Gardens

Victoria Butterfly Gardens is an indoor rainforest environment, carefully managed via computerized temperature, light and humidity controls. Our tropical paradise is housed in a 12,000 square foot greenhouse allowing butterflies to fly freely, fish and ducks to swim in the stream, birds to fly, and plants to grow. There is a large stream that meanders through the gardens, assisting with the humidity, and providing the perfect place for our flamingos to relax and our fish to swim.

Over 250 different tropical plants provide beauty and function in the gardens. Many of the plants in the gardens are "host plants". These are plants that support one or more species of butterflies through out their life cycle. The butterfly will lay its eggs on the leaves, the caterpillar will emerge from the egg, feast on the foliage, and then when it is ready, form its chrysalis on the plant as well.

As well, there are "food plants", on which the butterflies will feed after emerging from their chrysalides. At times the blooms on these plants are supplemented in providing nectar for the butterflies by our staff placing trays of sliced fruit covered with a piece of screening throughout the gardens. This allows the butterflies to use their proboscis to suck sugars from the fermenting fruit, quite a diet for these special butterflies.

Included in the plant collection are hundreds of bromeliads, orchids and other epiphytes, bright tropical blooms such as hibiscus, frangipani, pink chenille, Angels' Trumpets and others.

Online Library

To learn more about the plants we have at Victoria Butterfly Gardens, visit our library of creatures and plants.