Nectar and Host Plants


Florida Nectar Plants "Butterfly Attractors"
Two thirds of your garden should consist of these plants. All of these plants love full sun but if you have shady conditions you need to select more carefully. These flowers supply sugary nextar to fee the adult butterflies and have a higher sugar content in their nectar than other flowers



Florida Host Plants "Caterpillar Food"
These are the plants that the caterpillar eats. Butterfly caterpillars are very picky eaters and each species can only eat one or two plants and nothing else in your yard! They cannot switch and eat your landscape plants, so they will not become pests. However, unless you have some of these plants in your yard, you will never se the caterpillars. Planting host plants with your nectar plants is the only way to increase your local butterfly populations. You can raise 10-50 of each species simply by planting the host plant that feeds each species.

Key: Classic , Recommended *, (N) Native, (HB) Hummingbird, (Sp) Spring Blooming, (Su) Summer Blooming, (F) Fall Blooming, (W) Winter Blooming, (Y) Year Round Blooming

Nectar Plants Plants that attract and feed butterflies

Annuals/Perennials

1. Ageratum, Ageratum houstoniamum
2. Black-eyed susan, rudbeckia hirta (Su, F)
3. Blackbeard, Caryopetris x clandonensis (Su, F)*
4. Yellow butter cup, Turnee ulmifolia
5. Celosia, Celosia argentea var. spicata (Sp, F)
6. Cigar plant, Cuphea ignea (Sp) (HB)
7. Cosmos, Cosmos spp.(Sp - F)
8. Dianthus, Dianthus spp. (Sp)
9. Gailardia, Gaillardia spp. (N) (Y)
10. Goldenrod, Solidago sp. (Su)
11. Guara, Guara lindheimeri (Y)
12. Hallmark bulbine tangerine, Bulbine fructens (Y) *
13. Heliotrope, Heliotropium amplexicaule (Sp) *
14. Hummingird Mexican Mint, Agastache rupestris (HB)
15. Joe-pye Weed, Eupatorium purpureum (prefers shade in Central Florida- Northern Florida (N) (Su)
16. Lavender, Lavendola sp.
17. Lemon shrub marigold, Tagetes lemmonii (Sp)
18. Lions tail, Lionotis spp. (Sp, Su) (HB)
19. Lobelia, Lobelia sp. (N) (W, Sp)
20. Marguerit daisy, Leucanthermum rulgare (W, Sp)
21. Licorice Mexican mint, Agastache x 'blue fortune', (Sp, F) *
22. Mexican or False Heather, Cuphea hyssopifolia (Y)
23. Mexican or Scarlett Milkweed, Asclepias curassavica (Y)
24. Mexican petunia, Ruellia brittoniana (shade) (Y)
25. Mexican Sunflower, Tithonia rotundifolia (HB) (Sp- F) *
26. Moss Verbena, Glandulariea pulchella (Sp)
27. Panama rose, Rondeletia spendens (W, Sp)
28. Pentas, Pentas lanceolata (shade) (Y)
29. Porterweed, Stachytarpheta spp. (Sp, F) (HB)
30. Bush Daisy, Europs pectinaathus (Y)
31. stokes Aster, Stokesia laevis (partial shade) (N) (Sp)
32. Summersweet, Clethra alnifolia (Su)
33. Sweet almond verbena, Aloysia virgata (Y)
34. Tall Roadside Verbena, Verbena bonariensis
35. Tarragon, Artemisia drancunculus (Sp)
36. Tickseed, Coreopsis leavenworthii (N) (SP,Su)
37. Yarrow, Achillea millefolium (Sp, Su)
38. Salvia Species
    1. Black and blue, Salvia guarentica (Sp, Su)
    2. Bog Sage, Salvia uliginosa (Sp-F)
    3. Forsythia sage, Salvia madrenis (F) (HB)
    4. Hot lips sage, Salvia microphylla (Y)
    5. Hummingbird sage, Salvia coccinea, Salvia spathacea (Y) (HB)
    6. Indigo spires, Salvia farinanea (Y)
    7. Maynight, Salvia nimorosa (Y)
    8. Mexican sage, Salvia leucartha (Sp, F)
39. Shrimp Plants
    1. Fruit cocktail shrimp, Justicia brandegeana (Y)
    2. Golden Shrimp, Psychstechys lutea (Y)
    3. Giant yellow shrimp, Barleria micans (Y)
    4. Red shrimp, Justicia brandegeana (Y)
    5. Varigated shrimp, (zebra)
40. Phylox intensica series, Phylox drummondii, Phlox paniculata (Sp)

