This list is by no means exhaustive. If you have any suggestions, additions, deletions or corrections please let us know!
PLANT |
BUTTERFLY LARVA SPECIES |
COLOR |
HEIGHT |
Clover Family |
blues, sulphurs |
multicolor |
2-18 inches |
Dock |
coppers |
green |
12-72 inches |
Elm |
mourning cloak, question mark |
N/A |
tree |
Grasses |
fiery skipper, grass nymph, satyrs |
N/A |
2-24 inches |
Hackberry |
hackberry, tawny emperor, snout |
N/A |
tree |
Hawthorn |
gray hairstreak, banded purple |
N/A |
tree |
Mallow Family (Cheeseweed) |
west coast lady, common hairstreak, checkered skipper |
white, lavender |
6-36 inches |
Milkweed |
Monarch |
lavender, pink |
24-48 inches |
Mustard Family |
whites |
yellow |
6-36 inches |
Nettle |
tortoise shell, painted lady, question mark, red admiral, hop merchant (or comma) |
green |
24-48 inches |
Parsley Family |
black swallowtail, anise swallowtail |
white, yellow |
6-36 inches |
Plantain |
buckeye |
white, green |
3-8 inches |
Poplar |
mourning cloak, white admiral, viceroy, banded and red-spotted purple, western tiger swallowtail |
N/A |
tree |
Senna (Cassia) |
cloudless sulphur, sleepy orange |
yellow |
12-48 inches |
Sorrel |
American copper |
reddish green |
4-15 inches |
Spicebush |
spicebush swallowtail |
yellow |
shrub |
Thistle |
painted lady |
purple |
24-60 inches |
Turtlehead |
baltimore |
white, pink |
12-48 inches |
Violet |
fritillary |
purple |
2-6 inches |
Wild Cherry |
eastern tiger swallowtail, coral hairstreak, red-spotted purple |
N/A |
tree |
Willow |
comma, tortoise shell, viceroy, red-spotted purple, western tiger swallowtail, white admiral, sylvan hairstreak |
N/A |
tree |