Sarasota Marie Selby Botanical Gardens#
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens 27.327778,-82.540278 is the only botanical garden in the world that is dedicated to the display and study of epiphytes (plants that grow harmlessly on other plants), especially orchids and bromeliads, and their canopy ecosystems. It covers an area of 15 acres, 9 of which are display gardens. It features more than 20,000 living plants, 5,500 orchids, 3,500 bromeliads and 1,600 other plants. It also features a herbarium where dried specimen get preserved. More than 2,000 plant species have been discovered or described by Selby Gardens' botanists. For the casual visitor, the Gardens maintain banyans, bamboo, live oaks, palms, mangroves, succulents, wildflowers, cycads, bromeliads, a butterfly garden, a fragrance garden, an edible garden and a koi pond.