2016 is the year of the butterfly

Butterfly World is prepped for the Spring Season as a “Floral Fantasy” for 2016. Nearly 1000 new flowering plants have been added to the gardens! Although there are always flowers blooming at the park, spring is the penultimate time for an ever-changing palate of colors throughout the park. Some of the species, such as the brilliant pink New Guinea Trumpet Vine, only bloom at this time of year.

Along with the plant additions, there have been some of the “feathered” kinds as well, with yellow and green canaries flitting and adding their lovely song throughout the aviaries and in a Grand Plaza habitat. Shaft-tailed Finches, in the Jewels of the Sky Aviary, are so friendly that signs are posted alerting visitors that they are more than likely to find one landing on their head. For kids and the brave among us, the Bug Zoo has recently been given a mini renovation, and new creatures such as Whip Scorpions and Silver Argiope Spiders have been added.

Couples have long enjoyed the romance of Butterfly World with its waterfalls, lake and wealth of spots to just sit with your loved one and take in the beauty. They’ve done one better now, though, with a recently constructed vine-covered pergola bench tucked away near the suspension bridge. It’s the perfect spot for two, or for anyone who wants a moment of shade and quiet with a spectacular view. Speaking of “passion,” Butterfly World has more types of flowering Passiflora, i.e. Passion Vines, than any other site in the world. The Secret Garden Maze is planted with many of the most “showy” varieties, ranging from pumpkin orange, to delicate pink, to vivid ruby red. Many of these can also be purchased.

Butterfly world is located at Tradewinds Park, 3600 Sample Road, in Coconut Creek. For additional information, call 954.977.4400 or visit www.butterflyworld.com