|
Primary Larval Food Plants and the Butterflies That Use Them |
|
Plant |
Butterfly |
|
|
|
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) F |
Clouded sulphur, alfalfa sulphur, eastern tailed blue |
|
Aspen, cottonwood (Populus spp.) T |
White admiral, red-spotted purple, western admiral, Lorquin's admiral,
viceroy, mourning cloak |
| |
tiger swallowtail, western tiger swallowtail |
|
Aster (Aster spp.) F |
Pearl crescent |
|
|
Bean (Phaseolus spp.) V |
Long-tailed skipper |
|
Birch (Betula spp.) T |
Mourning cloak, white admiral |
|
Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) S |
Brown elfin |
|
|
Cabbage, broccoli (Brassica spp.) V |
Cabbage white, checkered white |
|
Cherry (Prunus spp.) T, S |
Red-spotted purple, tiger swallowtail, spring azure |
|
Citrus trees (Citrus spp.) T |
Anise swallowtail, giant swallowtail |
|
Clover (Trifolium spp.) F |
Clouded sulphur, alfalfa sulphur, eastern tailed blue |
|
Dogwood (Cornus spp.) T, S |
Spring azure |
|
|
Elm (Ulmus spp.) T |
Comma, question mark, mourning cloak |
|
Everlasting (Gnaphalium spp.) F |
American painted lady |
|
False indigo (Amorpha spp.) S |
Dog face, silver-spotted skipper |
|
False nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) F |
Red admiral, question mark, comma, Milbert's tortoiseshell |
|
Grasses, sedges (various genera) |
Common wood nymph, little wood satyr, eyed brown, ringlet, fiery
skipper, European skipper |
|
Hackberry (Celtis spp.) T |
Question mark, comma, hackberry butterfly, tawny emperor, snout
butterfly, mourning cloak |
|
Hops (Humulus lupulus) F |
Question mark, comma |
|
Knotweed (Polygonum spp.) F |
Purplish copper |
|
|
Locust (Robinia spp.) T, S |
Silver-spotted skipper |
|
Lupine (Lupinus spp.) F |
Silvery blue, other blues |
|
Mallow (Malva spp.) F |
West Coast lady, gray hairstreak |
|
Marigold (Tagetes spp.) F |
Dainty sulphur |
|
|
Meadowsweet (Spiraea spp.) S |
Spring azure |
|
|
Milk vetch (Astragalus spp.) F |
Western tailed blue, other blues |
|
Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) F |
Monarch, queen |
|
|
Nettle (Urtica spp.) F |
Red admiral, question mark, comma, Milbert's tortoiseshell |
|
Oak (Quercus spp.) T, S |
Sister, banded hairstreak |
|
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) V |
Black swallowtail, anise swallowtail |
|
Passionflower (Passiflora spp.) F |
Gulf fritillary, zebra |
|
Pawpaw (Asimina spp.) T |
Zebra swallowtail |
|
|
Pipevine (Aristolochia spp.) F |
Pipevine swallowtail |
|
Plantain (Plantago spp.) F |
Buckeye, Baltimore |
|
Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) F |
Black swallowtail, anise swallowtail |
|
Senna (Cassia spp.) F |
Cloudless sulphur |
|
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum spp.) F |
Buckeye |
|
|
Sneezeweed (Helenium spp.) F |
Dainty sulphur |
|
|
Sorrel, dock (Rumex spp.) F |
American copper, purplish copper |
|
Spicebush, sassafras (Lindera spp.) S |
Spicebush swallowtail, tiger swallowtail |
|
Stonecrop (Sedum spp.) F |
Phoebus parnassian |
|
Sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) F |
Anise swallowtail, black swallowtail |
|
Thistle (Cirsium spp.) F |
Painted lady |
|
|
Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) T |
Tiger swallowtail |
|
|
Turtlehead (Chelone spp.) F |
Baltimore, buckeye |
|
Vetch (Vicia spp.) F |
Alfalfa sulphur, eastern tailed blue, western tailed blue, other blues |
|
Violet (Viola spp.) F |
Great spangled fritillary, meadow fritillary, other fritillaries |
|
Willow (Salix spp.) T, S |
Western admiral, Lorquin's admiral, viceroy, mourning cloak, western
tiger swallowtail |
