Green Leaves: Selecting Good Host Plants for Caterpillars

Caterpillars of butterflies are specialists when it comes to eating. Each species is generally limited to one type of host plant or maybe even a small family of plants. For instance, caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly eat milkweed. The type of milkweed may vary based upon where the caterpillar is located and what sort of milkweed grows there  but you can bet that if you find a monarch caterpillar, it will be on a milkweed plant.

 Good host plants for caterpillars have to be more than what the caterpillar can possibly eat. You must also consider which species of a host plant will do best in your yard. A northern species of milkweed is sure to attract Monarchs in Pennsylvania, but if planted here the plant with be overwhelmed by the heat and even rains of a Florida summer. You must look for a species that will thrive in your yard.

Buying seeds and bare root plants online can be a great way to save money on  butterfly gardening, but make sure to research that the seeds you are planting will grow well here. Take a look at the Plant Files section of the Dave’s Garden website. There you can search for plants by name and read reviews by other readers all over the country. These other gardeners will note how the plant is growing in their local area and may help to give you some clues on how a species might do in your garden.

One last important factor to consider is that plants purchased for the butterfly garden should be pesticide free. Ask a lot of questions about the use of pesticides when you purchase plants, especially if you intend to feed them to caterpillars right away. Some plants listed as pesticide free will still be toxic to caterpillars. Biological pesticides like bacteria that harm insects but not humans are commonly employed to keep nursery plants looking healthy. If you can, quarantine new plants for 2-3 weeks before you expect caterpillars to eat the leaves and water and wash the leaves of the new plants often.

Attract This Butterfly With This Caterpillar Host

• Monarch caterpillars eat Milkweed
• Queen caterpillars eat Milkweed
• Zebra Longwing caterpillars eat Passionvine
• Julia Longwing caterpillars eat Passionvine
• Gulf Fritillary caterpillars eat Passionvine
• Orange Barred Sulphur caterpillars eat Cassia
• Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars eat Cassia
• Dainty Sulphur caterpillars eat Spanish Needles
• Polydamas Swallowtail caterpillars eat Pipevines
• Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars eat Pipevines
• Giant Swallowtail caterpillars eat Hercules Club / Wild Lime / Citrus / Rue
• Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars eat Camphor / Spicebush
• Palamedes Swallowtail caterpillars eat Red Bay
• Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars eat Sweetbay Magnolia
• Zebra Swallowtail caterpillars eat Pawpaw
• Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillars eat Parsley, Dill, Fennel / Rue
• Red Spotted Purple caterpillars eat cherry
• Red Admiral caterpillars eat False Nettle / Pellitory
• Phaon Crescent caterpillars eat Frogfruit
• Question Mark caterpillars eat Elms
• Carolina Satyr caterpillars eat grasses
• Buckeye caterpillars eat Plantain
• Painted Lady caterpillars eat Cudweeds
• White Peacock caterpillars eat Water Hyssop