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We want to buy native milkweed seed in bulk so we can start growing more milkweed and plant it everywhere we can.

SOME RECOMMENDED NECTAR PLANTS FOR BUTTERFLIES

ANN PLATZER,  MASTER GARDENER, RIVERSIDE COUNTY
 *         Califoria native             
az         Arizona native 
sw         S. West U.S. native 
us          U.S. native
 sp     spring bloomer 
sm      summer bloomer  
f       fall bloomer 
#      blooms most of year
dt        drought tolerant
nh       nectar & host plant
hb       attracts hummingbirds & butterflies
w       winter bloomer
Apricot (Globe) Mallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua* dt hb       
Angelita Daisy, Tetraneuris acaulis  # dt sw
Aster species
   California Aster, Aster chilensis* sm-w dt
   Western Aster, Aster occidentalis*
Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia species sm
Bladderpod, Isomeris arborea * # nh  hb  dt
Blanket Flower, Gaillardia species sm dt
   Indian Blanket Flower G. pulchella  #
Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa * # w sp dt
Buckwheat, Eriogonum species nh dt  hb
   California Buckwheat, E. fasculatum * #
   Red Buckwheat, E. grande rubescens * #
   St. Catherine’s Lace, E. giganteum *
Butterfly Bush, Buddleia species sm hb
   Butterfly Bush, B. davidii sm
   Sagewood, B. salviifolia w
  White Butterfly Bush, B. asiatica  w
  Wooly Butterfly Bush, B. marrubiifolia az
California Four O’clock, Mirabilis laevis * w-sm dt
California (Wild) Lilac, Ceanothus species
   Ceanothus ‘Concha’ * dt sp-sm
   Ceanothus ‘Dark Star’* dt  sp-sm
California Sea Lavender,
    Limonium californicum * w sp dt
California Sunflower, Encilia californica * dt
Cape Plumbago, Plumbago auriculata # nh
Chaparral Honeysuckle, Lonicera subspicata* hb
      Indigo Bush, Dalea pulchra  # nh dt az
Chuparosa, Justicia californica*
Coneflower, Echinacea species. sm
Coral Vine, Antigonon leptopus nh
Coreopsis, Coreopsis species.
   Bigelow Coreopsis, C. bigelovii *
   Garden Coreopsis, C. lanceolata *
Deerweed, Lotus scoparius * w sp # nh dt
False Indigo, Amorpha fruticosa * hb nh, lower elev.
   A. californica * hb  nh, higher elevations
Gold Coin, Asteriscus maritimus #
Golden Crownbeard, Verbesina encelioides  dt
Goldenrod, Solidago species
   California Goldenrod, S. californica * dt
Heliotrope, Heliotropium species*
Hollyhock, Alcea rosea  sm
Jade Plant, Crassula ovata w
Lantana, Lantana species #  hb
Lavender, Lavandula species
   English Lavender L. angustifolia sm
   Fern Lavender, L. multifida #
   French Lavender, L. dentata #
   Spanish Lavender L. stoechas sm
   Sweet Lavender L. heterophylla #
Marigold, Tagetes species *
   Mountain Marigold, T. lemmoni * w sp
Milkweed, Asclepias species nh
   Blood Flower Milkweed, A. curassavica  sp-f
   Narrow-leaf Milkweed, A. fascicularis * dt  sm
   Rush Milkweed, A. subulata * dt  sp-f
   Showy Milkweed, A. speciosa * dt  sm-f
   Swan Plant Milkweed, A. fructicosa
Mints, Mentha species hb
Parish Goldeneye, Viguiera deltoidea * dt
Penstemon Penstemon spp. * hb
Pentas (Star Flower), Pentas lanceolata # hb
Pincushion Flower, Scabiosa species #
   Scabiosa ‘Blue Giant’
Prince’s Plume, Stanleye pinnata * nh  dt
Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima  w
Red Valerian, Centranthus ruber w sp
Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis  w sp
Sages, Salvia species
   Black Sage, S. mellifera * w sp dt hb
   Cleveland Sage, S. clevelandii * sp dt hb
   White Sage, S. apiana * sm dt hb
   Mexican Bush Sage, S. leucantha w sp sm
Strawberry Tree, Arbutus unedo
Sunflower Helianthus species 
   Slender Sunflower, H. gracilentus * w sp hb
   Wild Sunflower, H. annuus *  hb  #
Thistles, Cirsium species* (many*) nh
   Californica Thistle, C. californium*
   Mohave Thistle, C. mohavense*
Trailing Indigo Bush, Dalea greggii # nh hb dt sw
Tree Sedum, Sedum dendroideum dt
Verbena, Verbena species sm
Wishbone Bush, Mirabilis laevis, * #  dt
Yarrow, Achillea millefolium  * sp-f  dt hb
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​Plants that attract butterflies