|
Winter cress (Barbarea spp.) F |
Sara orange tip, falcate orange tip, cabbage white |
|
T = tree, S = shrub, F = flower, V = vegetable |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Butterfly Nectar Sources |
Zone |
Height |
Color |
|
Common Name (Scientific Name) |
|
|
|
|
ANNUALS |
|
|
|
|
Ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum) |
|
6-8 in. |
purple |
|
Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus),
'Sensation' |
|
3 ft. |
pink,whites |
|
Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) |
|
1 ft. |
purple |
|
Lantana (Lantana camara) |
|
1-3 ft. |
red,yellow,blue |
|
Lunaria, honesty (Lunaria annua)
sometimes biennial |
|
2-3 ft. |
purple,white |
|
Marigold, French marigold (Tagetes patula) |
|
1 ft. |
yellow,orange |
|
Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) |
|
3-5 ft. |
yellow,orange |
|
Nicotiana, flowering tobacco (Nicotiana
alata) |
|
2 ft |
pinks,whites |
|
Pentas (Pentas
lanceolata) subshrub |
|
1 1/2 ft |
purple,rose,white |
|
Petunia (Petunia x hybrida) |
|
1 ft. |
pink,white,blue |
|
Scabiosa, pincushion flower (Scabiosa atropurpurea) |
|
1 1/2 ft. |
blue |
|
Statice (Limonium sinuatum) |
|
1-1 1/2 ft. |
purple,blue |
|
Verbena (Verbena x hortensis, V. x hybrida) |
|
1 ft. |
rose, pink |
|
Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) |
|
1 - 2 ft. |
pinks,yellows,rose |
| |
|
|
|
|
PERENNIALS |
Zone |
Height |
Color |
|
Early |
|
|
|
|
Allium (Allium spp.)
bulb |
3 |
2-4 ft. |
purple |
|
Arabis (Arabis albida) |
4 |
6 in. |
white |
|
Aubrieta, purple rock cress (Aubrieta deltoidea) |
4 |
3 - 6 in. |
purple |
|
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) |
2 |
2 ft. |
purple |
|
Dame's rocket (Hesperis matronalis) |
3 |
2-31/2 ft. |
purple,sometimes,pink,white |
|
Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica)
biennial, perennial |
3 |
9 - 24 in. |
blue |
|
Midseason |
|
|
|
|
Bee balm (Monarda didyma) |
4 |
3 ft |
pink, red |
|
Black-eyed Susan, gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia
spp.) biennial, perennial |
3 |
3 ft |
yellow |
|
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) |
3 |
2-3 ft. |
orange |
|
Catmint (Nepeta mussinii) |
4 |
1 ft. |
blue-purple |
|
Coreopsis (Coreopsis
spp.) |
3 |
2 ft. |
yellow |
|
Daisy, shasta daisy (Chrysanthemum maximum, C. x
superbum) |
4 |
2-3 ft. |
white |
|
Daylily (Hemerocallls spp.) |
2 |
2-3 ft. |
yellow,orange,peach,pink |
|
Erigeron, fleabane (Erigeron speciosus) |
2 |
1-3 ft. |
lavender,blue |
|
Gaillardia, blanket flower (Gaillardia x
grandifiora) |
2 |
1-3 ft. |
yellow,and,red |
|
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) |
5 |
1-5 ft. |
purple |
|
Liatris, blazing-star, gay-feather (Liatris spp.) |
2 |
2-4 ft. |
mauve |
|
Lily (Lilium spp.) |
3 |
2-5 ft. |
yellow,pink,white,red |
|
Loosestrife (Lythrum virgatum),
'Morden's Gleam' |
3 |
3-4 ft. |
pink |
|
Mint (Mentha spp.) |
3 |
1 - 4 ft. |
purple,white |
|
Phlox (Phlox spp.) |
4 |
3 ft. |
pink,white,rose,blue,mauve |
|
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) |
3 |
2-3 ft. |
pink, white |
|
Red valerian (Centranthus rube') |
4 |
2-3 ft. |
deep rose |
|
Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis)
subshrub |
6 |
2-6 ft. |
violet-blue |
|
Sunflower (Helianthus spp.) |
3 |
3-5 ft. |
yellow |
|
Veronica (Veronica spp.) |
5 |
6-18 in. |
blue, pink |
|
Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina),
'Coronation Gold' |
2 |
2-3 ft. |
yellow |
|
Late |
|
|
|
|
Aster, Michaelmas daisy (Aster
spp.) |
2 |
3-5 ft. |
purple,ruby,pink,blue |
|
Globe thistle (Echinops exaltatus) |
3 |
