by Diego Diaz Lasa, Palm Beach Daily News
Nestled in the heart of Palm Beach’s historic Midtown neighborhood is a place where Florida’s natural ecosystem thrives among a sea of Mediterranean Revival architecture.
Pan’s Garden, established in 1994 on the campus of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, encompasses just half an acre, but it is the state’s oldest all-native garden and includes 280 species of native plants that showcase Florida’s wetland, coastal and upland flora.
Like the natural areas of those regions, guest shouldn’t expect a perfectly pruned and landscaped garden, foundation horticulturalist Susan Lerner said.
“My philosophy is that people should have an experience of being in nature, and to that end, sometimes they might have to walk around a few leaves, instead of having the clear path for them and their friends,” Lerner said. “I want people to interact with the garden in subtle and direct ways.”
The garden was established in 1994 with the backing of foundation member Lydia Mann, who wanted to create a peaceful place for residents and visitors, where children can learn the joy of nature, Lerner said.
Its environment allows plants “to be themselves” and grow more naturally, though the garden does undergo the occasional trimming and daily weeding. \Upon entry, guests are greeted by the garden’s namesake, a bronze statue of Pan of Rohallion, the ancient Greek god of the wild, created in 1890 by American sculptor Frederick MacMonnies.
Flanking the main entrance of the garden is a sample of Florida’s coastline flora, including endangered beach clustervines, known for their wispy vines and star-shaped white flowers, alongside East Coast dune sunflowers and silver palms.
At the north end of the garden is the wetland area where bald cypress trees, bamboo-like scouring rush and a mistletoe cactus, named after the small white berries at the end of their stems, surround the garden’s water lily-peppered pond.
Traveling south from the wetland area is the central pavilion. In a nod to Addison Mizner, the architect credited with popularizing Palm Beach’s signature Mediterranean Revival style, the pavilion’s roof features Cuban barrel roof tiles created by Reich Metal fabricators, a shop that was once part of Mizner’s production team.
West of the central pavilion is the historic Casa Apava landscape wall, designed by architect Abram Garfield, son of President James Garfield. The wall was rescued by the Preservation Foundation in 1993, when the former owner of the estate, E.F. “Bud” Hansen Jr., carved the land into smaller lots.
At the southern portion of the garden is the upland area, which features the wildflower walk, an unshaded portion of the garden where plants that need direct sunlight bloom triumphantly.
Lining the western edge of the garden are coonties, shrubs with palm-life fronds that are the only cyad native to North America. A prehistoric plant species, cyads are often referred to as living fossils.
Palm Beach’s premier bird watching spot
As an all-native garden, the location is a hot spot for wildlife, with butterflies of all species regularly visiting the garden’s flowers. The garden’s coonties also are the host plant for the larvae of the atala butterfly, a native species famed for its iridescent black-and-white speckled coloration.
Pan’s Garden also is among the birdwatching locations listed in Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s popular eBird bird sighting database.
Throughout the year, birdwatchers can catch a variety of local bird species bathing at the garden’s fountains and pond, from the red-headed pileated woodpecker to the ever-chirpy mockingbird, among others.
A Cooper’s hawk also regularly visits the garden, Lerner said.
Just like the island’s residents, a hosts of bird species stop at the garden during the winter months, including a pair of mottled ducks that stop by the garden each year. Other migratory bird species seen at the garden include the American redstart, black-and-white warbler, palm warbler and the yellow-throated warbler.
As a garden with plenty of shade, Pan’s Garden is a great location to stop by throughout the year. Birds visit the garden year-round, though winter offers the best chance to catch a sight of the migratory bird species.
Pan’s Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Sunday, and requires no admission. It’s located at 386 Hibiscus Ave. in Palm Beach.
