Host Plants

for Butterfly Caterpillars

Adding host plants will attract more butterflies to your landscape.  Host plants are those that butterfly caterpillars feed on.  When ready to lay eggs, a female butterfly is anxious  to find the right plants to deposit her eggs on.

And caterpillars are very picky eaters!

Some will only eat plants in a specific genus.  Others may enjoy a broader selection but their diet is still limited to plants in a certain taxonomic family.

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The image below shows a chart listing some common butterflies and skippers

and the host plants that their caterpillars feed on.

Click on the image or click here to download a PDF version of the chart.