If you love plants and want to visit a place to witness some beautiful varieties of plants, then Selby Gardens is a must-visit for you. Many botanists visit to study special types of plants known as Epiphytes or air plants. It is the only botanical garden particularly made to look at these plants and promote their conservation.
Plan your next trip to these gardens with your family and friends to learn more about plants.
What is a living museum?
Have you ever heard of living museums? In most museums, the dead or non-living specimens of plants and living beings are displayed whereas, a living museum exhibits some alive varieties of plants or animals. The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens showcase a collection of more than 25,000 living plants, including more than 6000 varieties of orchids, gesneriads, bromeliads, and many other plants. This conservatory is located on the shores of Sarasota Bay and covers a land of more than 15 acres. The museum also displays collections of botanical art and photography. It is a major attraction of people from all age groups as it also consists of a play area for the young visitors.
Major attractions
The gardens consist of various divisions, so if you’re planning to visit Sarasota, here are some places you can visit:
Herbarium
The herbarium contains thousands of varieties of tropical flora. A herbarium is a place where dried specimens of plants are conserved to be studied. Here you can find many plants, namely, Bromeliaceae, Araceae, Orchidaceae, Marantaceae, and many more.
The Christy Payne House
It is a museum of botany and arts listed in the US National Register of Historic Places. Here you can witness some masterpieces of arts and botany.
The Library
If you’re interested in knowing more about epiphytes and other tropical plants, this library has a huge collection of books and research journals.
The Spirit Collection
It contains a large variety of flowers that are preserved in special fluids. It is an exceptional collection of rare flowers and the second largest collection of flowers in the world.
Orchid Identification Center
This was built in 1975 for studying orchids and conserving them. You can see a massive collection of over 20,000 specimens from the major countries of the world.
Selby Gardens are the best place for you if you wish to visit a place with a peaceful vibe, nature, and regional history. Apart from being a botanical garden, it’s also a venue for weddings and private parties. So, if you’re planning a destination wedding or a gala under the stars, this can be a great option.
Click here for more information on Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Image Resource: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens https://selby.org/
