House plant? No. Host plant. What the heck is a host plant?

Host plants are plants that different insect species need to be able to survive. Normally the adult female will lay her eggs on the host plant, so when the babies hatch out of their eggs , they will have an abundant supply of food so they can grow into adults.  (This article will mainly focus on pollinators of the Midwest, because that's where I am, and that is the region for most of my research.) Host plants are probably the most overlooked, but obvious choice, when trying to build your butterfly garden. Likely because most people may not even know there is such a thing. I would say a majority of people would love to have more butterflies in their yard. I mean, because seriously, really, who doesn't want more butterflies? If there is a specific butterfly you would like to see more of in your garden, you would want to plant a host plant for that butterfly. Basically you want to make a home for their babies, and if you plant it they will come.

After we planted our spicebush this past spring, less than one month later, we had baby spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars (That's a mouthful!)  

Spicebush Swallowtail in spicebush leaf

On the spicebush, Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars, will normally weave a silk pad that makes the leaf fold over so they have protection from predators

If you unfold the leaf you can find the baby caterpillars hiding inside

Here is a list of some of the host plants so you can start attracting your very own butterflies and caterpillars to your yard! This is by no means a complete list, nor is it for the entire United States. I do hope to continue adding to it, and sort it by area for easier searching. Most of these are going to be for butterflies and plants found in the Mid-West for now. Check back for updates! Directly below are host plants and a little further down, it is sorted by butterfly type (if you prefer to attract a specific species)

Sunflower is the host plant for the Gorgone Checkerspot butterfly

Flowers: Aster (Aster spp.) Black Eyed Susan (Rudibeckia hirta) Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias turberosa) Clover (Trifolium) Columbine (Aquilegia) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) False Foxglove (Agalinis spp.) False Loosestrife (Ludwiga polycarpa)

False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) Gerardia (Stenandruim) Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja spp.)

Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria) Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

Mallow (Malva spp.) Mayapple (Podophyllum) Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) Nettle (Urtica dioica) New York Ironweed (Veronian noveboracesis) Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) Pellitory (Parietaria judaica) Prairie Clover (Dalea) Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) Purpletop (Verbena bonariensis) Rattlesnake Matser (Erynguim yuccifolium) Roundhead Lespedeza (Lespedeza capitata) Rue (Ruta graveolens) Ruellia (Ruellia spp.)

Shasta Daisy (Luecanthemum spp.)

Silver Brocade (Artemisia stellariana) Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)

Spider Flower (Cleome hasslerana) Spiderwort (Tradescantia spp.) Sunflower (Helianthus spp.)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Swamp Verbena (Verbena hastata)

Tall Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) Thistle (Asteraceae spp.) Ticktrefoil (Desmodium) Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) Turtlehead (Chelone spp.) Vetches (Vicia) Violet (Viola spp.)

Water Dock (Rumex verticillatus) Wild Licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota) Wild Petunia (Ruella humilis) Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa) White clover (Trifolium repens) Woodland Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa)

Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillar on Dill plant. Dill is a host plant for the Eastern Black Swallowtail

Vegetables and Herbs: Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Beans (Fabaceae family) Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) Burdock (Arctium) Broccoli/ Cabbage Family (Brassica spp.) Carrot (Daucus carota spp.) Dill (Anhteum graveolens)

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Meadowsweet (Filipendula) Mustard (Brassica spp.)

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) Peas (Pisum sativum) Plantain (Musa)

Grasses:

Little Bluestem Grass (Schizachyrium scoparium) Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata) Panic Grass (Panicum spp.)

Shrubs: Coontie (Zamia pumila) False Indigo (Baptista australis) Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corybosum) Huckleberry (Gaylussacia spp.) New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) Ornamental Cassia (Senna) Rosemallow (Hibiscus spp.)

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) Sumac (Rhus) Viburnum (Adoxaceae spp.) Wingstem (Verbesena alternifolia) Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) Witch Hazel (Hamamelidaceae)

Vines: Hops (Humulus lupulus) Passion Flower (Passiflora spp.)

Pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla) Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) Wild Grape (Vitis vinifera)

Trees: American Holly (Ilex opaca) Ash (Fraxinus spp.) Aspen (Populus spp.) Birch (Betula spp.) Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) Cherry (Prunus spp.) Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)

Common Hop (Ptelea trifoliata) Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Dogwood (Cornus florida) Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Elm (Ulmus spp.) Flowering Dogwood (Cornus spp.) Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) Hickory (Carya spp.) Locust (Robinia psuedoacacia) Oak (Fagaceae spp.)

