Those looking to add something new to their garden should consider butterflies.
The Florida Museum of Natural History holds a butterfly-friendly plant sale every Friday to Sunday as part of a series of plant sales. The sale’s proceeds will benefit the museum’s butterfly rainforest.
“What we try to do is feature the plants that we know will work for the butterflies because we see what works out there in the exhibit,” said Michael Boulware, who specializes in living exhibits at the museum.
The plant sale, located outside of the museum’s front entrance near the picnic area, features an assortment of plants, and the list of plants available changes with each weekend’s sale.
There are two types of plants sold in front of the museum: the plants that caterpillars eat and nectar plants that the butterflies feed off.
Boulware, a former organic farmer, found that if organic food crops are produced correctly, they will then attract butterflies, which can be viewed as a positive or a negative depending on the gardener.
“I’ve got a butterfly garden growing at the house and it’s the coolest thing to watch them,” said Jerri Sullivan, a volunteer.
While some of the plants are brought in from local nurseries, most of the plants were grown in the museum.
One type of plant hasn’t been selling better than the rest because people pick plants to suit their gardens, Sullivan said.
“I would say a lot of people are very native-plant conscious,” Boulware said. “If it attracts a butterfly that’s great too, but they want to buy something that’s going to look good.”
Plant prices are about half of what customers would pay at a nursery, Sullivan said. Plants are priced depending on pot size.
Four-inch pots sell for $3, one-gallon pots cost $6 and three-gallon pots cost up to $18.
The plant sales will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
The museum will feature 10 plants each week, along with at least one additional unannounced species, according to the museum’s website.
For a complete list of plants available, visit flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflies/plant_sales.
