Everybody wants a butterfly garden to see these magnificent creatures flitting from flower to flower. Unfortunately, the most important part is usually overlooked, the host plants. Host plants are specific plants that feed the larval stage of the lovely butterfly. Here’s a short list of host plants and the larvae they are hosting.
Acer rubrum (Red Maple) - Cecropia Moth
Actaea racemosa - Black Cohosh - Spring Azure
Apios americanus (American Groundnut) - Silver-spotted Skipper
Aquilegia canadensis (Wild Columbine) - Columbine Duskywing
Amorpha canescens (Lead Plant) - Dogface sulfur, Gray Hairstreak
Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem) - Delaware Skipper, Dusted Skipper, Cobweb Skipper
Aristolochia durior (Dutchman’s Pipe) - Pipevine swallowtail
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry) - Hoary Elfin, Brown Elfin
Aronia arbutifolia (Red Chokeberry) - Coral Hairstreak
Aruncus dioicus (Goat’s Beard) - Dusky Azure
Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger) - Pipevine swallowtail
MILKWEED:
Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed), Asclepias incarnata ssp pulchra (Showy Swamp Milkweed), Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed), Asclepias exaltata (Poke Milkweed), Asclepias verticillata (Whorled Milkweed), Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed), Asclepias speciosa (Showy Milkweed) - Milkweed Tussock Moth, Monarch
Asimina triloba (Pawpaw) - Zebra swallowtail, Pawpaw Sphinx
ASTERS:
Doellingeria umbellata (Flat-topped Aster) - Pearl Crescent, Harris’ Checkerspot
Symphyotrichum laeve (Smooth Aster) - Pearl Crescent
Symphyotrichum novae angliae (New England Aster) - Pearl Crescent, Checkerspot
Symphyotrichum novae belgii (New York Aster) - Pearl Crescent
Baptisia australis (False Indigo) - Wild Indigo Duskywing, Eastern Tailed-Blue, Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Frosted Elfin, and Hoary Edge
Baptisia tinctora (Wild Indigo) - Frosted Elfin, Wild Indigo Duskywing
Betula nigra (River Birch) - Mourning Cloak, Luna Moth, Polyphemous Moth
Betula papyrifera (White Birch) - Luna Moth
Betula populifolia (Gray Birch) - Easter Tiger Swallowtail
Bouteloua curtipendula (Sideoats Grama) - Green Skipper, Sheep Skipper, Dotted Skipper, Orange Skipperling
Callicarpa americana (American Beautybush) - Spring Azure, Snowberry Clearwing Moth
Callirhoe involucrata (Poppy Mallow) - Gray Hairstreak
Campsis radicans (Trumpet Vine) - Trumpet Vine Sphinx Moth
Carex stricta (Tussock Sedge) - Mulberry Wing, Eyed Brown, Black Dash
Carya species (Hickory) - Banded Hairstreak
Chelone glabra (White Turtlehead) - Baltimore Checkerspot
Celtis occidentalis (Common Hackberry) - Question Mark, Tawny Emperor, American Snout, Mourning Cloak
Cercis canadensis (Redbud) - Henry’s Elfin
Ceanothus americana (New Jersey Tea) - Spring Azure, Summer Azure, Mottled Duskywing
Chamaecrista fasciculata (Partridge Pea) - Gray Hairstreak
Cornus racemosa (Gray Dogwood) - Gray Hairstreak
Diospyros virginiana (Common Persimmon) - Luna Moth
Fagus grandifolia (American Beech) - Early Hairstreak
Fragaria virginiana (Wild Strawberry) - Gray Hairstreak, Grizzled Skipper
Gleditsia triacanthos (Honey Locust) - Silver Spotted Skipper
Heliopsis helianthoides (Ox-eye Daisy) - Painted Lady, Baltimore Checkerspot
Ilex opaca (American Holly) - Henry’s elfin
Ilex verticillata (Winterberry) - Harris’ Three-Spot Moth, Black-shouldered Gray Moth
Juglans nigra (Black Walnut) - Banded Hairstreak, Luna Moth
Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar) - Juniper Hairstreak
Lindera benzoin (Spicebush) - Spicebush Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) - Luna Moth
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree) - Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay) - Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Sweetbay Silkmoth, Spicebush Swallowtail
Mimulus ringens (Monkey Flower) - Common Buckeye, Baltimore Checkerspot
Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) - Delaware Skipper, Dotted Skipper
Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine) - Gray Hairstreak, Imperial Moth
Prunus maritima (Beach Plum) - Coral Hairstreak, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Red-spotted Purple, Striped Hairstreak
Prunus serotina (Black Cherry) - Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Red-spotted Purple
Prunus virginiana (Chokecherry) - Small-eyed Sphinx Moth
Ptelea trifoliata (Wafer Ash) - Black Swallowtail
Pycnanthemum flexuosum (Mountain Mint) - Gray Hairstreak
Pycnanthemum virginiana (Common Mountain Mint) - Tobacco Budworm
Quercus species (Oak) Host Plant Superstars - Banded Hairstreak and so many, many more butterflies and moths
Rhexia virginica (Meadow Beauty) - Gray Hairstreak
Rhus aromatica (Fragrant Sumac) - Red-banded Hairstreak
Rhus copallinum (Winged Sumac) - Red-banded Hairstreak, Luna Moth
Rhus glabra (Smooth Sumac) - Hairstreak
Rhus typhina (Staghorn Sumac) - Luna Moth, Spring Azure
Rudbeckia hirta (Brown-eyed Susan) - Gorgone Checkerspot, Bordered Patch
Salix discolor (Pussy Willow) - Mourning Cloak, Viceroy
Salix nigra (Black Willow) - Viceroy, Red-spotted Purples
Sassafras albidum (Sassafras) - Spicebush Swallowtail
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem) - Indian Skipper, Dusted Skipper, Cobweb Skipper
Solidago sempervirens (Seaside Goldenrod) - Wavy-lined emerald
Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass) - Pepper-and-Salt Skipper
Spirea alba (Meadowsweet) - Spring Azure
Tridens flavus (Purple Top Grass) - Broad-winged Skipper, Little Glassywing Skipper, Large Wood Nymph, Crossline Skipper
Vaccinium angustifolium (Lowbush Blueberry) - Pawpaw Moth and several other moths
Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush Blueberry) - Brown Elfin
Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain) - Common Buckeye
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed) - Parthenice Tiger Moth
Viburnum dentatum (Arrowwood) - Spring Azure, Saddleback caterpillar (Slug Moth) which can cause a very painful sting so admire from a distance
Viburnum opulus var. americanum (American Cranberrybush) - Spring Azure
Violets:
Viola labradorica (Labrador Violet), Viola pedata (Birdsfoot Violet), Viola sororia (Common Violet), Viola striata (Striped Violet) - Fritillaries
Wisteria frutescens (American Wisteria) - Silver Spotted Skipper, Long-tailed Skipper
Zizia aptera (Heartleaf Golden Alexanders) - Black Swallowtail
Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders) - Black Swallowtail
All plants are available from KMS Native Plants LLC.
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