Larval Host Plants: Feeding Florida's Butterflies
Flowers bring butterflies to visit. Host plants, the specific plants their caterpillars are born to eat, are what convince them to stay and raise the next generation in your St. Augustine garden.
The One Idea Most Gardeners Miss
A butterfly garden needs two kinds of plants. Most people only plant one of them.
Nectar Plants
Flowers that feed the adult butterflies you already see flying. Important, but they only bring butterflies to visit.
Host Plants
The specific plants each butterfly lays eggs on, and the only thing its caterpillars can eat. This is what lets butterflies breed in your yard.
Chewed leaves are a good sign. Each butterfly is a picky eater, so caterpillars will nibble their host plants ragged. The plants recover, and the damage means your garden is working. Plant a few of each and tuck them among showier blooms to hide the munching.
Match the Butterfly to its Host Plant
The key pairings for Northeast Florida. Grow the host and you can bring the butterfly back to your block.
Monarch & Queen
Milkweed (Asclepias)
Caterpillars eat only milkweed. Choose native species, not tropical milkweed.
Shop native milkweed→Zebra Longwing & Gulf Fritillary
Passionflower (Passiflora)
Hosts Florida's state butterfly and the orange Gulf Fritillary on one vine.
Shop passionvine→Atala
Coontie (Zamia)
The only host for this rare native butterfly, brought back from the brink.
Read the Coontie profile→Black Swallowtail
Parsley, Fennel & Dill
The carrot family. Plant extra herbs so there is enough to share.
Shop herbs→Giant Swallowtail
Citrus & Wild Lime
Lays eggs on lemon, lime, and orange trees, plus native wild lime.
Shop citrus & wild lime→Spicebush Swallowtail
Redbay & Sassafras
Caterpillars feed on members of the laurel family.
Shop redbay→Cloudless Sulphur
Cassia & Senna
The bright yellow butterfly whose caterpillars eat cassia foliage and flowers.
Shop cassia→Please skip tropical milkweed
Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is a Category II invasive in Florida. Because it stays green year-round here, it can disrupt Monarch migration and build up the OE parasite that deforms wings. Plant native milkweed that dies back with the seasons instead.
Host Plants We Carry
Start your butterfly garden with these caterpillar host plants, available at the nursery.
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Designing a Host + Nectar Garden
Pair the caterpillar food with the adult food, give it sun, and skip the sprays.
Give it sun
Most host and nectar plants want at least 6 hours of sun. Pick a warm, wind-sheltered spot where butterflies like to bask.
Plant in groups
Set out three or more of each host plant so a hungry brood of caterpillars has enough to eat without stripping a single plant.
Stagger the blooms
Mix nectar plants with different bloom times and flower shapes so adults always have something to feed on.
Never spray
Insecticides kill every stage of a butterfly. Skip the pesticides entirely in and around the garden.
A simple starter bed: native milkweed and a passionvine for hosts, tropical sage and other bloomers for nectar, and a Coontie for the Atala and year-round structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a host plant and a nectar plant?+
Nectar plants feed adult butterflies with their blooms. Host plants are the specific plants caterpillars must eat to grow. A complete butterfly garden needs both, but the host plants are what let butterflies actually reproduce in your yard.
Will caterpillars kill my host plants?+
Almost never. Caterpillars chew leaves and the plant can look ragged for a while, but established host plants recover. Chewed foliage is a sign the garden is working. Plant a few of each and tuck them among nectar plants to hide the nibbling.
Should I plant tropical milkweed for Monarchs?+
We recommend native milkweed instead. Tropical milkweed is listed as a Category II invasive in Florida. Because it stays green all year here, it can disrupt Monarch migration and build up the OE parasite that deforms wings. Native species like swamp milkweed die back seasonally and avoid that problem.
What is Florida's state butterfly, and what does it need?+
The Zebra Longwing is Florida’s state butterfly. Its caterpillars, along with the Gulf Fritillary, feed on passionflower, so a passionvine is one of the highest-impact host plants you can add.
Do butterfly host plants need full sun?+
Most do best with at least 6 hours of sun, though 4 or more will support many species. Butterflies are most active in warm, sunny, sheltered spots, so a sunny, wind-protected bed is ideal.
Can I use pesticides in a butterfly garden?+
No. Every life stage of a butterfly is sensitive to insecticides, and they will kill the caterpillars you are trying to raise. Skip the sprays entirely in and around host and nectar plantings.
Start Your Butterfly Garden at Southern Horticulture
We grow native milkweed, passionvine, Coontie, cassia, and the herbs that host swallowtails. Come see what is in store, or call and we will help you build a garden that raises butterflies, not just visits them.