Crawford Lands Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Crawford Landscaping is proud to announce that it's Arbor Department has been awarded the Arbor Care Maintenance contract for the Edison & Ford Winter Estates.  

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates boasts over 20 acres of botanical gardens, nine historic buildings including Edison’s Botanic Research Laboratory and the Edison Ford Museum which contains an impressive collection of inventions, artifacts and special exhibit galleries.  Today, the gardens contain more than 1,700 plants representing more than 400 species from six continents.  Our most famous tree is the banyan, a four foot tree planted around 1925 that now covers almost an acre of the grounds.  The Estates collection also includes the sausage tree, tropical fruit trees including mango and citrus, orchids, bromeliads, cycads, and more than 50 species of palms.

The Champion Tree Program was created by the American Forests organization in 1940 to recognize the largest known tree of each species in the United States.  In 1975, Florida began keeping a state list, the Florida Champion Tree Register, to recognize the largest tree of each species within the state. The Estates is the proud home of two Florida Champion Trees and six former champions. 

  • Australian Pine (Casuarinas equisetifolia): Former Champion; 87 feet tall, 210 inches circumference (an invasive species, these trees are no longer measured for the program.)  South Riverside Garden.
  • Banyan Tree (Ficus benghalensis): Champion; At 84 feet tall and 376 inches in circumference, this is the largest banyan tree* in the continental United States.
  • Cuban Laurel (Ficus nitida): Former Champion; 99 feet tall, 486 inches circumference (an invasive species, these trees are no longer measured for the program.)  Nursery Garden.
  • Royal Palm (Roystonia regia): Former Champion; 97 feet tall, 53 inches circumference.  East Ford Garden.
  • Indian Coral Tree (Erythrina variegata): Emeritus Champion; 50 feet tall, 112 inches circumference.  South Riverside Garden.
  • Mysore Fig (Ficus drupacea): Emeritus Champion; 102 feet tall, 305 inches circumference.  West Ford Garden.
  • Puerto Rican Hat Palm (Sabal causiarum): Co-Champion; 48 feet tall, 90 inches circumference.  East Caretaker Garden.
  • Sausage Tree (Kigelia africana): Emeritus Champion; 57 feet tall, 140 inches circumference. Heritage Garden.

"We at Crawford are extremely excited to care for such a beautiful and historic site," comments Phil Buck, Crawford's Master Arborist and Director of its Arbor Division.  "We will be on site a few days each month caring for their many trees and palms."

To learn more about the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, you may visit http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/