New Bayshore Walkway to Showcase Native Plants

The morning of January 13th was a landscaping ‘blitz” day at the “soon to open” new Bayshore Drive interconnecting walkway to Sugden Regional Park. For the past 24 months, the Naples Botanical Garden (NBG) has been working with the staff of Bayshore Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and their landscape design professional to cultivate and provide native Florida plants to the boardwalk project. Volunteers from NBG were busy planting a variety of selected natives, working side by side with staff from Bayshore CRA and Stantec. 

According to NBG, “The Garden is pleased to contribute lesser-known natives, including Simpson stopper, Spanish stopper and white stopper trees, along with numerous other plant types, such as wetland plants for the littoral zones along the site's waterbodies, and sabal minor (dwarf palmetto), which are great for wildlife habitat and will offer a nice, layering contrast to taller palms throughout the site. We offered an array of tropical flowering trees to serve as accents and focal points. These include crabwood (Gymnanthes lucida),  blolly (Guapira discolor), lagerstroemia (crepe myrtle), and various species of tabebuia. These flowering accent trees are a mix of Florida natives and species that are considered ‘regionally appropriate,’ meaning they thrive in our growing conditions even if they didn't originate here. They generally come from the Caribbean, which has very similar soil types, weather patterns, etc. We're also excited to see the use of satin leaf trees in the allée (these were not grown by the Garden, but they are among our horticulturists' favorites for their distinct foliage and suitability to Southwest Florida growing conditions).” 

According to Tami Scott, Project Manager with the Bayshore CRA, she has been working on this project for the last four years, but the project has been in planning for at least 15 years.On February 6, 2025, the County officials held the groundbreaking ceremony. 

Already, the boardwalk deckings are completed; handrails are completed, and the official ribbon cutting is scheduled for February 26, 2026.