Butterfly Bed & Breakfast
Butterflies look for a certain plant they want to bed down on and lay their eggs.
When the caterpillars emerge from the eggs, breakfast is served!
Larval fodder host plants that gardeners can grow to help butterflies of Cascadia flourish.
Our list is organized by names of butterflies followed by the host plants required by each butterfly species
SKIPPERS Hesperidae
1. TWO-BANDED CHECKERED SKIPPER Pyrgus ruralis
Host Plants: Geum macrophyllum (large-leaved avens)
2. COMMON CHECKERED SKIPPER Pyrgus communis
Host Plants: Sidalcea malviflora (checkerbloom), Lavatera maritima, L. ‘Burgundy Wine’
3. WOODLAND SKIPPER Ochlodes sylvanoides
Host Plants: Phalaris arundinacea ‘Feesey’s Variety’
PARNASSIANS & SWALLOWTAILS Papilionidae
4. CLODIUS PARNASSIAN Parnassius clodius
Host Plants: Dicentra formosa (western bleeding heart)
5. ANISE SWALLOWTAIL Papilio zelicaon
Host Plants: Heracleum lanatum (cow parsnip), Angelica gigas
6. WESTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL Papilio rutulus
Host Plants: Salix purpurea ‘Nana’ (willow)
7. PALE TIGER SWALLOWTAIL Papilio eurymedon
Host Plants: Ceanothus sanguineus
WHITES & ORANGE TIPS & SULFURS Pieridae
8. SARA ORANGETIP Anthocharis sara
Host Plants: Arabis blepharophylla
9. ORANGE SULFUR Colias eurytheme
Host Plants: Lupinus argenteus, L. rivularis, Trifolium rupens
10.VEINED WHITE Pieris marginalis
Host Plants: Cardamine angulata, C. pratensis (bittercress)
COPPERS & HAIRSTREAKS & BLUES Lycaenidae
11. PURPLISH COPPER Lycaena helloides
Host Plants: Persicaria bistorta ‘Superba’, P. amplexicaulis, Rumex acetosa, R. sanguineus ssp. sanguineus
12. WESTERN BROWN ELFIN Incisalia augustinus
Host Plants: Holodiscus discolor (ocean spray)
13. WESTERN TAILED-BLUE Everes amyntula
Host Plants: Dorycnium hirsutum (astragalus)
14. ECHO BLUE or SPRING AZURE Celastrina ladon
Host Plants: Cornus sericea (red dogwood)
15. SILVERY BLUE Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Host Plants: Lathyrus latifolius (sweet pea)
FRITILLARIES & CHECKERSPOTS & ANGLEWINGS & ADMIRAL Nymphalidae
16. GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY Speyeria cybele pugetensis
Host Plants: Viola glabella
17. WESTERN MEADOW FRITILLARY Boloria epithore
Host Plants: Viola sempervirens (evergreen violet)
18. MYLITTA CRESCENTSPOT Phyciodes mylitta
Host Plants: Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’, C. undulatum
19. GOLDEN SATYR ANGLEWING Polygonia satyrus
Host Plants: Humulus lupulus (hops)
20. MOURNING CLOAK Nymphalis antiopa
Host Plants: Spiraea betulifolia, S. densiflora
21. FIRE-RIM MILBERT’S TORTOISESHELL Aglais milberti
Host Plants: Parietaria (pellitory)
22. AMERICAN PAINTED LADY Vanessa virginiensis
Host Plants: Anaphalis margaritacea, Antennaria dioca (pussy-toes)
23. PAINTED LADY Vanessa cardui
Host Plants: Echinops ritro (globe thistle)
24. WEST COAST LADY Vanessa annabella
Host Plants: Sidalcea campestris
25. RED ADMIRAL Vanessa atalanta
Host Plants: Humulus lupulus (hops), Parietaria (pellitory)
26. LORQUIN’S/ORANGE-TIP ADMIRAL Limenitis lorquini
Host Plants: Spiraea douglasii (hardhack)
SATYRS & WOOD NYMPHS Satyridae
27. NORTHWEST RINGLET Coenonympha ampelos
Host Plants: Stipa gigantea (golden oats)
28. LARGE WOOD NYMPH Cercyonis pegala
Host Plants: Stipa tenuissima (silk grass)
MONARCH Danaidae
29. MONARCH Danaus plexippus
Host Plants: Asclepias speciosa (milkweed), Asclepias tuberosa