An (not) Exhaustive List of Host Plants

Something I wanted to stress this weekend was that there are many important host plants that we can have in our yards in addition to milkweed. I know monarchs get lots of attention (as they should, their life cycle and general existence is truly magical), but there are actually a great many insects who rely on some specific plants to host their larval stages. They aren't endangered yet, but that doesn't mean they won't be.

I made this list and printed it out but it never made it outside, so I promised I would share it here. I'll probably keep coming back to update it as I add plants and find others that didn't make the list, so don't be afraid to have a second look!

In addition to these specific hosts, we have plants that bloom in Spring, Summer, and Fall, so we always have plants that provide nectar for all pollinators. 

Common Blue Violet - Host plant for multiple fritillary species

Common Evening Primrose - Multiple moth species (including the Primrose moth) as well as some butterfly species

Frogfruit - Buckeye butterfly and Pearl Crescent butterfly

Tall Goldenrod - Silvery Checkerspot, among others. Goldenrods are host plants for over 80 sp. of butterflies! 

Yellow Coneflower (AKA Black-eyed Susans) - Silvery Checkerspot, Gorgon Checkerspot, and Wavy-lined Emerald

Round-headed bush clover - Southern Cloudywing Butterfly, Northern Cloudywing butterfly, Hoary Edge butterfly, the Eastern Tailed-Blue, and the Bella moth

Frostflower - Bordered Patch butterfly

Prickly Pear Cactus - Over 27 species of butterfly/moth! 

Major Wheeler Honeysuckle - Spring Azure butterfly

Clammyweed - Checkered White butterfly

Golden Alexander - Swallowtails

Illinois Bundleflower - Hairstreaks and Blue butterflies

Tickseed (Coreopsis) - Checkerspots and Buckeyes

Partridge Pea - Cloudless Sulfur, Gray Hairstreak, Orange Sulfur, Sleepy Orange, Little Yellow, and Ceraunus Blue butterflies

Thistle - Painted Ladies