About the Garden
The Rotary Butterfly Garden is a feature of Auburndale’s Historic Downtown Park. It has been made possible through donations by the Rotary Club of Auburndale and funding from the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency. The garden features over 30 different types of plants that are Florida-Friendly (native and non-native, drought-resistant plants). The plant selection has been designed to attract a wide range of Central Florida butterfly species to feed on the nectar of our flowering plants. There are also several species of flora that serve as host plants to particular butterflies. For example, Milkweed is the exclusive breeding ground for the popular Monarch Butterfly. Similarly, the Florida State Butterfly, the Zebra Longwing, uses Passion Flower to lays its eggs.
We invite you to explore and enjoy the Rotary Butterfly Garden! Please use this web page as your guide to the different plants and butterflies that you may find in the garden.
Events
Feature
Florida Friendly Landscaping is an important practice that the City of Auburndale utilizes to create sustainable landscapes that minimize water usage along with excess fertilizers and pesticides, and provides habitats for wildlife.
This is why the City of Auburndale and the Auburndale Rotary Club were recognized by the University of Florida IFAS Polk County Extension Office and the Master Gardeners Club for utilizing Florida Friendly Landscaping practices at the Butterfly Garden downtown. The City of Auburndale was also recognized for its Florida Friendly practices on PK Avenue.
Check out these landscapes for ideas for your yards, and for more information, please check out www.FloridaFriendlyLandscaping.com.
Butterflies & Caterpillars
Click on the SPECIES NAME to get more information about each butterfly. This section features 13 butterflies and caterpillars that have host plants in our garden.
Zone 1
- Black Eyed Susan
- Bottlebrush Tree
- Firecracker
- Gaillardia
- Golden Thryallis
- Lily of the Nile
- Purple Fountain Grass
- Pink Muhly Grass
- Saw Palmetto
- Scarlet Sage
Zone 2
- Coneflower
- Jathropa
- Lily of the Nile
- Milkweed
- Pentas
- Purple Fountain Grass
- Tuscarora Crape Myrtle
Zone 3
- Beach Sunflower
- Eastern Redbud Tree
- Gaillardia
- Golden Thryallis
- Jathropa
- Milkweed
- Pink Muhly Grass
- Purple Fountain Grass
- Scarlet Sage
Zone 4
- Azalea
- Blue Porterweed
- Bottlebrush Tree
- Butterfly Bush
- Cast Iron Plant
- Coontie Palm
- Desert Cassia Tree
- Eastern Redbud Tree
- Firebush
- Firecracker
- Holly Fern
- Pawpaw Tree
- Pentas
- Plumbago
- Pink Muhly Grass
- Saw Palmetto
Railroad Garden
- Blue Porterweed
- Dill
- Fennel
- Gold Mound Lantana
- Milkweed
- Parsley
- Pentas
- Plumbago