·              Alyssum
·              Aster
·              Bee balm
·              Butterfly bush
·              Calendula
·              Cosmos
·              Daylily
·              Delphinium
·              Dianthus
·              Fennel
·              Globe thistle
·              Goldenrod
·              Hollyhock
·              Lavender
·              Liatris
·              Marigold
·              Musk mallow
·              Nasturtium
·              Oregano
·              Phlox
·              Purple coneflower
·              Queen Anne's lace
·              Sage
·              Scabiosa
·              Shasta daisy
·              Stonecrop
·              Verbena
·              Yarrow
·              Zinnia

Plants that attract butterfly larvae (caterpillars)

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​·                Fennel
·              Grasses
·              Hollyhocks
·              Lupine
·              Milkweed
·              Nettle
·              Thistle
·              Willow

Plants that attract hummingbirds

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​·              Ajuga
·              Bee balm
·              Begonia
·              Bleeding heart
·              Butterfly weed
·              Canna
·              Cardinal flower
·              Century plant
·              Columbine
·              Coral bells (heuchera)
·              Cleome
·              Crapemyrtle
·              Dahlia
·              Dame's rocket
·              Delphinium
·              Fire pink
·              Four o' clocks
·              Foxglove
·              Fuchsia
·              Gilia
·              Geranium
·              Gladiolus
·              Glossy abelia
·              Hollyhocks
·              Impatiens
·              Iris
·              Lantana
·              Liatris
·              Lily
·              Lupine
·              Nasturtium
·              Nicotiana
·              Paintbrush
·              Penstemon
·              Petunia
·              Phlox
·              Sage
·              Salvia
·              Scabiosa
·              Scarlet sage
·              Sweet William
·              Verbena
·              Yucca
·              Zinnia

​Plants that attract bees

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Perennials and Annuals
​·              Allium
·              Aster
·              Basil
·              Bee balm
·              Bee plant
·              Bergamot
·              Blanket flower
·              Borage
·              Cosmos
·              Flax
·              Four o'clock
·              Gaillardia
·              Geranium
·              Giant hyssop
·              Globe thistle
·              Goldenrod
·              Helianthus
·              Hyssop
·              Joe-pye weed
·              Lavender
·              Lupine
·              Marjoram
·              Mint
·              Mullein
·              Paint brush
·              Poppy
·              Rosemary
·              Sage
·              Skullcap
·              Sunflower
·              Thyme
·              Verbena
·              Wallflower
·              Wild rose
·              Zinnia
Trees, Shrubs and Fruit
​·              Almond
·              Apple
·              Blackcurrant
·              Cherry
·              Gooseberry
·              Hawthorn
·              Linden
·              Locust
·              Pear
·              Plum
·              Raspberry
·              Strawberry
·              Wild lilac
·              Willow
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Cloudless Sulfur
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Gulf Fritillary
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Monarch
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Giant Swallowtail
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Western Tiger Swallowtail
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Gray Hairstreak
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Marine Blue
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Fiery Skipper
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Umber Skipper
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​Painted Lady
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Common Buckeye
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California Dogface
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Cabbage Whit
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Sleepy Orange
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Monarch

COMMON BUTTERFLIES & THEIR HOST PLANTS

Cloudless Sulfur, Phoebus sennae: Wing span (WS) ~2 ½”. Bright yellow,
Host plant: Cassia (Senna), native & non-native. Popcorn Plant, Cassia didymobotrya, a non native.

Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae: ).  WS ~2 ½”. Overwinters as adult.
Orange upper wings (dorsal), large silver spots underneath (ventral
Host plant: Passion Vine, Passiflora species . Many varieties e.g. P. “Coral Glow”, P. “Blue Horizon”.
Note: not all Passion Vines are host plants for Gulf Fritillary
 
Monarch, Danaus plexippus:  WS ~3 ½”- 4”. Overwinters as adult.
Large orange BF with black vein markings & black border with double row white dots.
​Host plant: Milk Weeds, Asclepias species. Some are native. Milk Weeds are both nectar & host plants.
 
Giant Swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes: . WS ~ 5 ½”. Overwinters as pupa.  Largest BF in North America. Many broods.  Dark dorsally with yellow horizontal band. Ventrally, cream-colored with black veins.
Host plant: Citrus. 
 
Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus: . WS ~ 4”.  Overwinters as pupa.  Large, bright yellow BF with ‘tiger-striped’ bands
Host plants: many trees e.g. Willow, Poplar, Sycamore, Aspen.
 
Gray Hairstreak, Strymon melinus: .  WS ~ 1 ¼”. Overwinters as pupa.
Common, small gray with orange patch near hind wing.
Host plants: many families (20)  e.g. Alfalfa, Clover, Mallow, Buckwheat.
 
Marine Blue, Leptotes marina: WS ~1”. Overwinters as adult
Very abundant, small BF.  Dorsal wings purplish-blue, ventral pale brown with “zebra-striped” bands.
Host plants: many e.g. Plumbago, Deer weed, Locoweed, Trailing Indigo Bush.
Fiery Skipper, Hylephila phyleus: WS ~1 ¼”. Overwinters as larva or pupa.  Common Small, fiery orange color..
Host plants: Native & Non-native Grasses

Umber Skipper, Poanes melane: WS ~ 1 ¼”. (Overwinters as ?)  Small umber brown. 
Host plants: Native & non-native grasses

​Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui: WS ~ 2 ½”. Overwinters as adult or migrates.  Most widespread BF in the world.  Dorsal orange with many dark markings. Ventral hind wing 5 prominent eyespots.
Host plants: many e.g. Buckwheat, Desert Lavender, Sunflowers, Thistles, Lupine.
 
Common Buckeye, Junonia coenia: WS ~ 2 ½”. Overwinters as adult.
Brown with prominent eyespots.
Host plants: Monkey Flower, Plantain, Snapdragon.
 
California Dogface, Colias (Zerene) eurydice: WS ~ 2 ½”. Overwinter as adult.  STATE INSECT. Only occurs in California,  When the wings are closed males & females appear yellow. But when the wings are open the male has the profile of a dog’s head on the fore wings. 
Host plant: False Indigo Bush.
 
Cabbage White, Pieris rapae:  Medium sized BF , WS 1-1 ½”.  Overwinters as a pupa.  BFs are almost white. Male has one black spot on the forwing, the female has two.
Host plants:  Many such as wild radish mustard & nasturtium.  It is not a native butterfly.
 
Sleepy Orange, Eurema nicippe: WS ~ 1 ½ -2”. Overwinters as adult.   Bright orange color with fine black dots on wing margins.  Smaller than Cloudless Sulfur & flight more erratic & faster. 
Host plants:  Senna (Cassia), like the Cloudless Sulfur, & also clover.    ​