The Butterfly Garden

Nestled inside the Port Saint Lucie Botanical Garden is the Butterfly Garden. It’s a magical place for butterflies, bumble bees, and hummingbirds. Phyllis Brown has been at the helm of the Butterfly Garden since the inception of the Port Saint Lucie Botanical Garden.

Phyllis’s team is always hard at work pruning and maintaining the Butterfly Garden. At first glance, it appears wild and natural. But it takes a lot of work to maintain. The team, Ellen, Courtney, Darlene, Laura, Barry, David, and Mary Lou are an integral part of the Butterfly Garden, dedicating many hours each week to ensuring the beauty and health of the plants. She received her Master Garden certification in 2010 and came here soon after at the invitation of her friend, the horticulturist David Laub.

In the 13 years Phyllis has volunteered at the garden, she has slowly converted a giant patch of sand and grass into today’s beautiful Butterfly Garden. With her team, she has created mini garden beds showcasing different sets of plants. This year’s challenge is to reclaim an area near the new fence. Phyllis explained that she plants native and non-native plants to attract pollinators.

There are currently four different host plants to attract butterflies:

• Milkweed attracts and sustains Monarch Butterflies. The adults lay eggs on the underside of the leaves, and the caterpillars eat the leaves when they hatch.

• Popcorn Cassia is the favorite plant of the Sulphur Butterfly.

• Gulf Fritillary loves the Passion Vine.

• Pipe Vine Caterpillars are named for their favorite plant, the Pipe Vine.

Phyllis said that she loves seeing the Butterfly Garden through the eyes of others. Visitors are often amazed at the combination of textures, colors, shapes, scents, and how they all meld together in a beautiful mosaic. She admitted that the heat and humidity in July and August can be a challenge when gardening, but her fantastic team takes a lot of hydration breaks and keeps on maintaining this little piece of magic.