Butterfly Garden

The Butterfly Garden, sponsored by the Spartanburg Garden Council, is located on the right upon entering the garden via the paved path.

The garden experienced a major upgrade in 2009 with the building of a semi-circle brick terrace ringed about by boxwoods. Elevated at the round end, one can stand on the terrace and look down on the butterflies gathering nectar. A bird bath was installed as a mud puddling station for our lepidopteran visitors. Plants were chosen to provide the butterflies with a constant source of food throughout our growing season. Lantanas and salvia start out in the spring and bloom through the summer when the coneflowers begin to flower. Taller plants, like the ginger lily and joe pye weed, finish off the season until first frost. The Butterfly Garden is adorned by a piece of Winnsboro blue granite, the state stone, and bordered on the right by a fence straddled by a giant monarch caterpillar sculpture, by artist Vivianne Carey. You can also see the Butterfly sculpture by artist Abe Duenas.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
South Carolina State Butterfly
Designated on March 29, 1994

Tulip poplars (Liriodendron tulipifera) are host trees for tiger swallowtail caterpillars. Also called yellow poplar, a single flower can produce 70 seeds, which is why you’ll find dozens of seedlings growing on the forest floor of Hatcher Garden.

Butterfly Puddling
Butterflies can appear to be eating dirt. But what they’re really doing is gathering minerals and moisture. Stop by the bird bath to watch the butterflies puddling. The best time to spot them is winter and early spring, before the salvia envelops the bird bath.

What You’ll Find

Butterflies

  • Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)

  • Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

  • Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)

  • Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

Plants

  • Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

  • Blue Fortune Hyssop (Agastache 'Blue Fortune')

  • Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii 'Buzz Ivory')

  • Ginger Lily (Hedychium coronarium)

  • Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)

  • Lantana (Lantana camara ‘Mozelle’)

  • Salvia (Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’)

  • Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

  • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

  • Spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘Neon Flash’)

  • Sunflower (Helianthus 'Sun Queen')

  • Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Hatcher Gardens