If you want to attract Whites and Sulphurs to your garden, check out the list of host and nectar plants below for each of the twelve species that visit Tennessee!
| Whites and Sulphurs Species | Host Plants | Nectar Plants |
|---|---|---|
| Cabbage White | Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) Mustard Greens (Brassica juncea) Radish (Raphanus sativus) |
Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) Chicory (Cichorium intybus) Clover (Trifolium spp.) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |
| Checkered White | Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) Field Pepperweed (Lepidium campestre) Mustard (Brassica spp.) Peppergrass (Lepidium spp.) Radish (Raphanus sativus) Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) |
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella) Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Fleabane (Erigeron spp.) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Phlox (Phlox paniculata or P. divaricata) Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |
| Clouded Sulphur | Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Clover (Trifolium spp.) Lespedeza (Lespedeza spp.) Vetch (Vicia spp.) |
Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) Blazing Star (Liatris spp.) Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Clover (Trifolium spp.) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |
| Cloudless Sulphur | Coffeeweed (Senna obtusifolia) Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) Septicweed (Senna occidentalis) Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa) |
Blazing Star (Liatris spp.) Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) Ironweed (Vernonia spp.) Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) Phlox (Phlox paniculata or P. divaricata) Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Vervain (Verbena spp.) Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) |
| Dainty Sulphur | Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata) Pigweed (Amaranthus spp.) |
Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella) Fogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea) Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |
| Falcate Orangetip | Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) Toothwort (Cardamine spp.) Winter Cress (Barbarea vulgaris) |
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) Chickweed (Stellaria media) Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea) Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans) Mustards (Brassica spp.) Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) Violets (Viola spp.) Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) |
| Little Yellow | Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) Powderpuff (Mimosa strigillosa) Sensitive Pea (Chamaecrista nictitans) Wild Senna (Senna marilandica) |
Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Blazing Star (Liatris spp.) Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.) Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) Narrowleaf Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius) Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Tickseed (Coreopsis tinctoria) Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) |
| Olympia Marble | Rock Cress (Arabis spp.) Toothwort (Cardamine spp.) |
Bluets (Houstonia caerulea) Chickweed (Stellaria media) Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea) Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans) Phlox (Phlox paniculata or P. divaricata) Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) Violets (Viola spp.) Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) |
| Orange Sulphur | Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Clover (Trifolium spp.) Garden Vetch (Vicia sativa) Vetch (Vicia spp.) Wild Indigo (Baptisia spp.) |
Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) Blazing Star (Liatris spp.) Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Clover (Trifolium spp.) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Ironweed (Vernonia spp.) Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.) Phlox (Phlox paniculata or P. divaricata) Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |
| Sleepy Orange | Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) Senna (Senna spp.) |
Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) Blazing Star (Liatris spp.) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |
| Southern Dogface | Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Clover (Trifolium spp.) Vetch (Vicia spp.) |
Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) Blazing Star (Liatris spp.) Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |
| West Virginia White | Broadleaf Toothwort (Cardamine diphylla) Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) |
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea) Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) Toothwort (Cardamine spp.) Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) Violets (Viola spp.) |