Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Program

Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Program
Landscape Design for Wildlife
Nest Boxes for Birds
Woodworking Projects for Wildlife
Hummingbirds and How to Attract Them
Winter Bird Feeding
Ponds and Birdbaths
Butterflies and How to Attract Them
 
- Creating Butterfly Gardens
- Butterfly Plants (Table 1)
- Furnish Breeding and Feeding Grounds
- Create a Planting Plan
- Plant the Garden & Enhancement Features for Butterflies
- Watching Butterflies and Conducting a Butterfly Survey
- Common Pacfic Northwest Butterflies (Table 2)
- Resources
Book Resource and Sales

Related Links
  The Urban Habitat Campaign
   

Get ADOBE Acrobat Reader
Dowload the FREE Adobe
Acrobat Reader to view
and print PDF documents.

BleedingheartButterflies and How to Attract Them

Table 1. Butterfly plants

Plants are listed alphabetically by their botanical name. The botanical name includes the Genus and the species. When referencing more than one plant species in a particular genus, the abbreviation (spp.) is used.

N =

Nectar plants that are food sources for butterflies in their adult stage.
F =  Larval food plants that are food sources for butterflies in their caterpillar stage.
* =  A plant or genus that is native to the Pacific Northwest.
Bold type = 
Recommended plant
Evergreen Trees
N,F Madrona, Arbutus menziesii *
F Incense-cedar, Calocedrus sp. *
F Pine, Pinus spp. *
F Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga sp. *
 
Deciduous Trees
F Maple, Acer spp. *
F Alder, Alnus spp. *
F Birch, Betula spp. *
N,F Dogwood, Cornus spp. *
N,F Hawthorn, Crataegus spp. *
N,F Garden apple, crabapple, Malus spp.
F Cottonwood, Populus spp. *
F Aspen, Populus tremuloides *
N,F Cherry, Prunus spp. *
F Oak, Quercus spp. *
F Cascara, Rhamnus purshiana *
N,F Willow, Salix spp. *
 
Evergreen Shrubs (short and tall)
F Manzanita, Arctostaphylos spp. *
N,F Wild-lilac (Mountain balm), Ceanothus spp. *
N Buckbrush, Ceanothus spp. *
N Escallonia, Escallonia spp.
F Salal, Gaultheria shallon *
N Hyssop, Hyssopsis officinalis
N Lavender, Lavandula spp.
N Oregon-grape, Mahonia aquifolium *
N,F Rhododendron, Rhododendron spp. *
N Germander, Teucrium chamaedrys
 
Deciduous Shrubs
N,F Serviceberry, Amelanchier alnifolia *
F Oceanspray, Holodiscus spp. *
N Bluebeard, Caryopteris spp.
N Rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus spp. *
N Red-twig dogwood, Cornus sericea *
N Mock-orange, Philadelphus lewisii *
N,F Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana *
N,F Bitterbrush, Purshia tridentata *
N Wild azalea, R. occidentale *
N,F Wild rose, Rosa spp. *
N Elderberry, Sambucus spp. *
N,F Spirea, Spiraea spp. *
N Lilac, Syringa spp.
N Garden blueberry,Vaccinium spp.
N Chaste tree, Vitex agnus-catus
 
Garden Perennials
N Yarrow, Achillea spp. *
F Rockcress, Arabis caucasica
N Aster, Aster spp. *
N Yellow alyssum, Aurinia saxatilis
N Campanula, Campanula spp. *
N Daisy, Chrysanthemum spp.
N Coreopsis, Coreopsis spp.
N Clove (Cottage) pink, Dianthus spp.
N Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea
N Globe-thistle, Echinops spp.
N Sea-holly, Eryngium amethystinum
N Wallflower, Erysimum spp.
N Blanket flower, Gaillardia spp. *
N Heliotrope, Heliotropium spp.
N Gayfeather, Liatris spp.
N Statice, Limonium latifolium
   
Garden Perennials (cont)
N,F Lupine, Lupinus spp. *
N Monkey flower, Mimulus spp. *
N Bee balm, Monarda didyma
N Catmint, Nepeta spp.
N Penstemon, Penstemon spp. *
N Phlox, Phlox spp. *
N Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta
N Pincushion flower, Scabiosa spp.
N,F Fall sedum, Sedum spectabile
N,F Dusty miller, Senecio cineraria
N Tall verbena, Verbena bonariensis
 
Ground Covers
F Kinnikinnik, A. uva-ursi *
N Seathrift, Armeria maritima *
N,F Cotoneaster, Cotoneaster spp.
F Salal, Gaultheria shallon *
N Heather, Erica spp.
N Wild strawberry, Fragaria spp. *
N Candytuft, Iberis spp.
 
Vines and Vine-like Plants
N Clematis, Clematis spp. *
F Hops, Humulus lupulus
N Honeysuckle, Lonicera spp. *
N,F Trailing nasturtium, T. majus
N,F Vetch, Vicia spp.
 
Wildflowers
N,F Pearly everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea *
N,F Angelica, Angelica lucida *
N,F Butterfly weed, Asclepias spp. *
F Bleeding heart, Dicentra spp. *
N Wild-buckwheat, Erigonium spp. *
N Gilia, Gilia spp. *
N,F Cow-parsnip, Heracleum lanatum *
N,F Desert-parsley, Lomatium spp. *
N,F Lupine, Lupinus spp. *
F Checker mallow, Sidalcea oregana *
N Goldenrod, Solidago spp. *
F Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale
N Clover, Trifolium spp.
F Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica *
F Violet, Viola spp. *
 
Garden Annual Flowers
N Ageratum, Ageratum houstonianum
N Alyssum, Alyssum maritima
F Borage, Borago officinalis
N Calendula, Calendula officinalis
N Clarkia, Clarkia spp. *
N Spiderflower, Cleome spinosa
N Cosmos, Cosmos bipinnatus
N Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus
N,F Sunflower, Helianthus spp.
N,F Forget-me-not, Myosotis spp.
N French marigold, Tagetes patula
N Low verbena, Verbena spp.
N Zinnia, Zinnia elegans
 
Garden Herbs and Vegetables
N,F Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare
N Garden mint, Mentha spp.
N Oregano, Origanum vulgare
N Garden sage, Salvia spp.
N Thyme, Thymus spp.
N,F Broccoli, carrot, kale, radish
Find a bug or error in the system? Let us know about it!
© 2002-2005 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
E-mail <webmaster@dfw.wa.gov>