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Feed the Caterpillars
Without caterpillars, there wouldn't be any butterflies. Here is a list
of some Wisconsin butterflies and the host plants where the caterpillars (larvae) munch the
leaves for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can plant these flowers, trees, and shrubs to
help the caterpillars become butterflies. Each caterpillar's favorite food is listed to
the right of their name:
Butterfly
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Host Flowers
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- American ladies
- Brown elfins
- Fritillaries
- Gorgone checkerspots
- Henry's elfins
- Hoary elfins
- Karner blue
- Monarch
- Pearl crescents
- Wind indigo duskywings
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- Everlasting & pussy toes
- Leather leaf & Labrador tea
- Violets
- Sunflowers & asters
- Blueberry
- Barberry
- Lupine
- Milkweed
- Asters
- Wild Indigo
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Some butterflies like trees for a host plant. Here is a list of butterflies and their favorite host trees.
- Acadian Hairstreak like American Elm trees, Paper Birch, Aspen, and Hackberry.
- Canadian Tiger Swallowtails like Poplar and Aspen trees
- Eastern Pine Elfin like Jack, Red, White Pine
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail likes Black and Pin cherry tree leaves
- Hackberry Emperors like Hackberry of course!
- Mourning Cloak like American Elm, Paper Birch, Aspen, Hackberry
- Sliver-spotted skipper like Black Locust
Some butterfly larvae like plants that we use for food.
- Black Swallowtail likes Dill, Parsley, Carrot
- Silvery Blue likes the Wild Pea
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