Butterflies take wing in annual 'Flights of Fancy' exhibit

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Now in its 10th year, the annual “Flights of Fancy” exhibit at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton gives visitors the chance to see and interact with hundreds of butterflies in all manners of size, shape and color, as they fly freely in a garden of tropical plants and trees.

The Wings of Fancy exhibit at Brookside Gardens, in Wheaton, runs daily through Sunday, Sept. 17. The exhibit gives children and adults a chance to view butterflies in all stages of life in a natural setting. Now in its 10th year, the exhibit remains a big hit with school-age children who make up the biggest percentage of visitors. Photo by Max Franz

Brookside Gardens, a 50-acre public display garden located in Wheaton Regional Park on Glenallan Avenue, hosts the annual butterfly exhibit, giving children and adults a close-up view of butterflies in a natural habitat. The focal point is the exhibit’s “flight house,” where adult butterflies from more than 80 species flit to and fro, alighting on the flowers and trees housed within. Caretakers also place fruit in varying stages of decay throughout the exhibit, which gives visitors another opportunity to see how butterflies feed.“Our main focus is to show people the entire life cycle of the butterfly and illustrate the relationship between butterflies and plants,” Brookside Gardens Conservatory Manager Kathy Stevens said.The exhibit is especially popular with children, whether they come with their schools, parents or grandparents. “A very large percentage of our visitors are school-age children,” Stevens said. “They really get a kick out of it.”Many of the species on exhibit have names as exotic and colorful as their appearance. The op-art-inspired Zebra Mosaic displays distinctive black-and-white markings, while the oddly named Mexican Shoemaker butterfly hails from Mexico and Costa Rica.In addition to butterflies from distant locations, many local species also are on display. These include the strikingly colorful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and the enigmatically named Question Mark butterfly, which has a unique wing pattern.The butterflies are purchased from breeders in Florida, Texas and Costa Rica, and represent species found in North, South and Central America. The smallest species, like the Argentinean Canna Skipper, measure less than two inches. Conversely, the largest butterflies, like the Mournful Owl from Guatemala and the American Giant Swallowtail, have wingspans over six inches.The butterflies’ life cycles vary, but most last less than a month after becoming adults. Because of this, the conservatory receives 200 or so chrysalises on average every week.“We have several hundred adult butterflies flying around right now,” Stevens said. “With more coming in every week, by the height of the summer, there will be hundreds more flying around.”One species visitors will not find flying through the conservatory is Maryland’s official butterfly, the Baltimore Checkerspot. This small butterfly, like the Baltimore Oriole, is black with accents of white and orange.The species, which feeds solely on nectar from the White Turtlehead plant, is listed as endangered. The Baltimore Checkerspot and its only food service are located in wetlands and marshy areas, and have suffered losses due to development. Another problem is that the turtlehead plant, which the Checkerspot uses not only for food, but as a place to lay eggs, is popular with the state’s deer population.Because of the butterfly’s endangered status, the conservatory displays Checkerspots and their larvae and caterpillars outside the main flight house. A concerted effort is underway to repopulate Checkerspot colonies in Maryland. As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations Brookside Gardens must adhere to, to import butterflies from outside the country, they can not be released on purpose or accidentally from the flight house. Therefore, the Checkerspots are kept outside and can be released as needed.The Wings of Fancy exhibit runs daily through Sunday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $4.50 for adults and $3.50 for ages 3 to 12 Children 2 and under admitted free. Call 301-962-1400 for more information. Admission to the rest of Brookside Gardens is free.