The Alhambra Butterfly Garden is a Certified Butterfly Habitat

The Alhambra’s Butterfly Garden is officially certified as a butterfly habitat by the North American Butterfly Association. This lovely garden extends along the whole east side of the A9 building, forming a luscious foliage-filled corridor for butterflies to feed and shelter.

To be certified, a butterfly garden must provide both greenery for the caterpillars to eat and nectar for the butterflies. The Alhambra Butterfly Garden is home to 18 different shrubs, trees, grasses, and perennials, all of which attract butterflies.

Although the habitat is not species-specific, it generally attracts Monarchs, West Coast Ladies, Marine Blues, Painted Ladies, and Western Tiger Swallowtails.

Woolly Blue Curls is a fragrant small evergreen shrub with blue flowers that supports caterpillars, butterflies, and birds.

Carolina Cherry is a small flowering evergreen tree. When it blooms in spring, it provides nectar and attracts butterflies. Later, the colorful fruits are eaten by songbirds.

Seaside Daisy is a California native plant that provides nectar and attracts all native butterflies.

Desert Willow supplies caterpillar food and has a tolerance for hot, dry climates due to its thin, willow-like leaves. The tree produces a lovely bell-shaped flower, ranging in color from purple to light pink, and will bloom from May through September.

Salvi Pozo Blue, commonly known as the Gray Musk Sage, has tall, showy spikes of violet-blue flowers and aromatic blue-gray leaves. It attracts many species of butterflies and hummingbirds.