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Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

United States of America - Florida - Sarasota
Institution Code: SEL
International Agenda Registration: N
BGCI Member: Y
About the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Mission
To further the understanding and appreciation of plant life, with emphasis on epiphytes, and to provide enjoyment for all who visit the Gardens.

Vision
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is the leader in the study, conservation, and display of epiphytes and their canopy habitats. Our collection of epiphytes is the best in the world. Our visitors see beautiful horticultural displays and learn from our educational programs. They take away with them a better understanding and greater appreciation of the natural world and the challenges it faces.

Main Address:
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
811 South Palm Avenue
Sarasota
Florida 34236 United States of America
Telephone: (941) 366-5731
Fax: (941) 366-9807
URL: www.selby.org
Primary Email: contactus@selby.org

Staff Details

  • Director's Name: Thomas Buchter, CEO
    Curator's Name: Bruce Holst, Botanist
    Plant Records Officer's Name: Laurie Birch, Plant Records Keeper and Conservation Project Assistant
  • Total Staff:
    Horticultural Staff Number: 8
    Educational Staff Number: 2
    Research Staff Number: 4
    Administration Staff Number: 13

About the Garden

  • Institution Type: Botanic Garden
  • Status
  • Status: Private: Y
  • Date founded: 1973
  • Physical Data
  • Natural Vegetation Area: N
  • Landscaped Area: Y
    Landscaped Area: Size: 3 Hectares
  • Total Area: 5 Hectares
    Latitude: 27.3282256
    Longitude: -82.5397761
    Annual Rainfall: 1400 mm
    Altitude: 2.00 Metres
    Total area of glasshouses: 2300 Metres

Features and Facilities

  • Herbarium: Y
    Herbarium: Number of Specimens: 100000
  • Micropropagation/ Tissue Culture Facilities: Y
    Seed Bank: N
    Published Plant Catalogue: N
    Computer Plant Record System: Y
  • Open to public: Y
    Friends society: Y
    Retail Outlet: Shop: Y
    Retail Outlet: Plant Sales: Y
    Disabled access: Y
  • Number of Visitors: 130000
    Number of Volunteers: 600

Plant Collections

  • Accession Number: 12500
    Cultivation Taxa Num: 6000
  • Special Collections:More than 200 expeditions to the tropics and subtropics have contributed to the MSBG collections of over 12,500 accessions/plantings of living plants, which include some 6000 species in 1200 genera from 214 plant families. These are divided into two main collections, the greenhouse and grounds collections. The greenhouse collection includes over 10,500 accessions in more than 600 genera representing 92 plant families. These are comprised of (using numbers of accessions) 4900 Orchidaceae, 3600 Bromeliaceae, 660 Araceae, 240 Pteridophytes, 250 Gesneriaceae, and 1300 other plants. The grounds collection contains approximately 2300 recorded tropical and subtropical plantings, representing some 1200 species, 620 genera, and 165 plant families.

    One strength of these collections is that a significant portion are well-documented, vouchered species collected from native habitats. Selby Gardens conserves a number of historic orchids and bromeliads from 19th century introductions. The living collection is a scientific resource and also provides source material for the entire gardens, especially the public Tropical Conservatory, as well as to programs of Education.

Conservation Programmes

Research Programmes

Education Programmes

  • Public Lectures/Talks: Y
    Courses for General Public: Y