Tessman Butterfly House - Huntsville Botanical Garden

One of the highlights of the Huntsville Botanical Garden from May to the end of September is the Tessman Butterfly House. Kids and adults alike flock to it to enter into the magical world of the butterfly. These light, fluttery creatures hold a special fascination and charm for visitors to the Garden.

Each year, the Garden imports 25 to 30 species of native North American--live, but sleepy--butterflies and chrysalis. Visitors to the Butterfly House can wander the dome-shaped building and explore butterflies in their different stages of development.

2005 is the last year for the Butterfly House in its present location at The Garden. In 2006, the new Nature Center at the Garden will include a bigger house for the butterflies.

Butterflies are fascinating to everyone. There are 4 stages in life cycle of the butterfly:

• An adult butterfly lays an egg.
• The egg hatches into a caterpillar or larva.
• The caterpillar forms the chrysalis or pupa.
• The chrysalis matures into a butterfly.

If you'd like to attract butterflies to your home garden, here are some of the flowers you'll want to plant:

• Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
• Lantana
• Zinnias
• Bee balm
• Purple coneflowers
• Pentas
• Sage
• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) or other milkweeds
• Lilac
• Sunflower
• Marjoram
• Hebe

One of the places to see all the stages of growth of the butterfly and a variety of plants is every summer at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Don't miss it--Memorial Day through September 30th.

My Butterfly Photos
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