Grow a Caterpillar Cafe

Support the next generation of butterflies by nurturing their favorite host plants for larvae to munch on

- By Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman

Butterfly gardening is gaining popularity, and with good reason! Any flower garden instantly becomes more interesting when winged beauties stop by to sip sweet nectar from the blooms. But the fluttering adults represent just one stage in the life of a butterfly. To support a healthy population of these colorful pollinators, it's key to provide food for their caterpillars as well.

Nectar Plants vs. Host Plants

Most adult butterflies are attracted to flowers, and many sample from an array of blooms, as long as they have a good nectar supply and enough space to land. Popular choices, such as coneflowers, zinnias or verbenas, may get visits from dozens of butterfly species.

But when it comes to host plants for the caterpillars (also called larvae, the plural for larva), it's a different story. The larvae of most butterfly species are very particular and will feed on only a few kinds of plants. For example, monarch caterpillars are famous for munching solely on milkweeds. Many people now plant milkweeds to support these orange-and-black fliers, but those plants are no help for the vast majority of butterflies that can't digest milkweeds. So while it's possible to attract many kinds of adult butterflies with just a few nectar plants, growing host plants requires more attention and variety.

Be a Good Larvae Host

To boost your success in hosting butterfly larvae, find a good native plant nursery in your region, and talk with the staff about the possibilities for your garden. Although there are exceptions, local native plant species almost always make the best hosts for nearby butterflies.