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Persimmon (Diospyros) Poplar (Populus spp.)

Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum)

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) Serviceberry (Amelanchier) Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata)

Sweet Bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) Sweetgum (Liquidamber styraciflua) Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipfera) Walnut (Juglans spp.) White Birch (Betula papyrifera) Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Willow (Salix spp.)

Monarch egg on Common Milkweed leaf. Milkweed is the host plant for Monarchs.

I cannot stress enough, if you are going to be buying new plants, please make sure you are  getting them from a trusted source. You need to find a quality nursery that does not use pesticides, neonicotinides, growth inhibitors or anything else that may harm the beauties that you are trying to attract.  After all, you wouldn't want to invite all your friends over for a dinner party only to poison them and have them drop dead on your table.  There is always the option of growing from seed,  if you are up to it and able. 

Giant Swallowtail butterfly getting nectar from wildflowers.

Butterfly Species Host Plant

American Lady Pussy toes, New York Ironweed, Burdock

American Snout Butterfly  Hackberry

Baltimore Checkerspot Turtlehead, False Foxglove, Hairy Beardtongue, Wrinkle   Leaf Goldenrod

Black Swallowtail Dill, Parsley, Fennel, Carrot, Rattlesnake Master,  Golden Alexander

Cabbage White Many Plants in Mustard Family, Cabbage Family  including Broccoli

Checkered Skipper Mallow, Hollyhock, Velvetleaf

Checkered White Many Plants in Mustard Family, Cabbage Family 

Clouded Sulfur Alfalfa, White Clover, Peas, Baptisia

Cloudless Sulfur Ornamental Cassia, Partridge Pea, Wild Senna

Common Buckeye Plantains, Gerardias, Toadflax, Snapdragons, 

False Loosestrifes, Beardtongue, Spiderwort,

Blue Vervain, Wild Petunia 

Common Hairstreak Peas, Mallow Family, Beans, Clovers, Cotton

Dogface Butterfly  Peas, Alfalfa, Indigo, False Indigo, Prairie Clover

Eastern Pine Elfin  Eastern Red Cedar, Shortleaf Pine

Eastern-tailed Blue Baptisia, Roundhead Lespedeza, Ticktrefoils, Vetches,

  Clovers

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Ash, Willow, Hickory, Serviceberry, Tulip Poplar, Birch,

  Cherry

Gorgone Checkerspot Sunflowers

 Great Spangled Fritillary Violets,

Hackberry Emperor Hackberry, Sugarberry

Henry’s Elfin American Holly, Huckleberry, Highbush Blueberry, 

Eastern Redbud, Winterberry, Viburnum

Luna Moth White Birch, Persimmon, Walnut, Hickory, Sumac, 

Sweetgum

Meadow Fritillary Violets

Monarch Milkweeds

Mourning Cloak Willow, Aspen, Cottonwood, Elm, Birch, Hackberry

Orange Sulfur Alfalfa, Vetch, Peas, Clover, Wild Senna, Partridge Pea, 

Baptisia

Painted Lady  Thistle, Hollyhock, Sunflower, Joe‐Pye Weed, Rose 

Mallow, Ironweed

Pearl Crescent Asters

Question Mark Nettle, Elm, Hackberry, Hops, False Nettle

Red Admiral Nettle, False Nettle, Pellitory 

Red Spotted Purple  Wild Cherry, Aspen, Poplar, Cottonwood, Oaks, 

Hawthorn, Birch, Willows 

Silver-spotted Skipper False Indigo, Wild Licorice, Locust, Bluestem 

Grasses, American Wisteria, Panicum spp, Ticktrefoils

Silvery Checkerspot Wingstem, Sunflower, Aster, Purple Coneflower, Black‐ eyed Susan

Spicebush Swallowtail Spicebush, Sassafras 

Spring Azure Columbine, New Jersey Tea, Dogwood, Witchhazel, 

Black Cherry, Vibernum, Black Cohosh, Sumac, 

Meadow Sweet

Variegated Fritillary  May Apple, Violets, Passionflower 

Viceroy Butterfly Willow, Poplar, Cottonwood, Black cherry, Chokecherry

Virginia Creeper Sphinx Moth Virginia Creeper, Vibernum, Wild Grape

Wood Nymph Purpletop, Bluestem Grasses 

Zebra Swallowtail  Pawpaw

American Lady butterfly on Zinnia flower.