Dataw Island Butterfly Garden: A Garden Club Special Project
The Butterfly Garden originally began in 1998 as a wildflower Garden. The land was granted by Common Grounds and approved by the ARB. The Garden began as a volunteer project led by the women from the Dataw Island Garden Club. In 2000, they reimagined the Garden as a Butterfly Garden. The Garden was laid out, as you see it today, roughly 6,000 square feet. They grew plants from seeds because they didn’t have a budget and since there was no irrigation, they had to haul water from home to water the plants.
The Butterfly Garden has always been tended by passionate volunteers! Mondays became a regular volunteer day for the ladies to gather for weeding, deadheading, and planting. This treasure has been handed down over 25 years, with new volunteers joining while others have moved on. It’s a place of camaraderie, learning, sharing, and laughter.
The Butterfly Garden is truly a legacy and a treasure! And, it’s a wonder of nature at work. The Garden is filled with host plants for the Butterflies. We have Butterfly Weed, which is the only host plant that the Monarch Butterfly will lay its eggs on. We have the Passionflower Vine – the host plant for the Gulf Fritillary, the Paw Paw,Tree which is the host for the Zebra Swallowtail, Fennel which is the host plant for the Black Swallowtail, and the American Wisteria which is host to the Silver Spotted Skipper. And, many other host plants in the Garden. The Garden is also loaded with nectar plants for the Butterflies to feed on.
We practice both the art and science of Gardening here! We study the needs of the Butterflies and try to grow the plants that will support them. Our climate and Lowcountry location can be challenging! We’re always learning and trying new plants that the deer won’t touch, that tolerate our hot summers and periodic cold snaps in the winter. Sometimes it’s frustrating but it’s always rewarding when we spot that beautiful Butterfly.
This Butterfly Garden is the Dataw Island Garden Club’s gift to all the residents of Dataw Island. We hope that everyone will stop by, observe the quiet beauty and the Butterflies of the Lowcountry.
