Primary Larval Food Plants and the Butterflies That Use Them
T = tree, S = shrub, F = flower, V = vegetable
| 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 | ||||
Butterfly Nectar Sources
| 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 | |
| Common Name (Scientific Name) | |||
| 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 | 4—8 in. | pink, white |
| Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) | 3 | 6–8 in. | yellow |
| Hawkweed (Hieracium spp.) | 3 | . | 6–12 in. |
| Winter cress (Barbarea spp.) | 3 | 1—11/2 ft. | yellow |
| Midseason | |||
| Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) | 3 | 1-2 ft. | orange |
| Daisy, Oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) | 3 | 1—2 ft. | white |
| Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) | 3 | 1—2 ft. | pink |
| Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) | 3 | 3 ft. | pink |
| Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum spp.) | 2 | 1—2h/2 ft. | white |
| Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) | 3 | 1—3 ft. | white |
| Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) | 3 | 3–31/2 ft. | white |
| Thistle (Cirsium spp.) | 3 | 3—4 ft. | purple |
| Vetch (Vida spp.) | 3 | 6 ft. | purple |
| Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) | 3 | 3–4 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 | 1–3 ft. | yellow |
| Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) | 3 | 4–5 ft. | white |
| Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) | 3 | 3 ft. | yellow |
| Ironweed (Vernonia spp.) | 4 | 3–7 ft. | purple |
| Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium spp.) | 2 | 5—9 ft. | pinkish purple |
| Common Name (Scientific Name) | |||
| 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 | 6—15 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 | 6–18 ft. | white |
| Sweet pepperbush, summer sweet (Clethra alnifolia) | 3 | 4–6 ft. | white |
| Late | |||
| Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis) | 5 | 2–4 ft. | blue |
| Glossy abelia (Abel/a x grandiflora) | 5 | 5 ft. | pink |
| Sweet pepperbush (Clethra arborea) | 9 | 25 ft. | white |
| Common Name (Scientific Name) | |||
| 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 | 20–30 ft. | pink |
| Willow (Salix spp.) | 2 | 10-45 ft. | greenishyellow |
| VINES | Zone | Height | Color |
| Lonicera brownii | 4 | 10-20 ft. | Coral |
