While walking with a homeowner around their yard a few days ago, I spotted a butterfly. I tried to continue to be professional, but the little kid in me was so very excited to see the beautiful creature. I was immediately transformed to the summer after that I spent catching butterflies on my Grandparent’s Huntley Dairy Farm. Butterflies can bring so much joy to our lives.
Beginning May 27, The Chicago Botanic Garden is hosting a ‘Butterflies and Blooms’ exhibit. A portion of the Botanic Garden will become a butterfly haven. For this column, I have interviewed Mary Plunket. She is the manager of the interpretive programs at The Chicago Botanic Garden.
Mary, Can you describe for our readers the scope of the exhibit?
The Butterflies & Blooms Exhibition is located on the Regenstein Learning Campus and is a wonderful habitat where visitors can be immersed in hundreds of butterflies from all over the world. The habitat is a mesh enclosure, approximately 2,800 square feet. There are several volunteers that can guide visitors throughout the enclosure and help identify the species that are there. The area is wheelchair and walker accessible.
What types of butterflies are included?
There can be 20 to 30 species of butterflies ranging from buckeye, white peacock (both native to Illinois) to Common Morpho (Central & South America), Great Orange Tip (Asia), Malachite (South America) and many more!
From which countries would these butterflies be native?
There are species from North America, South American, Asia and Africa as well as species native to Illinois.
How many butterflies can a visitor expect to see when experiencing the exhibit?
Throughout the season, there can be between 300 and 500 in the exhibit. In wet or cold weather, the butterflies will be in the shrubs and trees throughout the exhibit.
Which portion of the exhibit should our readers be sure not to miss when walking through?
All visitors can observe butterflies hatching through the window in the pupa emergence room. There is a volunteer at this site to talk about the specific butterflies about to emerge.
What types of plants are included in the ‘Bloom’ portion of the ‘Butterfly and Blooms’ exhibit and why were these plants chosen?
All of the plants in the butterfly exhibit are attractive to butterflies, because of the nectar they provide as a food source. Butterfly plants that are designated as host plants are prohibited from being used, because we don’t want to give any of the exotic butterflies in the exhibit a chance to lay eggs. The palette of plants include Echinacea (coneflowers), Buddleia (butterfly bush), and Agastache (anise hyssop); all planted with the intention of showcasing different color schemes, as you walk throughout the exhibit.
Can the exhibit be photographed?
Visitors are allowed to take photos. No mono pods or tripods allowed.
What dates is the exhibit open and what are the daily hours?
May 27 – September 4. The exhibit is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily, weather permitting – last ticket sold at 4:30 p.m.
Is there any cost to view the exhibit?
Admission is:
Adults: $6
Seniors: $5
Children: 3-12 years: $4
Children: 2 and under: Free
Where could our readers go if they would like more information?
Readers can check out our website at www.chicagobotanic.org/butterflies/.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
