MHBG's staff has had longterm experience with the currently fashionable "tropicalismo" landscape style, which features tropical-looking foliage and orange-and-purple color schemes. This expertise will enable us to feature this style throughout much of the garden's landscape and identify and promote appropriate plant materials.

The garden's location on the boundary of USDA hardiness zones eight and nine, provides a special opportunity to test the cold-hardiness of tropical species and breed for more cold-tolerant varieties of both fruits and ornamentals.