The University of South Florida Botanical Gardens 15 acres (6.1 hectares) are located on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, USA, and consist of 7 acres (2.8 hectares) of developed gardens plus 6 to 9 acres (2.4 to 3.6 hectares) of natural greenbelt. The gardens are open to the public during weekday business hours, and on shorter weekend hours. Admission is free.
The Gardens were established in 1969, and in the early 1970s many of today's temperate, subtropical and tropical trees and shrubs were planted. During the late 1970's and 1980's, the palm garden, the wetland forest, and sand scrub beds were planted. New structures and demonstration gardens were built in the 1990s.
Today the gardens contain over 3,000 taxa of plants including: fruit trees, grasses, begonias, orchids, bromeliads, palms, aroids, gingers, carnivorous plants, cycads, cactus and succulent plants, an herb and scent garden, wetland forest, temperate forest, subtropical shade garden, and Florida upland scrub and sandhill habitats.