Butterfly Garden

Our Life Sciences Ambassadors presented their idea of creating a Butterfly Garden at our school at the Citib-Ideas in Action in 2006. The judges were very impressed and awarded them $ 2500 to carry out their project. The students had to find specific plants to attract the butterflies. They got help from the Nature Society who gave them a list of plants to get. Some of these plants were not available in nurseries and the students got the seeds from the Butterfly Garden in Pulau Ubin as the school had contacts with a National Parks officer there. The plants in the Butterfly Garden took 6 moths to grow to what it is today. 15 species of butterflies have been spotted so far including the rare Plain Tiger Butterfly.

Check out some of our butterfly species.

Calotropis gigantea / Crown flower
This plant is found in Asia and Africa. It can be propagated from seeds. It is highly recommended to have this plant in a butterfly garden. The rare Plain Tiger butterfly breeds on this plant seasonally. Has lavender or white flower bunches. Does well in hot and dry conditions

Cassia alata / Seven Golden Candlesticks
This plant is often found in wasteland. It can be propagated from seeds and is usually not found in nurseries. It is caterpillar foodplant of the rare Mottled Emigrant butterfly.

Clerodendron paniculatum
This plant can be propagted from stem or root cuttings and from seeds. It can grow in full or partial sunlight.It attracts butterflies.

Hibiscus
There are many different species of hibiscus grown at the butterfly garden. It is grown more for its colours than its ability to attract butterflies.

Ixora
Many different species of Ixora are found in the garden. It provides nectar food for butterflies.

Lime Plant / Citrus species
This plant is the larval food plant of the Lime and Common Mormon butterflies. The lovely great Mormon prefers to lay its eggs on pomelo which is also a citrus tree. This tree is purposely planted just next to the Butterfly Garden.

Melastoma malabathricum
This plant used to be common by the highways but is now slowly disappearing. Available in white and pink flowers, this is the host plant for the caterpillars of the Common Sailor, Nepthylas and Grey Count Butterfly, Tanaecia lepidea.

The Murraya paniculta is used as a hedge in many parts of Singapore. For the curry tree, the leaves are used for cooking. The Murraya species is catterpillar food for the Common Mormon.

Pentas species / Starflower
This flowers of this plant come in many colours. They should be trimmed occasionally to promote flowering or they may die out. The flowers provide nectar for butterflies

Tridax procumbens / Coat Buttons
This creeping plant with lovely small daisy button flowers attracts the tiny Grass Blue butterfly. It provides nectar food for butterflies and is not easily available from nurseries.