From garden to zoo: Naples’ roots in horticulture

The man behind what is now the Naples Zoo was not a zookeeper at all; he was a horticulturist from Wisconsin. The roots of his work, both literal and figurative, remain visible today.

Henry Nehrling, a former teacher with a passion for tropical plants, found the perfect place to experiment with exotic flora in Florida. In 1885, he bought 40 acres in the central part of the state and established Palm Cottage Gardens, displaying thousands of plant species.

A disastrous freeze in 1917 forced Nehrling to seek a warmer climate. He moved to Naples in 1919 and began planting again. He estimated his garden contained more than 3,000 species. Not all survived, but some — including the colorful caladium — thrived, became popular across Florida and can still be found at Naples Zoo.

Nehrling’s expertise as a botanist and early environmentalist earned him national recognition. Among his visitors were President Theodore Roosevelt, nature writer John Burroughs and inventor Thomas Edison.

After Nehrling’s death in 1929, the gardens fell into disrepair. In 1952, philanthropist Julius Fleischmann revived the property as Caribbean Gardens. In 1969, Lawrence and Nancy Jane Tetzlaff brought exotic animals to the site, and the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens was born.