Danville Science Center

Butterfly Plantings

The Science Center's Butterfly Station and Garden is a community-based project showcasing plant and insect populations whose habitats are being reduced by non-selective development and the use of pesticides. We hope your experiences in the garden inspire you to create your own butterfly garden and to teach others about the importance of ecosystems and the inter-dependence of all life forms.

To encourage butterflies to live and thrive in your backyard, we suggest planting some of the following species as caterpillar host plants and/or nectar sources.

Plants Caterpillar Host Adult Nectar Source

Ash

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Giant Swallowtail

Asters

Pearl Crescent

Orange Sulphur

Pearl Crescent

Common Buckeye

Question Mark

Painted Lady

Red Admiral

Viceroy

Azaleas

Various Swallowtails

Birch (various)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Mourning Cloak

Red-spotted Purple

Blackberry

Zebra Swallowtail

Spring Azure

Butterfly Bush

Good general nectar source

Butterfly Weed/Milkweeds

Monarch

Various Swallowtails

Orange Sulphur

Gray Hairstreak

Spring Azure

Monarch

Great Spangled Fritillary

Pearl Crescent

Question Mark

Painted Lady

Red Admiral

Cherry tree

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Red-spotted Purple

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Clovers (red, sweet, white)

Orange Sulphur

Gray Hairstreak

Black Swallowtail

Gray Hairstreak

Monarch

Great Spangled Fritillary

Painted Lady

Red Admiral

Dogwood

Spring Azure

Elm tree

Question Mark

Eastern Comma

Mourning Cloak

Tawny Emperor

Goldenrods

Giant Swallowtail

Orange Sulphur

Gray Hairstreak

Monarch

Viceroy

Hackberry tree

Question Mark

Mourning Cloak

Hackberry Emperor

Hops

Eastern Comma

Red Admiral

Joe Pye Weed

Great Spangled Fritillary

Painted Lady

Viceroy

Lantana

Various Swallowtails

Monarch

Lilac

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Zebra Swallowtail

Monarch

Mint

Gray Hairstreak

Common Buckeye

Parsley (various species)

Black Swallowtail

Pipevine

Pipevine Swallowtail

Pawpaw tree

Zebra Swallowtail

Phlox

Pipevine Swallowtail

Sassafras tree

Spicebush Swallowtail

Snapdragon

Common Buckeye

Spicebush

Spicebush Swallowtail

Thistles

Painted Lady

Various Swallowtails

Monarch

Great Spangled Fritillary

Painted Lady

Verbena

Zebra Swallowtail

Pipevine Swallowtail

Great Spangled Fritillary

Violet

Great Spangled Fritillary

Willow (various)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Mourning Cloak

Red-spotted Purple

Viceroy

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