Sweet Almond

The Sweet Almond plants in the butterfly gardens and also in the BioWorks Flight enclosure are blooming like mad right now. In the afternoons these flowers are simply abuzz with all sorts of pollinating creatures from bees to butterflies who can’t seem to get enough of these gorgeous smelling flowers.

The dainty white flowers of the Sweet Almond Bush (Aloysia virgata) are just not done justice by a photograph. To love these blossoms you only have to stand within ten feet of them and inhale their sweet aroma. Also known as Incense Bush, Aloysia has an undeniably beautiful fragrance that has the power to draw people into the gardens from the parking lots searching for the source of such a remarkable scent.

Native to Argentina, this plant has an upright growth habit and can be pruned into a small tree-form. Without pruning it tends to be a fairly leggy large shrub. The blooms are attractive to a number of small butterflies and the scent is very sweet, making this one a nice addition to larger, rambling garden spaces.

Sweet Almond Bush is a great nectar flower for butterflies and blooms several times throughout the year. This plant can be fairly difficult to find in garden centers so you might want to check specialty growers and small nurseries that often stock butterfly plants.