Butterfly Attracting Plants - Helpful Articles

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Monarch--Photo courtesy of Matt Bixby

Butterfly Attracting Plants

Butterfly gardening is designing and implementing a garden with the purpose of attracting and protecting butterfiies. With the loss of native habitat due to development it is important that we provide nectar plants for food, sheltered areas to protect them, water and host plants for their larvae.
   A good butterfly garden will have a variety of habitats. Some butterflies prefer shady wooded areas while others like open meadows.

Below is a list of nectar plants for butterflies and host plants for their larvae.

NECTAR PLANTS
Asters
Black-eyed Susan
Brugmansia
Butterfly bush
Butterfly weed
Purple Cone flower
Cosmos
Hummingbird bush
Hibiscus
Honeysuckle
Golden dewdrop
Jatropha
Joe Pye weed
Liatris
Lantana
Marigolds
Mexican flame-vine
Mexican heather
Mexican sunflower - Tithonia
Ageratum
Pentas
Phlox
Porterweed
Verbena
Zinnia

BUTTERFLY SPECIES AND THE FOOD PLANT FOR ITS CATERPILLARS

Black Swallowtail

Rue,Dill,Parsley, Fennel, Carrots

Giant Swallowtail

Rue,Citrus,Hop tree, Prickly ash

Spicebush Swallowtail

Camphor tree, Spicebush, Sweet bay, Red bay, Sassafras

Pipevine Swallowtail

Dutchman's pipevine

Cloudless Sulphur

Senna, Partridge pea

Little Sulphur

Partridge pea

Sleepy Sulphur

Senna,Partridge pea

Monarch

Milkweed

Gulf Fritillary

Passionflower

Zebra Longwing

Passionflower

Viceroy

Poplar, Willow Cottonwood

Red Admiral

Nettles, False nettle

Buckeye

Plantain, Snapdragon

Painted Lady

Hollyhock, Thistles

Pearl Crescent

Aster

Texas Crescent

Shrimp plant, Dicliptera, Ruellia

Hackberry Butterfly

Hackberry

Tawny Emperor

Hackberry

Snout Butterfly

Hackberry

Question Mark

Hackberry, Elm

Goatweed Butterfly

Goatweed

Giant Purple Hairstreak

Mistletoe

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