Butterfly and Moth Host Plants

Most of our native butterfly and moth species need specific plant species for their caterpillars to develop on, with Monarchs requiring Milkweed being one of the most well known dependencies. Native caterpillars are the primary food source for baby birds and gardens without adequete native host species are usually not able to supply enough food for nesting birds to successfully raise their young. Planting multiple native host species in your garden ensures that you can support butterflies in all stages of life and can significantly increase the population of beneficial insect eating birds. The butterflies and moths that require native host plants don't eat garden plant species and aren't pests to crops but support the bird species that eat the pest caterpillars. Supporting a healthy bird population in your home garden with native host plants nearby can significantly reduce the populations of pest caterpillars like Tomato Hornworm and Cabbage Moth.

Western Chokecherry Prunus virginiana var. demissa Mature Height: 25ft Hardiness Zones: 5-9 Spread: spreads slowly by the roots Aspect: partial shade to mostly sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: May Water: average to dry Starting at $12.50 Sadlers Oak Quercus sadleriana Mature Height: 8ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly shade to full sun Foliage: evergreen Water: average to dry Starting at $10.00 Western Horsemint Hyssop Agastache urticifolia Mature Height: 3ft Hardiness Zones: 5-9 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: partial shade to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: June, July Water: average to dry Starting at $8.50 Western Green Alder Alnus viridis sinuata Mature Height: 15ft Hardiness Zones: 5-9 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Water: riparian to average Starting at $10.00 Western Goldenrod Solidago lepida Mature Height: 5ft Hardiness Zones: 4-9 Spread: spreads quickly by the roots Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: September Water: riparian to dry Starting at $4.50 Great Betony Stachys chamissionis cooleyae Mature Height: 3ft Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Spread: spreads quickly by the roots Aspect: mostly shade to mostly sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: June, July, August, September Water: wetland to average Starting at $12.50 West Coast Goldenrod Solidago elongata Mature Height: 3ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: spreads quickly by the roots Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: July, August Water: riparian to xeric Starting at $4.50 Snow Berry Symphoricarpos albus Mature Height: 4ft Hardiness Zones: 4-8 Spread: spreads slowly by the roots Aspect: mostly shade to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: July, August Water: wetland to dry Starting at $10.00 Big Leaf Maple Acer macrophyllum Mature Height: 30ft Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Foliage: deciduous Starting at $10.00 California Canyon Live Oak Quercus chrysolepis Mature Height: 55ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: single stem form Aspect: partial shade to full sun Foliage: evergreen Water: average to dry Starting at $10.00 Red Alder Alnus rubra Mature Height: 60ft Hardiness Zones: 6-9 Spread: single stem form Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Water: riparian to average Sold out but likely back soon. American Cranberry Viburnum Viburnum trilobum Mature Height: 10ft Hardiness Zones: 3-8 Foliage: deciduous Out of season. Pacific Mountain Willow Salix scouleriana Mature Height: 30ft Hardiness Zones: 3-9 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: April Water: wetland to dry Sold out but likely back soon. Pacific Cascara Frangula purshiana Mature Height: 20ft Hardiness Zones: 6-9 Spread: single stem form Aspect: mostly shade to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: June, July, August Water: riparian to dry Sold out. Rose Checkermallow Sidalcea virgata Mature Height: 2ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: April, May, June Water: average to xeric Sold out but likely back soon. Black Cottonwood Populus trichocarpa Mature Height: 80ft Hardiness Zones: 4-9 Spread: spreads slowly by the roots Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Water: riparian to dry Out of season. Western Red Willow Salix laevigata Mature Height: 35ft Hardiness Zones: 6-9 Spread: single stem form Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: April Water: wetland to average Sold out but likely back soon. Pacific Bitter Cherry Prunus emarginata Mature Height: 25ft Hardiness Zones: 4-8 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: May, June Water: dry to xeric Sold out but likely back soon. Pacific Thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus Mature Height: 4ft Hardiness Zones: 3-9 Spread: spreads quickly by the roots Aspect: mostly shade to mostly sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: June Water: average to dry Sold out. Fireweed Chamaenerion angustifolium Mature Height: 5ft Hardiness