As conscientious gardeners, many of us have added plants that attract pollinators to our corners of paradise. This includes butterflies of many kinds, including the well-known Monarch, Painted Lady and Anise Swallowtail. But there is even a more surefire way to attract particular butterflies and moths to your garden and that is by planting host plants for these winged pollinators.
Monarch
Easily our most famous Bay Area resident butterfly, Monarchs also have one of the most beautiful caterpillars. Large and long, they are immediately recognizable by their yellow, black and white striping. And where do you find them? Why on 'milkweeds.'
Annie's carries four native milkweeds – Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa and A. speciosa 'Davis'), as well as the Narrow-Leafed milkweed (A. fascicularis) and the curious Nodding milkweed (A. glaucescens). Easy to grow and vigorous, milkweeds love the sun, good drainage and bloom all summer.
Pipevine Swallowtail
Perhaps the most beautiful butterfly in our region, this butterfly has dusky dark outer portions and iridescent blue inner portions. As its common name suggests, this guy prefers only one plant as its host – the California pipevine (Aristolochia californica) or California Dutchman's-pipe.
Anise Swallowtail
This beautiful yellow and black butterfly is very common in our area. Its caterpillar form is just as striking, a bright green with distinctive yellow spots framed by black borders. It has several host plants, including our native Cow Parsnip (Heracleum lanatum). You can also have great success with the common fennel plant.
And we at Annie's offer both the cow parsnip and a lovely variety of fennel called 'Zefa Fino' in the nursery. Adult butterflies will seek out a great number of native flowers for food. It is one of the easiest and most reliable butterflies in our area.
Painted Lady
Painted Lady is one of the most familiar butterflies in our Bay Area gardens. A gorgeous orange, with black and orange banding on its upper wings and rows of small black markings on the lower wings, its caterpillar is no less striking.
The main host plant for this gal is our wonderful California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica). This xeriscape plant needs almost no summer water and offers the most shimmering silvery foliage on 3-4′ H&W bushes. Though the flowers are small and indistinctive, this sagebrush still attracts plenty of 'Ladies.'
California Tortoiseshell
This lovely smaller-sized butterfly has an appearance similar to the Painted Lady. Its black banding is however only along the upper margins of its wings and it possesses no lower black spots.
These beautiful butterflies like to lay their eggs on our local California lilacs (Ceanothus) and Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos). That includes the prolific blooming Ceanothus thyrsiflorus and the taller C. 'Ray Hartman'.
Mormon Metalmark
This beautiful butterfly displays a most intriguing pattern, with a chocolate brown body dramatically dotted with white spots. This area is contrasted by bright orange on the upper wings next to the head.
You'll find this beauty munching on the leaves of our native Seaside buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium). Many of you know that California buckwheats are one of the great pollinator plants to add to our gardens. Very durable and easy to grow, Seaside buckwheat is the gift that keeps on giving.
Silvery Blue Butterfly
There may be no prettier butterfly in our Bay Area than the quixotic Silver Blue Butterfly. A gorgeous sky blue throughout, with delicate white veining and a dramatic black border, this elusive butterfly can sometimes be a bit hard to find.
Its favorite host plant is the native Yellow Coastal Bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus). This vigorous herbaceous lupine gets to a robust 4'x4′ and in late spring is smothered in cheerful yellow flowers displayed on tall spikes. A magnet for bees as well as a number of local butterflies.
Orange Sulphur Moth
The Orange Sulphur's appearance may not be dramatic but its soft colors are no less alluring. It displays pale yellow wings with an orange aura, bordered by a ribbed, soft brown color. Sublime.
That would be the lovely Silver Bush lupine (Lupinus albifrons). It too forms a voluminous bush (42" x 42") and produces soft green foliage with a shimmering silvery cast. It produces 8-12" high spikes of fragrant purple flowers throughout the late spring and summer that attract a variety of pollinators.
Variable Checkerspot
You might think of this black-winged native butterfly as the 'goth' member of the family. Black-as-night wings are generously dotted with rows of white spots, with just a few orange spots on the top wings for a touch of color.
Black, with rows of orange spots, it is an eating machine on its favorite host plant – the Sticky Monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus). Both its orange-flowering straight species and its yellow, pink and red hybrids are magnets for a variety of local pollinators.
Planting & Caring for Host Plants
Virtually all of the plants mentioned here are sun-loving (the Cow Parsnip is part shade) so give them lots of light. And generally speaking, they want good drainage. It is worth mentioning that one should not, under any circumstances, use a pesticide, organic or chemical, on your host plants (or any nearby plants).
Annie's does not spray its plants with the Bt caterpillar insecticide, meaning it is safe to grow our plants as host plants. However, Annie's strongly advises that plants you intend to use as host plants be thoroughly rinsed with water and quarantined for at least one week before setting out into your garden.
Availability
Just so everyone knows, some of the Annie's Annuals plants mentioned here might not be available on the week that you're reading this blog article. Some of the plant varieties discussed are only available in our retail nursery in Richmond CA. A quick look at that plant's page will let you know if it's available. If not, just click the Add to Wishlist button and we'll notify you when that plant is ready to take home.
