History Continued

Following the war, the shortage of available labor continued and operations at Jungle Gardens would never again approach their previous scale. After Edward McIlhenny's death in August 1949, his daughter Polly McIlhenny Simmons took over management of Jungle Gardens. Mrs. Simmons continued the nursery operations until her death in 1980, at which time her son, Ned Simmons, succeeded her. Aside from planting for erosion control purposes, there has been no significant experimentation with bamboos on Avery Island since McIlhenny’s death. While several notable species of McIlhenny's bamboo have been lost, much remains of the original plantings. Today, the Bamboo Groves in Jungle Gardens continues to thrive and add to both the beauty and serenity of the landscape.