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Archaeological Spotlight: Citrus Packing

Many visitors to Florida each winter ship or take back citrus for their friends and family up North. It would not be surprising if the guests at what was then the Webb Winter Resort on the Historic Spanish Point campus did the same. Evidence implies that packing...

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Botanical Spotlight: Aloe marlothii – February

Photo by Dave VitoloPhoto by Dave VitoloAloe marlothii (Mountain Aloe) is a beautiful succulent that displays grayish-green leaves all year long. During the winter months, it is in full bloom and at the downtown campus of Selby Gardens, visitors can find this...

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Botanical Spotlight: Rosa ‘Louis Philippe’ – January

Photo by Aaron FinkWritten by Shawn McCourt, Ph.D. When one thinks of flowers in southwest Florida, roses seldom come to mind, yet a handful of species, hybrids, and cultivars do thrive here. One noteworthy cultivar of the China rose (Rosa chinensis) called ‘Louis...

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February 2021 EcoQuest: Lookin’ For Love VINE

 Love vine, Cassytha filiformis, is a parasitic vine native to Florida in the Lauraceae family, the same family as avocado. While the name “love vine” stems from its reputation as an aphrodisiac, this plant is anything but sweet! As a parasitic vine, it twines itself...

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Archaeology and Artifact Scatter

When archaeologists are conducting a surface survey of an area they may discover artifacts on the surface, the location of these artifacts are recorded and are indicators of the use and human presence of that site. The artifacts that occur on the surface may be...

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Botanical Spotlight: Holiday Ingredients – December

As we prepare our favorite holiday cookies and baked goods, you may be wondering where these popular ingredients originate from. Well, on your next visit to Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, you will not have to look extremely far, as many of the common holiday...

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Botanical Spotlight: Holly – December

This week, we continue our investigation of plants that have become culturally important during the winter holiday season. Previously, we looked at mistletoe and its significance both to humans and to the natural environment in which it is found. In this post, we will...

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Archaeology Spotlight: Lightning Whelks

Lightning Whelks may be found along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast ranging from Texas to North Carolina. They are unique in that they are left-handed, or sinistral, meaning they spiral counterclockwise. For early coastal inhabitants, the Lightning Whelk provided an...

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Botanical Spotlight: Mistletoe – November

Mistletoe has had a variety of meanings and uses throughout many different times and cultures, including the current holiday tradition of kissing under the mistletoe. Last year, one of Selby Gardens’ staff members found mistletoe plants growing high in a laurel oak...

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