame Vine | Pseudogynoxys chenopidiodes | Orange daisy like flowers on a climbing vine | Mexico |
| Oranges, Grapefruit, Lime, Lemon, Tangerine, Kumquat | Citrus sp. | White fragrant flowers followed by green fruit | China |
| Red Hibiscus, Chinese Hibiscus | Hibiscus rosa-sinensis | Bright red flowers; state flower of Hawaii | Tropical Asia |
| Red Powderpuff | Calliandra haematocephala | Seedpods visible | Brazil |
| Royal Poinciana | Delonix regia | Tall tree with vibrant orange flowers | Madagas-car |
| Shell Ginger | Alpinia zerumbet speciosa | White flowers | Asia |
| Simpsons Stopper | Myricanthes fragrans | White fragrant flowers | Florida Native |
Note: Orchids and Bromeliads are in bloom in various locations throughout the Edison Ford gardens.
Many new citrus trees have been planted to represent the original Edison and Ford collections, including varieties of oranges, grapefruit, kumquats, limes, lemons, and calamondins. They are blooming and fruiting throughout the year.
Edison Ford Garden Shoppe open daily 9AM - 5:30PM.
Edison Ford Garden Tours offered every Tuesday at 10:30AM.
For more Edison Ford Garden information on "What's Blooming in May" contact the Edison Ford Horticulturist at 239-334-7419!