Alabamians know that our state is filled with natural beauty, and home to some amazing public gardens. But did you hear that we’ve got one of the Top 10 most beautiful botanical gardens in the United States?

Bellingrath Gardens & Home in Theodore — a 900-acre estate that includes 65 acres of cultivated gardens — was ranked as the seventh most beautiful in the country in a recent list from Pergola Kits USA.

Rankings of 260 botanical gardens were based on an analysis of Tripadvisor reviews, according to a press release. The top 10 was chosen according to the number of times words of superlative praise were used in the reviews, such as “gorgeous,” “lovely,” “fabulous,” “fantastic” and “breathtaking.”

Here’s what Pergola Kits USA had to say about Bellingrath Gardens & Home: “This public garden and home is the historic residence of Walter Bellingrath, who was one of the first Coca-Cola bottlers in the Southeast. Here you can enjoy more than 400 varieties of Alabama’s State Flower, camellias, as well as beautiful tropicals in the summer.”

All well and good, but is No. 7 high enough for such a stunning spot? Folks in Alabama might beg to differ with this list, especially if they’ve visited Bellingrath Gardens for special events filled with color and bursting with blossoms.

The gardens, open to the public year-round, are famous in the state for a seasonal schedule of blooms. Visitors can see an abundance of camellias in the winter, azaleas in spring, roses and hydrangeas in summer and chrysanthemums in fall, along with many other plants and flowers. The carefully tended property boasts a dazzling green space known as the great lawn, graceful landscaping, pools and bridges, fountains, statues and more.

Bellingrath Gardens also has a significant place in Alabama history, dating back to the 1920s and located at the former home of Walter Bellingrath, a wealthy Coca-Cola bottler, and his wife Bessie. Bellingrath Gardens & Home, along the Fowl River in Mobile, opened to the public for the first time in 1932, and eventually became a museum and public gardens owned by the nonprofit Bellingrath Gardens & Home Foundation.

The site has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.

OK, so who beat Bellingrath for beauty and eye-catching appeal? The No. 1 spot went to Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park in Tallahassee, Florida.

“First planted in 1923 by Alfred B. and Louise Maclay after they purchased the property for their winter home, this stunning garden features spectacular architecture, a secret garden, a reflection pool and hundreds of camellias and azaleas,” said the list from Pergola Kits USA.

Coming in at No. 2 was Blue Spring Heritage Center in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

“This rich cultural experience honors the Cherokee people during the Trail of Tears, encouraging visitors to connect with the beautiful native gardens,” according to the rankings. “The Blue Spring pours 38 million gallons of crystal-clear water every day, providing a true spectacle.”

Fellows Riverside Gardens in Youngtown, Ohio, took the No. 3 spot, followed by Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Connecticut (No. 4); Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas (No. 5); and Hershey Gardens in Hershey, Pennsylvania (No. 6).

Trailing Bellingrath Gardens at No. 7 were Filoli in Woodside, California (No. 8); Cape Fear Botanical Garden in Fayetteville, North Carolina (No. 9); and Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina (No. 10).

No matter what you think of the list, Bellingrath Gardens & Home has earned significant praise over the years for its scenic beauty. In November 2023, for example, Bellingrath was honored by the Garden Tourism Network, receiving an award as one of the network’s “Gardens of the World Worth Travelling For in 2024.″