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To get the butterflies to arrive, you just need to provide the right plants. Once you start planting your garden, be patient. Butterflies and eggs might show up right away or it may take some time for them to find your garden. If you plant, eventually they will show up. Remember: Native and Florida Friendly plants not only encourage better habitats for butterflies but also reduce the costs of watering.
Nectar Plants
Nectar plants are used by most butterflies, but some types will attract more of one species of butterflies than others. It is helpful to have a variety of these available so that many species of butterflies will be drawn to your garden. Good Florida nectar plants include (*indicates native plants):- Asters (Symphotrichum carolinianum* and Stokesia laevis)
- Blanket Flower (Gallardia sp.)*
- Blazing star (Liatris sp.)*
- Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)
- Firebush (Hamelia patens)*
- Firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis)
- Golden dewdrop (Duranta erecta)
- Ironweed (Vernonia sp.)
- Lantana (Lantana sp. - look for the less invasive Lantana montevidensis)
- Penta (Pentas lanceolata)
- Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata)
- Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis)*
- Rosinweed (Silphium simpsonii)*
- Salvia (Salvia sp. including Salvia coccinea* and S. leucantha)
- Scorpiontail (Heliotropium angiospermum)*
- Tickseed (Coreopsis sp)*
Host Plants
Host plants are plants on which butterflies will lay their eggs. Butterflies are specialists, and their larvae can only consume certain types of plants per species. Host plants will be eaten by caterpillars, so know that these plants will often look ragged and less than perfect. This is part of the butterfly gardening process. (Learn how to select good healthy host plants here.) Good Florida host plants by species include:- Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes): Parsley, Dill, Fennel, Common Rue
- Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae): Cassia (Cassia sp.)
- Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia): Plantain (Plantago), Mexican Petunia (Ruellia brittoniana)
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus): Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), Willow (Salix sp.), Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina)
- Florida Viceroy (Limenitis archippus floridensis)
- Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes): Wild Lime (Zanthoxylum fagara), Hercules Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis), Common Rue (Ruta graevolens), Citrus
- Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae): Passionvine (Passiflora sp.)
- Julia Longwing (Dryas iulia): Passionvine (Passiflora sp.)
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus): Milkweed (Asclepias sp.)
- Orange-Barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea): Cassia (Cassia sp.)
- Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes): Red Bay (Persea borbonia)
- Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor): Pipevine (Aristolochia sp.)
- Polydamas Swallowtail (Battus polydamas): Pipevine (Aristolochia sp.)
- Queen (Danaus gilippus): Milkweed (Asclepias sp.)
- Red Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis): Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
- Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus): Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Camphor (Cinnamomum camphorum), Red Bay (Persea borbonia)
- White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae): Water Hyssop (Bacopa monnieri) , Mexican Petunia (Ruellia brittoniana)
- Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia): Passionvine (Passiflora)
- Zebra Swallowtail (Protographium marcellus): Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)