The Butterfly House at Blenheim Palace has been given a fresh look for 2024, with the aim of making it more accessible and immersive for visitors, as well as an even better environment than before for its winged inhabitants.
Head Gardener Andy Mills has worked closely with Senior Gardener Chris Horne, who has looked after the Butterfly House for over 10 years, to add a host of new spring flowers including amaryllis and fritillaries, which now sit alongside exotic plants from Africa, Madeira and South America.
The middle pond has been covered over to improve visitor access to the centre of the house, while there is a bigger emphasis on tropical fruits including pineapple, mango and papaya for the butterflies’ diet, to more closely resemble what they would eat in the wild.
Last year, new technology was introduced to help monitor temperature, humidity and butterfly hatch rates in the Butterfly House, which in 2023 welcomed 38 new species of tropical butterflies.
With new residents such as ‘Red Lacewing’, ‘Emerald Peacock’ and the stunning ‘Blue Wave’, the Butterfly House is filled with a myriad of bright and beautiful creatures.
To book tickets for Blenheim Palace and Gardens, including The Butterfly House, visit www.blenheimpalace.com/visitus/what-to-do/butterfly-house