The delights of the Butterfly Exhibit at Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden
A glimpse of a butterfly as it flutters by is likely to bring a smile to your face. Its intricate design of colours and carefree, elusive flight speak of beauty and freedom. The metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly has become a metaphor for resurrections and transformation.
The Spring Butterfly Exhibit at Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden provided a wonderful opportunity to surround myself with butterflies.
The butterfly house is filled with flowering plants and dishes of orange slices and nectar to feed the butterflies
A painted lady and two white peacock butterflies
Butterflies attracted to the orange slices
Signs in the exhibit provide information about the butterflies. Butterflies need an air temperature of at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 Celsius) to warm their wings for flying. Butterflies visit flowers for nectar, their main energy source. Butterflies roost in trees or plants during inclement weather and at night. They need at least 14 hours of rest a day.
Julia butterfly
White peacock butterfly
Butterfly lands on a friend’s shirt
Luna moth
Butterflies and moths may look alike but there are differences. Butterfly bodies are usually thin and their antennae are clubbed. Moth bodies are often plump and hairy. The antennae of male moths are feathery. Butterflies are active during the day. Moths are active at night.
Zebra longwing butterfly
Pipevine swallowtail butterfly
Desert Botanical Garden presents a butterfly exhibit in spring and another one in fall. The annual Spring Butterfly Exhibit usually starts in March and runs into May. The fall exhibit may start at the end of September and run until mid-November.
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15 Comments
Noel Morata
March 24, 2014 at 2:01 pmI always love going to butterfly parks…sweet visit!
Viv
March 24, 2014 at 4:23 pmThis is a handy travel tip for our upcoming trip to Phoenix. Certainly adding the Desert Botanical Garden to our list of things to do.
Patti Morrow
March 25, 2014 at 12:40 pmI’ve seen some of these butterfly exhibits in a few places that I’ve traveled to, but I’ve never been. The photos are lovely, and I think I’ll include a visit next time there’s an opportunity to tour a butterfly garden.
Corinne Vail
March 25, 2014 at 12:42 pmOooohh! Awww! Look at that one! I love butterflies…nice photos!
Michelle
March 25, 2014 at 2:06 pmWoW! I’ve never seen such wonderful photos of butterflys. I visited Tuscon last Fall. maybe Phoenix will be next?
Doreen Pendgracs
March 25, 2014 at 2:09 pmWhat an amazing experience that must have been, Donna! So many varieties of butterflies to discover. Makes me think that spring may finally be coming!
Marilyn Jones
March 25, 2014 at 3:09 pmI love butterflies! Your photos are beautiful!!
Nancie
March 25, 2014 at 4:52 pmButterflies can be so much fun to photograph. They always remind me of spring, which seems to be on the way!
JeriWB
March 25, 2014 at 5:31 pmI’ve only been in one butterfly exhibit, but I really liked it and got tons of great pictures.
blondebrunettetravel
March 25, 2014 at 5:38 pmBeautiful photos! The only time I was in a butterfly garden was also probably the only time I didn’t have a camera (even a phone) on me so I’m so glad you took these pictures!
Irene S. Levine
March 25, 2014 at 5:40 pmI’ve only visited the Garden over the Christmas season. Seems like each season has its special draws~
A Taste for Travel
March 25, 2014 at 6:06 pmI had no idea Phoenix had a butterfly garden but I’m glad they’re preserving and protecting these endangered species. There is a large butterfly conservatory here in Niagara Ontario and I was told that butterflies are attracted to red clothing so I’m not surprised to see one landed on the red shirt in the photo!
Josie Schneider
March 26, 2014 at 8:04 amHi Donna,
I SO needed this post and your pretty photos this morning — Here it is March 26th and we have snow today in Michigan. This has been such a brutal winter that won’t end!
Seeing the green vegetation and beautiful butterflies is a jolt of freshness and warmth. I thank you!
Josie
Sand In My Suitcase
March 27, 2014 at 4:42 pmThe exhibit looks lovely… We saw thousands of Monarch butterflies recently in a natural butterfly sanctuary high in the mountains near Morelia, Mexico. That’s where they migrate to overwinter before returning back to eastern US and Canada in the spring. That was quite special…
Donna Janke
March 28, 2014 at 10:20 amThanks for all the comments.