If you enjoy gardens and tropical plants there are three places you should not miss:

Echo is a research center dedicated to the development of food plants that can be grown in many different tropical climates, from deserts to rain forests, as a means of alleviating world hunger.  The center has an amazing collection of rare and unfamiliar tropical food plants.  Guided tours are held several times a week and plants can be purchased in the tropical nursery.

The gardens at Thomas Edison’s Winter Home, where Edison planted species that served him in his research or just interested him, are part of the museum complex.  One of the largest banyan trees in the Western Hemisphere, a gift Edison received from Harvey Firestone, grows here.

McGregor Boulevard in Ft. Myers, where Edison’s home is located, is famous for its  2000 royal palms which gave the city its nickname "City of Palms".  Thomas Edison and his wife were instrumental in establishing this tradition.