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"If one way be
better than another, that you may be sure is Nature's way."
~Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics
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Below are list of the more common butterflies with their
host and nectar plants: |
BUTTERFLY | CATERPILLAR HOST PLANT | BUTTERFLY NECTAR SOURCE |
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| American Lady | Artemisia, Pearly everlasting,
Plantain-leaved pussytoes | Coneflowers, Tall verbena | Black Swallowtail | Dill, Fennel, Queen Anns's lace | Butterfly bush, Orange butterfly weed | Cabbage White | Cabbage, Nasturium, Spider flower | Cosmos, Tall verbena | Clouded Sulphur | White clover, Red clover, Wild
sweet pea, Alfalfa, Lupine | Dandelion, Milkweeds, Tall verbena | Common Buckeye | Plantain, Snapdragon, Penstemon, Speedwell, Monkeyflower | Milkweeds, Tall verbena | Eastern Comma | Elm Trees, False nettle, Hop
vines | Butterfly
bush | Giant
Swallowtail | Prickley
Ash, Rue | Butterfly
bush, Coneflowers, Sunflower | Gulf Fritillary | Passion Vine | Butterfly bush, Coneflowers, Lantana, Zinnia | Monarch | Bloodflower, Milkweed | Orange butterfly weed | Painted Lady | Hollyhocks, Thistle, Mallow, Yarrow | Coneflowers, Tall verbena | Pearl Crescent | Asters | Coneflowers, Tall verbena, Zinnia | Pipevine Swallowtail | Pipevine | Butterfly bush, Mexican Sunflower,
Swamp milkweed, Tall garden phlox | Queen | Milkweeds | Butterfly bush, Lantana, Zinnia | Question Mark | Elm Trees, False nettle, Hop vines | Butterfly bush | Red Admiral | False nettle, Pellitory, Hop | Butterfly bush, Coneflowers | Red-spotted Purple | Willows | Butterfly bush, Lantana, Milkweeds | Silvery Checkerspot | Coneflowers | Cosmos, Sunflower, Tall verbena | Spicebush Swallowtail | Spicebush | Butterfly bush, Coneflowers,
Lantana, Sunflower | Tiger Swallowtail | Sweey bay magnolia, Tulip poplar | Coneflowers, Mexican sunflower, Petunia | Variegated Fritillary | Passion vine, Violet | Butterfly bush, Coneflowers | Viceroy | Willows | Butterfly busy, Coneflowers, Milkweeds | Zebra Longwing | Passion vine | Butterfly bush, Egyptian starflower, Lantana | Zebra Swallowtail | Pawpaw | Cosmos, Milkweed, Sweet William, Zinnia |
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BUTTERFLY WEED (Asclepias tuberosa) Perennial;
Height: 1 to 2 feet; Blooms summer/fall. Attractive prairie plant with orange clusters of dainty flowers. Attracts butterflies.
This drought-tolerant plant blooms from June to September. Host plant for monarch and queen larvae.
JOE PYE WEED (Eupatorium purpureum) Perennial;
Height: 5 to 7 feet; Blooms July-September. Small pink flowers in large dome shaped clusters on sturdy green steams with purple
leaf nodes. Good butterfly nectar plant. Plant outdoors in an area of full sun to partial shade. Grows best in moist soil.
FALSE NETTLE
(boehmeria cylindrica) Perennial; Height: 2 to 3 feet; Blooms
summer. Grows wildly in shady woodlands, but can be grown in sun with regular watering. Cut the top of the plant off to make
the plant branch out, and make more leaves for hungry caterpillars.
DILL (Antheum graveolens) Hardy annual, may reseed; Height to 4 feet; Light green foliage with yellow umbrella-shaped flower heads, blooming
mid-summer. Plant in full sun, may need supports.
FENNEL (Foeniculum vulgare) Perennial; Height: 3 to 4 feet; Plant resembles dill, but is fuller, and most times taller.
Plants do well in full sun, and ma need supports.
HOP
VINES (Humulus spp.) Perennial
vine; Height: to 20 feet; Blooms summer. Male and female flowers grow on seperate plants, with the female producing
the hops. It grows in full sun with moist, but well drained soil.
CONEFLOWER (Echinacea spp.)
Perennial; Height: 2 to 3 feet; Blooms summer/fall. Produces beautiful,
large flowers with dome-shaped centers on long stems. Plants are drought resistant, but can tolerate moist soil. Good
butterfly nectar plant. Select a sunny location and plant seed in early spring.
For best results, mix seed with a cup of sand for better distribution of seed over the planting area. Keep moist until plants
begin to grow. Water only when necessary.
MILKWEED or BUTTERFLY WEED (Asclepias spp.)
Most are perennials. Milkweeds come in various hights, shapes and colors.
Many grow wild in fields or along roadsides. Grow in well-drained soil in full sun. Blooms summer.
ZINNIA, Super Giant Mixed (Zinnia) Annual; Height: 3 feet; Blooms summer/fall.
Large, fully double flowers measuring up to 6 inches across. Prefer sunny location. Excellent for borders and mass planting.
Makes a great cut flower. Avoid getting foliage wet when watering.
VERBENA (Verbena bonairiensis) Perennial; Height:
3 to 6 feet; Blooms summer/fall. Tall, self-supporting plants. Clusters of tiny lilac purple flowers are very fragrant. Prefers full sun. Reseeds itself freely.
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