The Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden is operated by

Memorial University of Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland, also known as Memorial University or MUN (), is a public university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook, elsewhere in Newfoundland and ...

in St. John's,

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. It is located on Mount Scio Road in the suburbs of St. John's, and was founded in 1971 under the supervision of Dr. Bernard Jackson. Originally named the ''Oxen Pond Botanic Park'', the gardens were opened to the public in 1977 and became a not-for-profit organization in 1994. The garden and nature trails were developed to provide a place where people of all ages and depths of interest can learn about the plants and natural environment of Newfoundland. The official emblem of the garden is the twinflower (''

Linnaea borealis ''Linnaea borealis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae (the honeysuckle family). Until 2013, it was the only species in the genus ''Linnaea''. It is a boreal to subarctic woodland subshrub, commonly known as twinflower ...

'').

Site

The botanical garden property encloses an area of , including part of Oxen Pond (for which the garden was originally named). The headquarters building is located on a site on Mount Scio Road. The main garden area includes a greenhouse (including one on the former Squires property across the street which is now a Heritage Site), an alpine house featuring high latitude plants, rock gardens, peat gardens, a heritage garden and a

koi or more specifically , are colored varieties of the Amur carp ('' Cyprinus rubrofuscus'') that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens. Koi is an informal name for the colored variants of ''C. rubrofuscus'' ke ...

pond. The garden is also a nature reserve, featuring 3.5 km of trails in the surrounding boreal forest. Moose, snowshoe hare, ruffed grouse and other wildlife are frequently observed inside the park boundaries.

Butterflies

Plants producing nectar have been developed to maintain the two species of

swallowtail butterflies Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful Butterfly, butterflies in the family Papilionidae, and include over 550 species. Though the majority are tropical, members of the family inhabit every continent except Antarctica. The family includes ...

, three species of

whites White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view. Description of populations as " ...

and sulphur butterflies, five species of woodnymphs, ten species of

brush-footed butterflies The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a redu ...

, four

gossamer Gossamer most commonly refers to: * Fine spider silk used by spiderlings for Ballooning (spider), ballooning or kiting * Gossamer (fabric), very light, sheer, gauze-like fabric Gossamer may also refer to: Technology * Gossamer Condor, the fi ...

, and two skipper species that are found within the park. Three known overwintering butterflies stay as adults during the winter in the garden's man-made butterfly houses. The concept of the butterfly house was designed by the garden's original director, Dr. Bernard Jackson. The three species are known as the green comma, the

mourning cloak ''Nymphalis antiopa'', known as the mourning cloak in North America and the Camberwell beauty in United Kingdom, Britain, is a large butterfly native to Eurasia and North America. The immature form of this species is sometimes known as the spiny ...

, and

Milbert's tortoiseshell ''Aglais milberti'', the fire-rim tortoiseshell or Milbert's tortoiseshell, is considered the only species of the proposed ''Aglais'' genus that occurs in North America. Description The wingspan is between 4.2 and 6.3 cm and the forewing' ...

. These butterflies are three of the very few butterflies that hibernate as adults during the winter.

The Friends of MUN Botanical Garden

Members of the Friends of the Garden (FOG) are individuals and families who support the objectives of the Memorial University Botanical Garden. Volunteers have assisted the garden since its creation in 1971; the FOG organization formed in 1976 and became a charitable organization in 1977. In August 2011, the FOG had approximately 500 members. FOG volunteers provide time and expertise, help to maintain the garden and trails within the park, and support fundraising and other special events.

References

External links

M.U.N. Botanical Garden
* https://www.mun.ca Memorial University of Newfoundland {{Coord, 47, 34, 15, N, 52, 45, 25, W, region:CA-NL_type:landmark, display=title Botanical gardens in Canada Memorial University of Newfoundland

Site

Butterflies

The Friends of MUN Botanical Garden

See also

References

External links