Check Out The Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota, FL

The Marie Selby Gardens are located at the former home of Marie and William Selby of the Texaco Oil Company and offer an extraordinary botanical exhibit dedicated to the study of rare tropical plants. As one of the top Sarasota/Bradenton area attractions and things to do while vacationing on Anna Maria Island, it’s well worth the trip, which takes about 40 minutes or so depending on which spot you depart from on the island.

You and your group will certainly enjoy visiting this visually impressive botanical garden which includes a very unique range of featured botanical exhibits across 15 acres, and once you’re finished you can easily explore nearby downtown Sarasota before heading back to your Anna Maria Island rental.

Rare tropical plants from around the world

At Selby Gardens, you’ll get an opportunity to view some stunningly colorful tropical plants, especially epiphytes. These are plants that have evolved to thrive in the canopies of the rainforest and include ferns, bromeliads, gesneriads, orchids, and other species. Selby Gardens scientists have traveled around the world since 1971 collecting some of the rarest and most beautiful epiphytes for the purpose of identifying, researching, and displaying them. Since then, Selby Gardens has become a leading institution for the research of epiphytes and has developed a deep knowledge and understanding of these incredible plants.

Several Exhibits

The collection in the greenhouses alone includes over 20,000 tropical plants as well as thousands of other plants in the outdoor area. You’ll get to experience a full range of tropical horticulture exhibits which can easily take up a day or more:

• The Ann Goldstein Children’s Rainforest Garden offers an elevated outdoor rainforest display for children which recreates the experience of being high up in the tree canopy. This feature includes a 100-year-old magnificent Banyan tree which is the centerpiece, a waterfall, 27,000-gallon forest pool, a safe rope bridge and canopy walk, and the epiphyte canyon which offers a corridor decorated with rocks and tropical plants, small caves to explore, and an education about lithophytes, or plants that have evolved to grow on rocks.
• The Tropical Conservatory is the only greenhouse on the property that is available for public viewing and offers the chance to view some of the rarest tropical plants with a frequently rotating display. The plants are arranged in colorful collages that give the experience of walking through a rainforest and some of them climb all the way toward the roof of the greenhouse.
• The Fern Garden offers a relaxing experience on a circular walking trail that features staghorn, Australian and low lying ferns that thrive in the subtropical climate of Sarasota. As one of the more peaceful areas of the gardens it’s a great place to unwind between exhibits.
• East of the Selby House you’ll find multiple banyan trees which were planted by the Selbys themselves. These breathtaking trees are massive and provide plenty of shade and also feature impressive roots above the ground that grow downward and act as a secondary trunk.
• A massive bamboo garden with sub-tropical and tropical species can be viewed, and the plants can grow up to an incredible 40 inches per day during their growth season.
• Other exhibits include a mangrove bay walk where visitors can learn about the native mangrove species of Florida as well as a koi fish pond showcasing various epiphyte plants.

Visit the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens at 811 S Palm Ave from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

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