EcoFlora Project

Asters are fun, vibrant, and beautiful, they are a significant source of color in our lives. They are appreciated not only by us but by a large majority of animals and insects. Their contribution to our local ecosystem services is significant that their longevity...

The aster, or sunflower family (Asteraceae), is among the largest flowering plant families, with more than 1,620 genera and over 23,600 species . Most species are annual, biennial, or perennial plants with a widespread worldwide distribution from subpolar to tropical...

Glassworts received their common name in 16th Century England to describe plants that yield an important ingredient for glass and soap making. The original English glasswort plants belong to the genus Salicornia; however, the term was quickly extended to include a...

Inspired by the glass show currently on display at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, In Dialogue with Nature: Glass in the Gardens, we are highlighting Salicornia, a genus of plants also known as glassworts, pickleweed, samphire, and saltwort, for our EcoQuest in...

At first sight grasses (family Poaceae) may seem deceptively simple however armed with a basic vocabulary of anatomy, one can draw complex differences. Using a morphological key and observing growth habits and location, species identification is possible.   Grasses...

This month at Selby Gardens we are opening We Dream a World: African American Landscape Painters of Mid-Century Florida, The Highwaymen. The artists featured in the exhibition capture Florida’s vibrant landscape in paint. Many of the works showcase Florida’s coast...

From April 30 to May 9, 2021, participants from all over the world came together to make this year the most successful challenge yet! Over the course of the four-day observation period within  Sarasota-Manatee counties, 151 citizen scientists uploaded 4,331...

Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionism, an avid painter documenting many people, places, the passing of seasons, and his spectacular garden. Monet’s Waterlilies are a series of paintings covering several groups of plants, from the oaks and trees in his...

Aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis) by Wade Collier Milkweeds are named for their milky latex, which is found in their stems, leaves, and pods and make them unpalatable to many animals. Milkweeds produce high quality nectar and depend on a variety of insects (bees,...