
California Native
(with a couple exceptions)
Butterflies, Moths & their Host Plants
In the Mountain Mermaid Butterfly Garden
Butterfly HOST, or LARVEL plants (in green below) are those upon which
a butterfly or moth will lay their eggs, as contrasted with NECTAR or FOOD plants
upon which the insects feed (shown in pink below). Non-natives are noted with a “nn”.
Planting butterfly and moth host plants are is essential if you want to attract females to lay their eggs.
The host plants in green below are planted in our garden.

Anise Swallowtail Butterfly
Fennel (nn)
Parsley (nn)

California Hairstreak Butterfly
Ceanothus and Oak species
Arroyo Willow
Cheese-weed (nn)
False indigo, Buckwheat



California Sister Butterfly
Canyon Oak

Ceanothus silk moth
Ceanothus,
Yankee Point Blueblossom
Manzanita
Willow
Alder




Checkerspot Butterfly
Santa Cruz Island
Monkey flower
Mallows

Monarch Butterfly
Narrow Leafed Milkweed
Kotolo or Indian Milkweed
Showy Milkweed
Tropical Milkweed
Note: Hardy, fast growing non-native Tropical Milkweed is the plant of choice for most Monarch butterfly breeders. Beautiful in the garden when flowering it is our most popular nectar plant for swallowtails and many other butterflies




Mourning Cloak Butterfly
Arroyo Willow
Black Cottonwood
Elm
Double Curl Parsley (nn)
Italian Parsley (nn)
Bronze Fennel

Painted Lady Butterfly
San Clemente Bush Mallow
California Pearly Everlasting
Chaparral Mallow
Apricot Mallow
Silver Bush Lupin
Hall’s Bush Mallow
Thistle, Nettle
Cheese-weed (nn)



Red Admiral Butterfly
Stinging Nettle
False Nettle
Baby Tears

Skipper Butterflies
Western Fescue
Deergrass



West Coast Lady Butterfly
Mallow
Cheese-weed
Nettle

Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
California Sycamore
Fremont or Gila Cottonwood
Black Cottonwood
Arroyo Willow
White Alder




White-lined Sphinx Moth
Tomato

Native Nectar Plants
In the Mountain Mermaid butterfly garden.
California Yarrow
Rocky Point Blue-eyed Grass
Spice Bush
Felt-Leaved Yerba Santa
Lilac Verbena
Dr. Hurd Manzanita Tree
Hummingbird Sage
Santa Barbara Milk Vetch
Gum Plant
Desperado Sage
Cleveland Sage
White Sage
Ken Taylor Flannel Bush
Blue Flax
Wish List
Native butterflies and moths we want to attract
or introduce into our garden.
The caterpillar host plants listed below their names are already in our garden in hopeful anticipation. Some of the butterflies on the list are in other areas of California, such as the gorgeous Pipevine Swallowtail from up north.
We will see what happens.


California Dogface Butterfly
False Indigo

California Tortoise Shell Butterfly
Ceanothus




El Segundo Blue Butterfly
Coast Buckwheat

Callippe Fritillary Butterfly




Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
Meyer Lemon tree
Great fruit tree
Common Rue

Lorquin’s Admiral Butterfly
Black Cottonwood
Arroyo Willow



Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly
Deerweed
Southern California Locoweed

Pale Swallowtail Butterfly
Redberry
California Coffeeberry
California lilac
Holly-leafed cherry



Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly
Pipevine

Southern Dogface Butterfly



Striated Queen Butterfly
Milkweed

Sulphur Butterflies



Buckeye Butterfly
Monkey flower

Non-Native Butterflies and Moths
And their host or larval plants in the Mountain Mermaid butterfly garden.
Cabbage White Butterfly
Cabbage (nn)
Horseradish (nn)
Chard (nn)




Gulf Fritillary
Passion vine
