The Florida Museum of Natural History formally dedicated its fossil plant garden June 10, 1999, with the help of about 280 museum members and their families.

The garden, designed by museum staff member Jay Fowler, is landscaped with modern species of plants whose ancestors lived millions of years ago and are preserved as fossils in many places around the world. Man-made concrete impressions in the garden walkway, located south of the main entrance to Powell Hall, resemble fossil plant imprints preserved in rocks.

Museum patrons may have their name included in the walkway by purchasing inscribed bricks. Proceeds help the museum further research and fund exhibits.

"We're very proud of the addition of the fossil plant garden to Powell Hall," Museum Associate Director Graig Shaak said. "This is something that generations of museum visitors will be able to enjoy. The garden complements both the architecture of the building and the theme of the fossil hall. We thank our many friends who purchased bricks in support of museum programs."

Some of the garden's plants have ancestors that lived 15 to 425 million years ago and the oldest were among the first land plants. These ancient species were food for the earliest land animals. Many of the plants have ancestors that lived 150 million years ago, during the Age of Dinosaurs. The plants in the garden include mosses, sago and sabal palms, saw palmetto, east and west coast coontie, ginkgo biloba and an 18-million-year-old fossil cypress tree. The Florida Museum of Natural History gratefully acknowledges the Florida Geological Survey in Tallahassee for its generous donation of this fossil tree.