Media Contact
Marion de Vogel
McKee Botanical Garden
350 US Highway 1
Vero Beach, FL 32962
772.794.0601 Ext 109
mdevogel@mckeegarden.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The 20th Annual Waterlily Celebration
Arthur McKee and Waldo Sexton’s Living Legacy
Saturday, June 14, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
VERO BEACH, FL – June 13, 2025 – The ponds and watery mazes of McKee Botanical Garden are home to one of the largest and most celebrated collections of waterlilies in Florida. Many of these historic specimens trace their lineage to the Amazon Jungle, where McKee’s early plant explorers collected seeds for propagation in the Royal Park Exotic Nursery. Recognizing the extraordinary beauty and rarity of these aquatic blooms, founders Arthur McKee and Waldo Sexton challenged landscape architect William Lyman Phillips to design a garden that would integrate them with the native Florida hammock. The result was the creation of McKee Jungle Gardens.
Today, 51 of McKee’s waterlily varieties have been recognized by the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society (IWGS) as a Collection of Excellence – a distinction shared by only seven gardens worldwide, including institutions in England, France, Spain, New York, Denver, and Texas. While this honor may not be widely known to the casual visitor, in the world of aquatic horticulture it marks McKee as a destination of global significance—drawing enthusiasts, collectors, and experts alike.
In honor of this legacy, McKee hosts an annual celebration spotlighting its aquatic stars. The festivities delight thousands of visitors, with highlights including a popular photo competition that draws over 60 amateur and professional photographers vying for the perfect shot—often capturing bees, dragonflies, or other pollinators visiting the blooms. Plein-air artists set up easels along the historic pond edges, channeling their inner Monet as they interpret the waterlilies with brush and palette.
Resident aquatics expert, Nikki Wojtowicz, who played a key role in achieving the IWGS designation, shares her deep knowledge and enthusiasm through live re-potting demonstrations and engaging stories about the garden’s collection. Visitors also enjoy browsing vendor booths featuring Aquatic Systems & Resources, John’s Jungle Handmade Market Baskets, Funky Air Plants, and the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services’ Division of Plant Industry. McKee’s Garden Café offers a special menu from 9:30 AM until 3:00 PM.
Beyond its international acclaim, McKee Botanical Garden has also received national recognition as the recipient of The Garden Conservancy’s Jean and John Greene Prize for Excellence in American Gardening – further affirming Vero’s first and oldest visitor attraction’s enduring commitment to horticultural excellence.
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McKee Botanical Garden is the first and oldest visitor attraction in Vero Beach. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a Florida Heritage Landmark, McKee is also the recipient of The Garden Conservancy’s Jean and John Greene Prize for Excellence in American Gardening and is one of only seven Gardens in the world with 51 cultivated waterlilies Certified as a Collection of Excellence by the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society. Founded in 1922 by early developers and conservationists, Arthur McKee and Waldo Sexton, McKee operated in 1926 as The Royal Park Exotic Nursery then as an internationally renowned visitor attraction from 1932 until a 1976 sale to developers. The 18-acres that remain of the historic garden served as collateral until the final payment from the developer was received. When plans to bulldoze what was once the heart of the garden were announced, an unprecedented community effort ensued to rescue, restore and reopen the historic garden. McKee Botanical Garden now features 10,000 tropical plants, internationally renowned exhibits, the Treasure Coast’s largest holiday light display, JUNGLE LIGHTS, the Children’s Garden, the Garden Café, the Garden Gift & Book Shop and year-round educational programs for adults and children. Supported by over 7,000 members, hundreds of volunteers, and enjoying record-breaking visitor attendance, year after year, McKee remains a testament to the resilience of nature and dedication of the community it serves.
