Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden and research facility situated along Sarasota Bay. The grounds cover 15 acres and display specialized collections of orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads, ferns, and tropical plants.

Marie Selby inherited the property in 1971 and founded the gardens to preserve the land for botanical research and public education. This decision transformed a private residence into an institution that became globally focused on studying epiphytic plants.

The gardens serve as a place where visitors encounter plants that live on other plants in real time. You see how these organisms grow naturally within their ecosystems on display.

The grounds feature accessible walkways, an on-site restaurant, and parking available year-round for visitors. Guided tours help guests explore the various collections and understand the research being conducted.

This is the only botanical institution worldwide dedicated specifically to studying and displaying epiphytic plants, which grow on other plants. Visitors often overlook this unusual and natural relationship that exists in forests around the world.

Location: Sarasota

Address: 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236

Phone: +(941)3665731

Website: http://selby.org

GPS coordinates: 27.32659,-82.54038

Latest update: December 10, 2025 20:05