Bronx Zoo Butterfly

Julia

Butterfly Garden

Bronx Zoo

The best thing at the Bronx Zoo is most likely the smallest thing at the Bronx Zoo. The Butterfly Garden has metamorphisized since its inception as a temporary spring exhibit into the most intriguing and gasp-inducing 100-foot exhibit there. Now in its permanent home up the hill from the popular Congo Gorilla exhibit, the Butterfly Garden houses over 1,000 butterflies from nearly 55 species of butterflies.

The butterflies seem to be at home in the exhibit, and with the visitors, occasionally landing on kids' hats and shirts. Kids can check off their sightings on the butterfly chart supplied by the zoo. We spotted 17 out of 45 on the chart, including this Zebra Longwing.

Inside and outside the exhibit are actual butterfly gardens with native NY plantings that attract butterflies. I have a few in my own garden. Purple coneflowers, bee balm, hydrangeas, coreopsis, lilacs, daisies, butterfly bush, rosemary, hibiscus (until it died this spring) and verbana. I managed to attract a Swallowtail recently and that was before everything was blooming. Hoping I get a lot more winged visitors and the time to relax and watch them enjoy my garden.