We absolutely LOVE butterflies and if you’ve ever been to our nursery, you’ve likely enjoyed the abundance of several different species fluttering throughout the grounds. What about creating that same wonderous sight in your very own garden?! A butterfly-friendly landscape can be aided through thoughtful planning and consideration of a few key elements… ensuring success by attracting and supporting these beautiful insects throughout their lifecycle!
Host Plants AND Nectar Plants
One essential aspect is planting a variety of native butterfly larval host plants (listed below) to feed caterpillars, alongside nectar-rich flowers for adult butterflies. Focusing on well-adapted Texas Native plants helps provides essential food sources for both caterpillars and adult butterflies, supporting their breeding and foraging needs.
In addition to plant selection, providing a water source, especially for butterflies to puddle, is crucial. Butterflies often gather around damp soil or shallow puddles to extract minerals and nutrients, which are essential for their overall health and reproduction. Creating a small, shallow area with moist sand or soil, or placing a shallow dish filled with water and a few rocks, can attract butterflies to your garden and provide them with a vital resource.
Furthermore, incorporating diverse landscaping elements such as native grasses, shrubs, and trees not only adds visual interest but also provides shelter and resting places for butterflies. Avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides is also essential to maintain a healthy environment for butterflies and other beneficial insects. With these elements in place, and the incorporation of these plants listed below, your garden can become a haven for butterflies, creating a vibrant and dynamic ecosystem that celebrates the kaleidoscope of colors and beauty they bring!
Host Plants For Texas Butterflies
(each in stock NOW)
Open Tuesday-Saturday 9-5, Sunday 10-5
12804 Pelzel Rd. Rd, Pilot Point TX 76258
Trees |
|
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) | Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus falacer) |
Edward’s Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii) | |
California Sister (Adelpha bredowii eulalia) | |
Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) | |
Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo) | |
Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia) | Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) |
Chinqapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) | Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) |
Common Fig (Ficus carica) | Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus) |
Common Peach (Prunus persica) | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) |
Common Pear (Pyrus communis) | Red-Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) |
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) | |
Eastern Red-Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) | Olive Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) |
Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) | Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) |
Reakirt’s Blue (Echinargus isola) | |
Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) | |
Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) | Southern Hairstreak (Fixsenia favonius) |
White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) | |
Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) | |
Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana) | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) |
Red Bud (Cercis canadensis) | Henry’s Elfin (Callophrys henrici) |
Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) | Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) |
Shumard’s Oak (Quercus shumardii) | White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) |
Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) | |
Paw Paw (Asimina spp) | Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) |
Eastern Red-Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) | Red Banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) |
Shrubs |
|
Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii) | Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais) |
Texan Crescent (Anthanassa texana) | |
Texas Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia texana) | Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia) |
Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) | Theona Checkerspot (Thessalia theona) |
Vines |
|
Texas Wisteria (Wisteria fructescens) | Silver Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) |
Long-Tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus) | |
Coral-Bean (Erythrina herbacea) | Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) |
Passionvine (Passiflora spp) | Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) and Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia) |
Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) | Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) and Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) |
Grasses |
|
Blue Gramma (Bouteloua gracilis) | Green Skipper (Hesperia virdis) |
Bushy Bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus) | Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea licinus) |
Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) | Bell’s Roadside Skipper (Amblyscirtes belli) |
Common Roadside Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis) | |
Northern Pearly Eye (Enodia anthedon) | |
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) | Swarthy Skipper (Nastra lherminier) |
Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea licinus) | |
Arogos Skipper (Atrytone arogos) | |
Meske’s Skipper (Hesperia meskei) | |
Crossline Skipper (Polites origenes) | |
Dusted Skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna) | |
Side-Oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula var. caespitosa) | Orange Skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiacus) |
Dotted Skipper (Hesperia attalus) | |
Green Skipper (Hesperia virdis) | |
Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum) | Dotted Skipper (Hesperia attalus) |
Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan) | |
Perennials |
|
Milkweed (Asclepias spp) | Monarch (Danaus plexippus) |
Antelope Horn, Green and Zizotes | Queen (Danaus gilippus) |
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) | Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) |
Boneset (Eupatorium spp.) | Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia) |
Butterfly-Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) | Monarch (Danaus plexippus) |
Queen (Danaus gilippus) | |
Common Frogfruit (Lippia nodiflora) | Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon) |
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) | |
White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae)P | |
Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) | Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) |
Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone) | |
Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia) | |
Globe-Mallow (Sphaeralcea spp.) | Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) |
Indian-Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) | Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia) |
Lantana (Lantana sp.) | Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) |
Marigolds (cultivated) (Tagetes spp.) | Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) |
Blue Flax (Linum spp) | Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) |
Mexican Petunia (Ruellia brittoniana) | Texan Crescent (Anthanassa texana) |
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) | Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) |
Pale Yucca (Yucca pallida) | Yucca Giant Skipper (Megathymus yuccae) |
Rose-Mallow (Hibiscus spp.) | Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon istapa) P |
Scarlet Globe-Mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) | Common Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis) |
Sumac (Rhus spp.) | Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) |
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Artemisia x ‘Powis Castle’) | Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) |
Columbine ‘Texas Gold’ (Aquilegia Chrysantha hinckleyana) | Columbine Duskywing (Erynnis lucilius) |
Cutleaf Daisy (Engelmannia peristenia) | Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) |
Daylily (Hemerocallis spp) | Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) |
Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp) | Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) |
White Mistflower (Ageratina havanensis) | Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) |
Zexmenia (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida) | Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia) |
*** The Plants Listed Above are ONLY The Host Plants We CURRENTLY Have in Stock.
To learn more, visit these Fantastic resources on Texas Butterfly Gardening: