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Back to Butterfly Gardening
Southwest
These are some of the common, showy butterflies of this region and the food plant (or plants) appropriate for caterpillars of each species.
Butterfly Species
Caterpillar Plants

Queen
Danaus gilippus
Milkweeds

Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
Various mallows, thistles
Sara Orangetip
Anthocharis sara
Various mustards

Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus
Various mallows and legumes

Marine Blue
Leptotes marina
Leadwort (Plumbago)

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae
Passion Vine
Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor
Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia)

Giant Swallowtail
Papilio cresphontes
Citrus, Hop Tree, Prickly Ash

Two-tailed Swallowtail
Papilio multicaudata
Choke Cherry, Hop Tree

Monarch
Danaus plexippus
Milkweeds

Nectar Plants
These are the best flowers to plant in this region to attract a wide variety of butterfly species. The plants listed here have been shown to be tolerant of the local climate and particularly attractive to the butterflies mentioned above.

False Indigo (native) fruticosa
Narrowleaf Milkweed (native)   Asclepias angustifolia
Wooly Butterfly Bush Buddleia marubifolia
Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
Yarrow (native) Achillea species
Lantana Lantana camara (and other species)
Verbena (native) Verbena species









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