The beautiful weather and warm days are with us and with that comes the prolific blooms of the butterfly bush, penstemon, verbena, milkweed and others--and that’s butterfly language for fine dining! With 250 plus species in the Sonoran Desert alone there are plenty of opportunities to watch them up close and personal sipping the sweet nectar found in our desert plants. But for a real treat, where you just may get a more intimate experience with these truly magnificent creatures, head out to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix and experience the Marshall Butterfly Pavilion.
A true miracle of nature, the butterfly’s life-cycle is made up of four distinct stages-egg, caterpillar (or larva), chrysalis (or pupa), and adult metamorphosis resulting in exquisitely beautiful insects of flight! They are here and then they are gone, and butterfly enthusiasts know that glimpsing these exquisite creatures is a gift, given the lifespan of an adult butterfly can be as short as a few days and as long as several months.
Did you know? Butterflies are very rarely a serious threat to plants and are important pollinators. Their habitat is being threatened by lowering water tables, wide use of pesticides and growth of cities.
You can assist in helping this faunal member of our desert by checking with your local nursery and planting specific plants in your yard that can greatly help increase the number of butterflies. Of course, you will want to check with your Homeowner’s Association (HOA) first to make sure that plant or shrub is on the approved list for your subdivision, just to play it safe.
The Butterfly Pavilion is open through May 10th from 9:30 am. to 5:00 pm. Plan on spending an additional $3.50 on top of general admission to the Garden; children under 3 are free! The Desert Botanical Garden and Marshall Butterfly Pavilion are located at 1201 N. Galvin Parkway in Phoenix.
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