What’s Blooming at Butterfly Pavilion this Winter

Winter Blooms in Wings of the Tropics

The butterflies in our Wings of the Tropics exhibit need nectar no matter the season, so Butterfly Pavilion’s horticulturists keep the rainforest blooming 365 days a year. Here are a few spectacular flowers you can see right now:

Red powderpuff –

Calliandra haematocephala 

The red powderpuff, a native of Bolivia, is a small tree growing to about 16 feet tall with bright red puff-like flower heads. These fabulous flowers are favorites of scarlet Mormon butterflies and other swallowtails.   

Glory bower –

Clerodendrum splendens 

Glory bower is a twining shrub native to West Africa. The flowers are brilliant red, and even after the corollas fall, the calyxes become purplish-pink or red, retaining a bit of cheerful color. This species feeds most of our nectar-feeding butterflies from little yellow sulfur butterflies to large swallowtails. 

Flame vine –

Pyrostegia venusta 

Flame vine is a native of Brazil, and its name is from the Greek pyr, fire, and stege, a roof, referring to the color and shape of the upper lip of the flower. Large nectar-feeding butterflies with long tongues, such as paper kites, visit this flower.