A farm and nursery district west of downtown Bradenton, Palma Sola is now largely subdivisions save a buffer of preserves along its edges.
Established after local citizens rallied to save the county nursery, Palma Sola Botanical Park speaks to the heritage of this community.
Many planted beds and large trees edge water featuresPre-dating Robinson Preserve, it sits directly across from its main entrance and is home to a notable rare fruit garden.
It is also a hot spot for birding. Songbirds find the dense cover of the gardens a delight. Wading birds stalk marshy shallows. Raptors keep watch for reptiles.
The largest of the pondsResources
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Overview
Location: Palma Sola
Length: 0.6 miles
Trailhead: 27.514396,-82.659664
Address: 9800 17th Ave NW, Bradenton
Fees: Free. Donations appreciated.
Restroom: At the cafe and adjoining the picnic pavilion
Land Manager: Palma Sola Botanical Park Foundation
Phone: 941-761-2866
Open 8 AM to dusk. Cafe open Tue-Fri 9-2. Well-behaved leashed dogs welcome. Two pathways and the main building are accessible.
Directions
From US 41 (9th St SW) in downtown Bradenton, follow Manatee Ave (SR 64) west 4 miles to 75th St W. Turn right and continue north 1.3 miles to 17th Ave NW. Drive west 1.4 miles to the park entrance on the left.
About the Park
Rooted in a taxpayer-funded nursery the county wanted to dispose of, Palma Sola Botanical Park emerged through locals wanting to preserve neighborhood green space.
In 1993, a foundation was created to manage it, and the Manatee Rare Fruit Council added extensive plantings fifteen years later.
Rare fruit groveMultiple venues within the park are popular for staging events, and the grounds are truly appealing for weddings.
Palm Alley and its gazebo are popular choices; the screened picnic pavilion adjoining its grassy expanse can be reserved.
Intimate gazebo in Palm AlleyA complex of buildings including a gift shop faces the parking area, where a pathway circles plantings accenting a pond in the corner of the property.
Check ahead before your visit to ensure the park isn’t closing early for an event. Events are their primary source of revenue for tending the gardens.
Event lawn behind the cafeHike
An attention-catching archway under royal palms at the east end of the parking area guides visitors into a clockwise walk around the park.
Start with Palm Alley. Behind the far side of its pavilion is an easy-to-miss niche, the Butterfly Garden with its flowering shrubs and circular path.
Palm grove at entrance walkwayPast the restrooms, continue into the Rare Fruit Garden. This is a working grove tended by the Manatee Rare Fruit Council. Signs warn you not to harvest fruit.
Some species are familiar, like mango and papaya and carambola; others, like ylang-ylang and jackfruit, showcase fruits and floral displays uncommonly seen.
Interpretive signs help with fruit identificationBuffered by bays and bayous near the Gulf of Mexico, the climate of Palma Sola has lent itself to tropical fruit farming since modern settlement of the area.
Ancient inhabitants of this landscape used the bounty of native semi-tropical shrubs and trees and the fruit of prickly-apple, a sprawling cactus, as food sources.
MangosA side path leads to a gazebo along the central pond of the garden, the shady spot outfitted with glider swings.
Follow the main trail across a bridge, turning to face a berm. At the edge of the pond are marvelously tall red silk floss trees.
Red silk floss treeThey drop fluffy puffs of seeds in spring, rolling across on the grass in the breeze like lightweight cotton balls.
Cross the berm, keeping to the path between the palms on the far side of the pond.
Along the bermEdged by cypress and a large ficus, a smaller pond also attracts herons and egrets. At a T with a two-track path, turn left.
Walk along this smaller pond past a terraced succulent garden. Cycads thrive in the shade beyond it.
CycadsThe end of this spur is a bench in the shade, a collection of palms nearby. Pass the succulent garden on the return trip.
Stay on the two-track until the screw pine along the edge of a shady hammock on the right.
Succulent gardenTurn in here for a perspective of the lawn west of the big pond and its planted beds, including a showy collection of hibiscus.
Turn left to climb the stairs the back porch of the main building, which has a cafe inside. The gift shop displays art from local artisans. Both ventures help support this park.
Lawn behind the main buildingFollow the shaded porch around to the front of the building to return to the parking area.
A full circuit of the main gardens is a half mile. Looping around the landscaped front pond, complete a 0.6 mile walk around the park.
Shaded porchTrail Map
Explore More!
Visit Robinson Preserve across the street
Robinson Preserve Edging Tampa Bay, the vast sweep of Robinson Preserve is a puzzle of natural and restored habitats circled by more than ten miles of mixed-use trails. Video
A walk through Palma Sola Botanical Park
Slideshow
See our photos from Palma Sola Botanical Garden
Nearby Adventures
Riverview Pointe Preserve Protecting eleven acres of waterfront adjacent to De Soto National Memorial, this dog-friendly coastal park features a beach on the Manatee River.
De Soto National Memorial Interpreting the landing of Spanish conquistador Hernando De Soto, De Soto National Memorial occupies a peninsula where the Manatee River flows into Tampa Bay. 
Perico Preserve Hugging the edge of Perico Bayou on Perico Island, Perico Preserve adjoins Robinson Preserve in Palma Sola, presenting similar habitats on a smaller scale. 
Neal Preserve Discover the botany and prehistory of Perico Island through excellent interpretation and observation points with outstanding views at Neal Preserve.
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