A monarch butterfly has found some milkweed. I snapped this photo just in time.
Early this afternoon I managed to capture some elusive living colors. I caught them with my camera, during a leisurely visit to Balboa Park’s beautiful Zoro Butterfly Garden.
Created in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition, the unique amphitheatre-like stone grotto features meandering paths tucked beneath some shady trees. An easy stroll down into the hollow reveals a lush garden full of flowers specifically planted to attract butterflies. That wasn’t always the case. In 1935, during the California Pacific International Exposition in Balboa Park, this partially hidden area was called the Zoro Garden Nudist Colony!
In this peaceful garden you’ll experience monarch, sulfur and swallowtail butterflies, fluttering quickly past your astonished eyes. Most of the time, my old camera finger reacted much too slowly! But I got a few pics!
An artistic bird bath in the garden depicts leaves, flowers and butterflies, naturally!A tiny insect takes a walk on a sweet sun-yellow carpet.Zoro Butterfly Garden contains rustic, ragged beauty along its stony walkways.This sneaky lizard would’ve been happy to capture a quick butterfly, too! I don’t know if he had any luck.Cool close-up photo of red passion vine flower.I’m not sure who this guy is. Is it a Mourning Cloak? Some kind of moth? If you know, leave a comment.Sunlight reflects from a butterfly winging past some weathered public art in a section of the garden.Painted mural in Balboa Park’s Zoro Butterfly Garden shows an Orange-barred Sulphur and Cassia.Another section of this informative artwork depicts Passionvine and a Gulf Fritillary.A third section shows that Monarch butterflies are attracted to Milkweed.The underside of this Gulf fritillary almost looks like a torn, crumpled brown leaf.A swallowtail butterfly takes flight!Looking upward from the lush hollow where butterflies thrive, toward blue sky and fluttering, living color.An Anise Swallowtail spreads its wings on a glorious day in San Diego’s wonder-filled Balboa Park.
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Downtown San Diego has been my home for many years. My online activities reflect my love for writing, blogging, walking and photography.
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7 thoughts on “Living colors captured in Zoro Butterfly Garden.”
Gorgeous. Your shutter finger did well, Richard! I looked up the difference between butterflies and moths. I was always curious. The butterfly has a “clubbed” antennae and the moth has a feathery antennae. It’s difficult to see the one’s antennae where you stated you didn’t know which one it was.
Cool San Diego Sights! 
Gorgeous. Your shutter finger did well, Richard! I looked up the difference between butterflies and moths. I was always curious. The butterfly has a “clubbed” antennae and the moth has a feathery antennae. It’s difficult to see the one’s antennae where you stated you didn’t know which one it was.
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My shutter finger missed a lot, and my old camera couldn’t figure out where to focus!
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Lovely photos
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Lovely! Another gem to check out!
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Beautiful pictures, those butterflys look stunning!
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I think the garden is overlooked many times. had a wonderful family portrait session there a few years back. Thanks for the reminder!!
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It does seem many people walk by without even realizing something really interesting is there!
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