Vines

41. Honeysuckle, Lonceri app. (Sp, Su)
42. Mexican Flame, Senecio confuses (Sp, F)
43. Florida flame, Pyrostegia venusta (Sp)
44. Psiguria, psiguria warscewiczii (Y)

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45. Chase Tree, Vitex agnus-castus (Sp-F)*
46. Red Bud, Cercis canadensis (partial shade) (N) (Sp)
47. Pride of Barbdos, Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Y)
48. Powder puff, Calliandra haematocephala (Sp - F)
49. Butterfly Bush, Buddleia davidii (Sp-Su)
50. Dwarf powder puff, Calliandra emarginata
51. Firespike, Odontonema strictum (shade) (N) (HB) (F,W)*
52. Firebush, Hamelia patens (partial shade) (N) (HB)
53. Glossy Abelia, Abelia x grandiflora (partial shade) (Sp - Su)
54. Golden Dewdrop, Duranta repens (Sp-F)
55. Lantana, Lantana camara (sterile form) (Sp-F)
56. Peregrina (Spicy Jatropha) , Jatropha intergerrima (partial shade)
57. Plumbago, Plumbago auriculata (partial shade) (Y)
58. Purple weeping Lantana, Lantana montevidensis (Y)
59. Sparkleberry, vaccinum arboretum (Sp)
60. Wild coffee, Psychotria nervosa (N) (prefers shade) (Sp)

Host Plants Plants the caterpillars eat

Passionflowers (Passiflora spp.):

1. P. incarnata, Maypop (N)
2. P. suberosa, Corky-stemmed (N)
3. p. incense, Incense
4. p. multiflora, White (N)
5. p. lutea, Yellow (N)
6. p. caerulea, Blue

Bays (Persea spp. and Magnolia sp.):

7. P. borboniak, Red Bay (N)
8. P. palustris, Swamp BAy (N)
9. P. humilis, Silk Bay (N)
10. M. virginianna, Sweet Bay (N)

Pipevines (Aristolochia spp.):

11. A. macrophylla, Dutchman's Pipe (N)
12. A. durior, Large-leaved
13. A. tomentosa, Woolly
14. A. elegans, Calico Flower
15. A. gigantea, Giant
16. A. grandiflora, Pelican Flower

Sennas (Cassia spp.):

17. C. bicapsularis, Cassia
18. C. bahamensis, Bahama (N)
19. C. alata, Candle Senna
20. C. obtusifolia, Sicklepod
21. C. occidentalis, Coffee
22. C. fasciculata, Partridge Pea

Milkweed (Asclepias spp.):

23. A. curassavica, Scarlet or Mexican
24. A. lumistrata, Sandhill (N)
25. A. incarata, Pink Swamp (N)
26. A. incarata, White Swamp Milkweed (N)
27. A. tuberosa, Southern Butterfly Weed (N)

Individual Varieties:

28. Asimina sp., Pawpaw (N)
29. Sassafrass albidum, Sassafas (partial shade in Central Florida)
30. Lindera benzoin, Spicebush (N) Partial shade in Central Florida)
31. Cinnamomum camphora, Camphor
32. Prunus serotina, Wild Cherry (N)
33. Salix caroliniana, Carolina Willow
34. Salix babylonica, Weeping Willow
35. Bacopa monnieri, Smooth Water Hyssop (N)
36. Blechum brownei, Green Shrimp (N)
37. Zanthoxylum fagara, Wild Lime (N)
38. Zanthoxylum clava - herculis, Hercules' Club (N)
39. Citrus Citrus spp., ex. Sweet Orange, Lemon, etc
40. Foeniculum bulgare, Fennel
41. Anethum graveolens, Dill
42. Petroselinum crispum, Curley Parsley
43. Ulmus americana, American Elm (N)
44. Celtis laevigata, Hackberry (N)
45. Quercus spp., Oaks (N)
46. Liquidamber styraciflua, Sweet Gum (N)
47. Myrica cerifera, Wax Myrtle (N)
48. Carya spp., Hickory (N)
49. Boehmeria spp., False Nettles (N)
50. Plantago spp., Plantain (N)

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