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 |
|