What is a Host Plant?

 

A host plant is a specific plant where butterflies lay their eggs, ensuring their caterpillars have the right food to eat once they hatch. These plants are also known as larval host plants or caterpillar host plants. Many of the approximately 500 butterfly species in the U.S. rely on a limited number of host plants to complete their life cycles. For example, Monarchs depend solely on milkweeds, Pipevine Swallowtails use pipevines, and Gulf Fritillaries rely on passionflower. Host plants are essential during the caterpillar stage, marking the beginning of a butterfly’s lifecycle. Whenever possible, choose native host plants for your garden to best support local butterfly populations.

 

What is a Nectar Plant?

 

Nectar plants and host plants serve different but equally important roles in a butterfly’s life cycle. Nectar plants provide food for adult butterflies, which visit these flowering plants to drink nectar. In contrast, host plants are where butterflies lay their eggs and where caterpillars feed once they hatch. To best support butterfly populations, always choose native nectar and host plants. Native species are closely connected to the lifecycles of many butterflies.

 

For a list of Host and Nectar Plants, please click on the links below!

 

Host and Nectar Plants for Butterflies of Tennessee:

• Brush-Footed (Nymphalidae) Host and Nectar Plants
• Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae) Host and Nectar Plants
• Skipper (Hesperiidae) Host and Nectar Plants
• Swallowtails (Papilionidae) Host and Nectar Plants
• Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae) Host and Nectar Plants