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Gardening for California native butterflies:

Attracting butterflies to your garden is a rewarding way to foster a healthy population of beneficial insects. Witnessing the arrival of the graceful, multicolored beauties in your yard is evidence that by providing habitat and eliminating the use of chemical sprays, nature can restore balance to itself. Drought tolerant native plants are beneficial for species-specific native butterflies that depend on just one or a few types of plants as larval hosts.

These are some of the native plants we grow that attract butterflies:

Botanical NameCommon NameFlower ColorHostNectar
Annuals
Collinsia heterophylla Chinese houses Violet / White x
Lupinus species Lupine Blue / White x
Perennials
Achillea millefolium Yarrow
White x
Asclepias species Milkweed Cream xx
Eriogonum species Buckwheat White / Pink / Yellowxx
Eriophyllum confertiflorum Golden yarrow Yellow x
Isocoma menziesii Coast goldenbush Yellow x
Acmispon glaberDeerweed Yellow xx
Diplacus aurantiacus Monkeyflower Buff to Apricot x
Monardella species Native mintsLavender / Redx
Salvia species Sage Purple / White / Red / Pink x
Solidago californica GoldenrodYellow x
Verbena lilacina Lilac verbenaLavender x
Viguiera laciniata San Diego sunflowerYellow x
Shrubs and Trees
Amorpha fruticosa False indigo bush Royal Purple x
Baccharis pilularis Coyote bushCream x
Ceanothus species California lilac Blue xx
Cleome isomeris Bladderpod Yellow xx
Lavatera assurgentiflora Tree mallow Lavender x
Platanus racemosa Western sycamore Whitex
Prunus ilicifolia Hollyleaf cherry White x
Quercus species OakWhite x
Rhamnus californica Coffeeberry Cream xx
Ribes speciesCurrant, Gooseberry Red / Pink / White x
Salix species WillowYellow xx
Senna species Cassia Yellow xx

California butterflies & the plants they rely on:

Acmon Blue

  • Eriogonum fasciculatum, California buckwheat
  • Acmispon glaber, Deerweed
  • Lupinus bicolor, Miniature lupine

Afranius Duskywing

  • Acmispon glaber, Deerweed
  • Lupinus bicolor, Miniature lupine

American Lady

  • Achillea millefolium, Yarrow
  • Artemisia californica, California sagebrush
  • Artemisia douglasiana, Mugwort

Becker’s White:

  • Cleome isomeris, Bladderpod

Blue Copper:

  • Erigonum fasciculatum, California buckwheat

Boisduval’s Blue:

  • Lupinus bicolor, Miniature lupine

California Dogface:

  • Amorpha fruticosa, False indigobush

California Hairstreak:

  • Ceanothus spinosus, Greenbark ceanothus
  • Ceanothus megacarpus, Big-Pod ceanothus
  • Quercus agrifolia, Coast live oak
  • Prunus ilicifolia, Hollyleaf cherry

California Sister:

  • Quercus agrifolia, Coast live oak

Checkered White:

  • Cleome isomeris, Bladderpod

Common Buckeye:

  • Mimulus guttatus, Golden monkeyflower

Dainty Sulfur:

  • Lasthenia californica, California goldenfields
  • Layia platyglossa, Tidy tips

Duskywing:

  • Acmispon glaber, Deerweed

Edith’s Checkerspot:

  • Diplacus aurantiacus, Sticky monkeyflower
  • Mimulus guttatus, Golden monkeyflower

Funereal Duskywing

  • Acmispon glaber, Deerweed

Gabb’s Checkerspot:

  • Lessingia filaginifolia, California aster

Golden Hairstreak:

  • Quercus agrifolia, Coast live oak

Gorgon Copper:

  • Eriogonum fasciculatum, California buckwheat

Gold-Hunter’s Hairstreak

  • Quercus agrifolia, Coast live oak

Gray Hairstreak:

  • Acmispon glaber, Deerweed
  • Lupinus bicolor, Miniature lupine
  • Malacothamnus fasciculatus, Bush mallow

Lorquin’s Admiral:

  • Prunus ilicifolia, Hollyleaf cherry
  • Salix spp., Willow
  • Holodiscus discolor, Ocean spray

Marine Blue:

  • Acmispon glaber, Deerweed

Melissa Blue:

  • Acmispon glaber, Deerweed
  • Lupinus bicolor, Miniature lupine

Monarch:

  • Asclepias spp., Milkweed

Mournful Duskywing:

  • Quercus agrifolia, Coast live oak

Mourning Cloak

  • Salix spp., Willow
  • Populus spp., Poplar
  • Alnus spp., Alder

Orange Sulfur:

  • Amorpha fruticosa, False indigobush
  • Lotus scoparius, Deerweed
  • Lupinus bicolor, Miniature lupine

Painted Lady:

  • Achillea millefolium, Yarrow
  • Lupinus bicolor, Miniature lupine
  • Malacothamnus fasciculatus, Bush mallow

Pale Swallowtail:

  • Ceanothus spinosus, Greenbark ceanothus
  • Ceanothus megacarpus, Big-Pod ceanothus
  • Holodiscus discolor, Ocean spray;
  • Platanus racemosa , California sycamore
  • Prunus ilicifolia, Hollyleaf cherry
  • Rhamnus californica, California coffeeberry
  • Rhamnus crocea, Red berry
  • Rhamnus ilicifolia, Hollyleaf red berry

Propertius Duskywing

  • Quercus agrifolia, Coast Live Oak

Queen:

  • Asclepias spp., Milkweed

Silver-Spotted Skipper:

  • Amorpha fruticosa, False indigo bush
  • Acmispon glaber, Deerweed

Silvery Blue:

  • Acmispon glaberDeerweed
  • Lupinus bicolor, Miniature lupine

Sonoran Blue:

  • Dudleya lanceolata, Lance-leaved dudleya
  • Dudleya multicaulis, Many-stemmed dudleya
  • Dudleya pulverulenta, Chalk dudleya

Spring Azure:

  • Adenostoma fasciculatum, Chamise
  • Aesculus californica, California buckeye
  • Ceanothus spp., California lilac

Striated Queen

  • Asclepias spp., Milkweed

Variable Checkerspot:

  • Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon
  • Mimulus aurantiacus, Sticky monkeyflower
  • Prunus ilicifolia, Hollyleaf cherry
  • Sambucus mexicana, Elderberry
  • Symphoricarpos mollis, Creeping snowberry
  • Rosa californica, California wild rose

Western Green Hairstreak:

  • Ceanothus spinosus, Greenbark ceanothus
  • Ceanothus megacarpus, Big-Pod ceanothus
  • Acmispon glaber, Deerweed

Western Pygmy-Blue

  • Atriplex species, Saltbush

Western Tiger Swallowtail:

  • Salix spp., Willow
  • Alnus spp., Alder
  • Prunus ilicifolia, Hollyleaf cherry

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