Butterflies Returning to Meijer Gardens

Photo courtesy of Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park

Emerald Swallowtail- Photo courtesy of Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park announces the return of the much-loved Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming exhibition, now in its 30th year. This highly anticipated event, the largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibition in the United States, showcases the stunning diversity and intricate beauty of butterflies and moths. Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming, opening March 1 and running through April 30, invites visitors to celebrate the unique spectacle of thousands of tropical butterflies flying freely within the lush environment of the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory.
This exhibition represents a global journey, featuring more than 60 butterfly and moth species from Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. The five-story, 15,000-square-foot glass house provides the ideal tropical setting for these vibrant world travelers. Guests will experience species; from dazzling blue morphos and stealthy clearwings to majestic Atlas moths and elegant tree nymphs.
"Butterflies at Meijer Gardens have always been a cherished part of spring in West Michigan, and this year’s 30th annual Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming exhibition promises to be more engaging than ever,” said Steve LaWarre, Senior Vice President at Meijer Gardens. “This year we are expanding butterfly-themed elements beyond the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory, creating opportunities for discovery both inside and out. We are thrilled to celebrate three decades of connecting our guests with the wonder and beauty of tropical butterflies in exciting new ways."
In addition to showcasing the butterflies' aerial ballet, the exhibition offers guests unique, up-close experiences at feeding stations with nectar plants and at the Observation Station, where thousands of chrysalides and cocoons emerge and reveal the magic of metamorphosis. Approximately 1,000 chrysalides are delivered to Meijer Gardens each week of the exhibition.
This year’s milestone exhibition celebrates the tropics with vibrant flora displays of purples, pinks, oranges, and yellows. Guests can look forward to layered beds of bulbs, fresh hues of hyacinths, unique tulip varieties, and North American natives like Camassia quamash. The conservatory will also feature new elements, such as suspended feeding stations with tropical fruit slices and colorful arrangements of air plants, bromeliads, and orchids.

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