What's Blooming: Tropical Hydrangea

Malachite butterflies on Tropical Hydrangea blooms

What’s Blooming: Tropical Hydrangea
by Kelly Kellow, Horticulturist, Gardens on Spring Creek

When the snow comes to The Gardens, outside plants are in their winter slumber. But, in the Butterfly House you can find plants that are in full bloom, making it a sweet, summer-like oasis.

There is one special specimen in the flight house that is blooming just in time to chase the winter chills away. Its giant, light pink spheres hang from the tree like shooting stars that smell like buttery cake batter – a true delight during the cold winter months!

Dombeya x walichii (DOM-bay-ya) or Tropical Hydrangea is in the Malvacea family and has large pendulous umbels of light pink flowers and large bright green leaves that have short hairs, giving them a velvety soft texture. It is native to East Africa and Madagascar and does not handle temperatures cooler than 30 degrees Fahrenheit, making it only suitable for tropical regions. It is perfect for our Butterfly House, with its high humidity and steady warm temperatures – much like what you would find in Florida or southern regions of the U.S.

A Swallowtail butterfly on a Tropical Hydrangea bloom

Dombeya is a fast-growing tree or shrub and can add up to 36 inches of growth a season. On average, it grows to be 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide. When Dombeya starts flowering, butterflies will find the sweet-smelling large flowers very attractive. The flowers have a long bloom period and are important to the butterflies because they are rich in nectar during months when other plants are not blooming. Some plants bloom during the summer and will only grow vegetation during the winter. However, other plants, like Dombeya, bloom in the winter and grow during the summer. This is an important – and intentional – feature for our Butterfly House so that there are natural flower blooms all year round, in addition to the artificial nectar like rotting fruit, sugar-water cups and sponges we provide.

Every part of the Dombeya tree has some type of importance to the butterflies including the very large, bright green leaves that have been a lounging favorite. You can find them hanging upside down on the underside of the leaves or lying flat on top – a great plant for hiding, roosting and basking in the sun! Malachite, Mexican Blue Wing, Spicebush Swallowtail and Zebra Long Wings are some butterfly species that can be found lounging, feeding, and roosting all hours of the day on the tree. The Tropical Hydrangea tree is delightful for all visitors – whether walking or flying – during these cold winter months.

Enjoy the Butterfly House for half off admissions through February 28! Reserve your tickets today at fcgov.com/gardens/admissions.

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