2-4 ft. |
purple |
|
Physostegia, obedient plant (Physostegia
virginiana) |
2 |
21/2-4 ft. |
pink |
|
Sedum, showy sedum (Sedum spectabile vulgaris) |
3 |
1-11/2 ft. |
pink |
|
Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) |
3 |
2-3 ft. |
yellow,orange |
| |
|
|
|
|
Common Name (Scientific Name) |
|
|
|
|
WILDFLOWERS |
Zone |
Height |
Color |
|
Early |
|
|
|
|
Clover (Trifolium spp.) |
3 |
48 in. |
pink, white |
|
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) |
3 |
68 in. |
yellow |
|
Hawkweed (Hieracium spp.) |
3 |
. |
612 in. |
|
Winter cress (Barbarea spp.) |
3 |
111/2 ft. |
yellow |
|
Midseason |
|
|
|
|
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) |
3 |
1-2 ft. |
orange |
|
Daisy, Oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) |
3 |
12 ft. |
white |
|
Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) |
3 |
12 ft. |
pink |
|
Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) |
3 |
3 ft. |
pink |
|
Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum spp.) |
2 |
12h/2 ft. |
white |
|
Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) |
3 |
13 ft. |
white |
|
Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) |
3 |
331/2 ft. |
white |
|
Thistle (Cirsium spp.) |
3 |
34 ft. |
purple |
|
Vetch (Vida spp.) |
3 |
6 ft. |
purple |
|
Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) |
3 |
34 ft. |
lavender |
|
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |
2 |
2 ft. |
white |
| |
|
|
|
|
Late |
|
|
|
|
Aster (Aster spp., especially A. novae-angliae) |
3 |
4 ft. |
purple-blue |
|
Beggar ticks (Bidens aristosa) |
4 |
13 ft. |
yellow |
|
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) |
3 |
45 ft. |
white |
|
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) |
3 |
3 ft. |
yellow |
|
Ironweed (Vernonia spp.) |
4 |
37 ft. |
purple |
|
Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium spp.) |
2 |
59 ft. |
pinkish purple |
| |
|
|
|
|
SHRUBS |
Zone |
Height |
Color |
|
Early |
|
|
|
|
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) |
3 |
20 ft. |
purple,pink,white |
|
Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.) |
4 |
to 18 ft. |
pink,purple,white |
|
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) |
4 |
15 ft. |
yellow |
|
Midseason |
|
|
|
|
Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii, B. alternifolia) |
5 |
615 ft. |
purple |
|
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) |
4 |
15 ft. |
white |
|
Flame-of-the-woods (Ixora coccinea) |
10 |
15 ft. |
red and yellow |
|
Honeysuckle shrub (Lonicera tatarica) |
3 |
9 ft. |
pale pink |
|
New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americans) |
4 |
3 ft. |
white |
|
Privet: Amur privet (Ligustrum amurense) in North |
3 |
15 ft. |
white |
|
California privet (L. ovalifolium) in Calif. |
6 |
15 ft. |
white |
|
Japanese privet (L. japonicum) in South |
7 |
618 ft. |
white |
|
Sweet pepperbush, summer sweet (Clethra alnifolia) |
3 |
46 ft. |
white |
| |
|
|
|
|
Late |
|
|
|
|
Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis) |
5 |
24 ft. |
blue |
|
Glossy abelia (Abel/a x grandiflora) |
5 |
5 ft. |
pink |
|
Sweet pepperbush (Clethra arborea) |
9 |
25 ft. |
white |
| |
|
|
|
|
TREES |
Zone |
Height |
Color |
|
Buckeye (Aesculus spp.) |
3 |
75 ft. |
white,greenishyellow,pink |
|
Japanese Tree Lilac (Syringa reticulata) |
4 |
30 ft. |
white |
|
Plum, cherry (Prunus spp.) |
3 |
2030 ft. |
pink |
|
Willow (Salix spp.) |
2 |
10-45 ft. |
greenishyellow |
| |
|
|
|
|
VINES |
Zone |
Height |
Color |
|
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) |
4 |
vine |
white |
