Gardens Blog
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
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...
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...
By Diana L. Berlin & Colton F. Castro, Williams Parker Attorneys at Law The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) provides various tax benefits to both individuals and corporations, including an increase in allowable charitable...
Bougainvillea are familiar to us as common thorny shrubs, vines, or trees bearing colorful papery “flowers” which are in fact modified leaves or bracts enclosing three simple waxy true flowers that are normally white or off-white in color. They are members of the...
Autumn is usually considered a time of falling leaves, not blooming trees; however, in warm places like Sarasota, several cultivated tree species come into spectacular bloom only in October and November. Among the showiest of these is Colville’s Glory (Colvillea...
New colors and plants are blossoming at the Selby Gardens' Downtown Sarasota campus! Our gardens horticulturists have just updated the annual plantings throughout the Gardens and are delighted to share their favorites, as well as some care tips for your own...
Since Covid 19 shut down Selby gardens on March 17 you can rest assured that the Horticulture staff are still on site, hard at work caring for both our gardens and greenhouse collections. The Gardens staff have been busy with spring pruning, planting of seasonal...
May EcoQuest Challenge As part of the EcoFlora Project, we are including fun monthly "Challenges" to enlist citizens in documenting plants in our area. May’s challenge is the Tilly Tally. Tillandsias (fondly called “tillys” here or, often, “air plants”) are in...
The stunning jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys; family Fabaceae) in Selby Gardens’ Tropical Conservatory is developing a seed pod for the first time. The reason, greenhouse horticulturist Addie Worth provided pollination assistance! Without some help, jade vines...
Take your quarantine outdoors for a nature exploration! The Selby Gardens education team is now offering tools and scavenger hunts to help keep your family's minds and bodies working. Start with the Selby Gardens' plant hunt in your own backyard. This is the perfect...