Hosting butterfly caterpillars

Learn how to use plants to attract and support more butterflies

Nectar rich plants are essential for attracting adult butterflies, but the secret to enticing them to take up residence in the garden is offering a place for butterflies to raise their young. Butterfly larvae, or caterpillars, require host plants to support their growth and development. Adult female butterflies are lured to these host plants through a variety of chemical cues and will lay eggs on appropriate species. By adding host plants to the garden, you’ll attract more butterflies than you thought possible.

Different butterfly species require different host plants. Knowing which plants target species are attracted to will help you plan the butterfly garden of your dreams. Start by making a list of larval host plants for your favorite butterflies. Another great strategy is to plant species native to Oklahoma, as our butterflies naturally seek out these resources. To get you started, following are a variety of host plants for some of the most popular butterflies, including native and non-native plants.

Monarchs

Most of us are familiar with the relationships between monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) and milkweeds (Asclepias spp.). Monarch caterpillars are solely dependent upon plants in the milkweed family for survival. Oklahoma and Texas are critical stopping grounds for migrating monarchs in both spring and fall. To support these beloved butterflies, stick to Oklahoma native milkweed species such as the vibrant butterflyweed (A. tuberosa). Be sure to plant early spring bloomers like green antelopehorn milkweed (A. viridis), which is considered the most important host plant for monarchs in the southern Great Plains. Also include late-blooming varieties like swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) to provide food and shelter for monarchs making their way back to Mexico. Visit www.okiesformonarchs.org for more information on supporting this vulnerable species.

Swallowtails

Eight species of swallowtail make their home in Oklahoma, including the largest butterfly in the United States, the giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes). This species uses trees and herbs in the citrus family as hosts, including common rue (Ruta graveolens). Our state butterfly, the black swallowtail (P. polyxenes), uses garden plants in the parsley family to rear its young, including carrot, parsley, dill and fennel. The beautiful eastern swallowtail (P. polyxenes) uses these same host plants.

Gulf fritillary

A stunning butterfly-host plant pairing found in educational gardens across the south is that of Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) and its larval host plant passionflower (Passiflora spp.). The gorgeous tropical-looking blooms of passionflower are reason enough to plant this deciduous vine. A few species can survive Oklahoma winters, including our native P. incarnata, commonly called maypop. Plant any passionflower species and you are sure to attract the dazzling orange Gulf fritillary to your garden.

Painted ladies

With intricately patterned wings, painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui) are a favorite for their grace and beauty. Found across North America, painted ladies are sometimes called thistle butterflies after their wild host plant, but they also use a variety of garden plants as hosts. Plants in the aster family, such as ironweed (Vernonia spp.) attract painted ladies and many other butterfly species, as do those in the mallow family. These include hollyhocks, rose of Sharon, hibiscus (including native species) and our native poppy mallows (Callirhoe spp.).

These are just a few of the many host plants you can grow to support butterfly larvae. Other garden plants known to serve as butterfly hosts include species of rudbeckia and helianthus (sunflowers), as well as native ornamental grasses like switchgrass and bluestems. Remember that adult butterflies require floral resources to reproduce. Plant a mixture of larval host plants and nectar-rich flowers to encourage a diversity of winged life in the garden.