SOAR – Tropical Butterflies has returned for a fourth year but it’s not the only place to see butterflies in the Garden! The Pollination Garden is another great place to see butterflies out in the wild.
The butterflies found out in the Garden are extra special because they are native to Southern California. So why do they love the Pollination Garden so much? We planted the area with native plants that our local butterflies love! These plants serve as host plants that provide food for caterpillars and nectar plants that provide a yummy bite to eat for adult butterflies. Our native plants were sourced from both the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) and the Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF). PVPLC is a hyper-local organization dedicated to restoring the native plant communities of Palos Verdes and TPF is dedicated to raising awareness for California native wild flowers and plants. Some of the native plants that can be found in the Pollination Garden are yarrow, California poppies, narrowleaf milkweed, and sea cliff buckwheat. These plants attract monarchs, swallowtails, marine blues and cloudless sulfurs, just to name a few.
Butterflies aren’t the only critters you’ll find in the Pollination Garden. You’ll see ground squirrels, bees and hummingbirds as well. Our umbrellas and chairs in the area also make the Pollination Garden a great place to take a quick break before exploring the rest of the Garden.
Once you’re ready to leave the Pollination Garden, you can visit SOAR to see non-native butterflies for a well-rounded butterfly visit! Tickets to SOAR – Tropical Butterflies, click here.
