Butterflies depend on certain plants to lay their eggs. This close connection between butterflies and their chosen plants is essential for the survival of their young.
A host plant for butterflies is a specific type of plant that female butterflies choose to lay their eggs on. These plants are crucial because, once the eggs hatch, the resulting caterpillars feed on them for nourishment.
Each butterfly species often has a preferred host plant or a group of plants that they are specifically adapted to use. For example, Monarch butterflies exclusively lay their eggs on milkweed plants, as their caterpillars can only feed on milkweed leaves.
The choice of host plant is vital for the survival of the caterpillars and, therefore, the continuation of the butterfly species.
| Butterfly Species | Host Plant |
| American Copper | Curly dock (Rumex crispus), sorrel (Rumex acetosa) |
| American Lady | Ironweed (Vernonia spp.), pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), sweet everlasting (Gnaphalium obtusifolium), pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia), wormwood (Artemisia) |
| American Snout | Hackberry (Celtis spp.) |
| Anise Swallowtail | Citrus (Citrus spp.), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), anise (Pimpinella anisum) |
| Atala Butterfly | Coontie (Zamia pumila) |
| Black Swallowtail | Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), carrot (Daucus carota), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), dill (Anethum graveolens) |
| Banded Hairstreak | Walnut (Juglans spp.), hickory (Carya spp.), oak (Quercus spp.) |
| Baltimore Checkerspot | Turtlehead (Chelone glabra), hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus), English plantain (Plantago lanceolata), and false foxglove (Aureolaria) |
| Buckeye | Toadflax (Linaria spp.), plantain (Plantago spp.), snapdragon (Antirrhinum spp.), ruellia (Ruellia nodiflora) |
| Cabbage White | Brussels sprout (Brassica oleracea Gemmifera Group), broccoli (Brassica oleracea Italica Group), collard (Brassica oleracea var. viridis), and other members of the mustard family (Brassica spp.) |
| California Dogface | False indigo (Amorpha californica) |
| California Sister | Oak (Quercus spp.) |
| Carolina Satyr | Grass (Poaceae family) |
| Checkered Skipper | Hollyhock (Alcea spp.), mallow (Malva spp.), velvet-leaf (Abutilon), poppy mallow (Callirhoe) |
| Checkered White | Cabbage (Brassica oleraceae), caper, Rocky Mountain bee-plant (Cleome serrulata) |
| Clouded Sulphur | White clover (Trifolium spp.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), pea (pisum) |
| Cloudless Sulphur | Senna (Senna spp.) |
| Colorado Hairstreak | Oak (Quercus spp.) |
| Diana Fritillary | Violets (Viola spp.) |
| Dogface | Bastard Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa), white prairie clover (Dalea candida) |
| Dotted Checkerspot | Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.) |
| Dreamy Duskywing | Aspen (Populus spp.), willow (Salix spp.), poplar (Populus spp.) |
| Eastern Comma | Hop (Humulus lupulus), elm (Ulmus spp.), nettle (Urtica spp.) |
| Eastern Tailed-blue | Wild pea (Lathyrus spp.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), bean (Phaseolus spp.) |
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), black cherry (Prunus serotina), sweet bay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana). |
| Giant Swallowtail | Rue (Ruta graveolens), citrus (Citrus spp.), prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), hop tree (Ptelea trifoliata) |
| Gray Hairstreak | Bean (Phaseolus), clover (Trifolium), cotton (Gossypium), mallow (Malva) |
| Gulf Fritillary | Passion vine (Passiflora spp.) |
| Horace’s Duskywing | Oak (Quercus spp.) |
| Karner Blue | Lupine (Lupinus perennis) |
| Marine Blue | Leadwort (Plumbago), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), milkvetch (Astragalus), and mesquite (Prosopis). |
| Monarch | Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) |
| Mourning Cloak | Black willow (Salix nigra), weeping willow (S. babylonica), silky willow (S. sericea), American elm (Ulmus americana), cottonwood (Populus deltoides), aspen (P. tremuloides), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) |
| Orange Sulphur | Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), white clover (Trifolium repens), and white sweet clover (Melilotus alba). |
| Painted Crescent | Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), aster, and hairy tubetongue (Siphonoglosssa pilosella) |
| Painted Lady | Hollyhock (Alcea spp.), aster, legume (Fabaceae family), thistle (Cirsium spp.), mallow (Malva spp.) |
| Pearl Crescent | Hairy aster (Aster pilosus), A. texanus, smooth blue aster (A. laevis) |
| Pipevine Swallowtail | Pipevine (Aristolochia spp.) |
| Queen | Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) |
| Question Mark | American elm (Ulmus americana), red elm (Ulmus rubra), hackberry (Celtis), Japanese hop (Humulus japonicus), nettles (Urtica), and false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica). |
| Red Admiral | Nettle family (Urticaceae) |
| Red-banded Hairstreak | Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), winged sumac (Rhus copallinum), staghorn sumac (R. typhina), and several oaks. |
| Red Satyr | Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum). |
| Red-spotted Purple | Wild cherry (Prunus), poplar (Populus), Oak (Quercus), hawthorn (Crataegus), deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum), birch (Betula), willow (Salix), linden (Tilia), and serviceberry (Amelanchier). |
| Regal Fritillary | Violet (Viola spp.) |
| Sachem Skipper | Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), crabgrass (Digitaria), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), goosegrass (Eleusine) |
| Sandia Hairstreak | Beargrass (Nolina texana) |
| Satyr Comma | Nettle (Urtica spp.) |
| Silver-spotted Skipper | Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and false indigo (Amorpha species) |
| Spicebush Swallowtail | Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), sweet bay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), camphor (Cinnamomum camphora), and redbay (Persea borbonia). |
| Spring Azure | Dogwood (Cornus florida), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), meadowsweet (Spiraea salicifolia), Collinsia |
| Summer Azure | New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), dogwood (Cornus ssp.), meadowsweet (Spiraea alba) |
| Tawny Emperor | Hackberry (Celtis spp.) |
| Two-tailed Swallowtail | Hop tree (Ptelea), ash (Fraxinus spp.), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) |
| Viceroy | Poplar (Populus spp.), willow (Salix spp.) |
| Zebra Swallowtail | Paw-paw (Asimina triloba) |
Monarch Trinity: Chrysalis, caterpillar and butterfly on milkweed
Incorporating host plants in a butterfly garden is crucial for attracting specific butterfly species and supporting their lifecycle.
By carefully selecting and maintaining host plants in your butterfly garden, you create a nurturing environment for butterfly larvae to grow and develop, ensuring a new generation of these beautiful insects.
| Attracts | Butterflies |
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| Attracts | Butterflies |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