Zones: 3-8 Spread: spreads quickly by the roots Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: July, August Water: riparian to dry Sold out but likely back soon. Coyote Willow Salix exigua hindsiana Mature Height: 20ft Hardiness Zones: 6-9 Spread: spreads slowly by the roots Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: April Water: wetland to dry Sold out but likely back soon. Golden Currant Ribes aureum Mature Height: 8ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: partial shade to mostly sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: May Water: riparian to dry Sold out but likely back soon. California Fuchsia Epilobium canum Mature Height: 1ft Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Spread: spreads slowly by the roots Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: June, July, August, September, October Water: dry Sold out. Ocean Spray Holodiscus discolor Mature Height: 8ft Hardiness Zones: 5-0 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly shade to mostly sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: June, July Water: average to dry Sold out but likely back soon. Pacific Dewberry Rubus ursinus Mature Height: 1ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: spreads moderately by the roots Aspect: mostly shade to mostly sun Foliage: evergreen Flowering: June Water: average to dry Sold out. Rough Hedgenettle Stachys rigida Mature Height: 2ft Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Spread: spreads moderately by the roots Aspect: mostly shade to mostly sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: June, July Water: riparian to average Sold out but likely back soon. Pacific Black Raspberry Rubus leucodermis Mature Height: 4ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: spreads moderately by the roots Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Water: average to dry Sold out. Pacific Hounds Tongue Adelinia grandis Mature Height: 3ft Hardiness Zones: 7-9 Out of season. Narrowleaf Mule's Ear Wyethia angustifolia Mature Height: 3ft Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Out of season. Oval Leafed Viburnum Viburnum ellipticum Mature Height: 10ft Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Out of season. Deer Brush Ceanothus integerrimus Mature Height: 8ft Hardiness Zones: 7-9 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: May, June, September Water: riparian to xeric Sold out but likely back soon. Snow Brush Ceanothus velutinus Mature Height: 10ft Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Out of season. Western Red Birch Betula occidentalis Mature Height: 35ft Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly shade to full sun Foliage: deciduous Water: wetland to riparian Sold out but likely back soon. American Hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana Mature Height: 35ft Hardiness Zones: 3-8 Spread: single stem form Aspect: partial shade to full sun Foliage: deciduous Water: riparian to dry Sold out but likely back soon. Pacific Ninebark Physocarpus capitatus Mature Height: 10ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly shade to full sun Foliage: evergreen Flowering: May Water: riparian to dry Out of season. Pacific Dogwood Cornus nuttallii Mature Height: 35ft Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: partial shade to mostly sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: May, June Water: average to dry Sold out but likely back soon. Klamath Plum Prunus subcordata Mature Height: 12ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: May Water: average to xeric Sold out but likely back soon. Western Vine Maple Acer circinatum Mature Height: 30ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Foliage: deciduous Out of season. Douglas Aster Symphyotrichum subspicatum Mature Height: 3ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: spreads quickly by the roots Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: September Water: riparian to dry Sold out but likely back soon. Huckleberry Oak Quercus vacciniifolia Mature Height: 8ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: evergreen Water: average to dry Sold out. Knobcone Pine Pinus attenuata Mature Height: 30ft Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Spread: single stem form Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: evergreen Water: dry to xeric Out of season. Silk Tassel Garrya fremontii Mature Height: 10ft Hardiness Zones: 6-9 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: partial shade to full sun Foliage: evergreen Flowering: February, March Water: dry to xeric Out of season. Western Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum Mature Height: 4ft Hardiness Zones: 5-9 Spread: spreads quickly by the roots Aspect: deep shade to mostly sun Foliage: deciduous Water: average to dry Sold out. Fall Sunflower Helianthus angustifolius Mature Height: 5ft Hardiness Zones: 6-9 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Flowering: October, November Water: riparian to average Out of season. Brewer's Oak Quercus garryana breweri Mature Height: 10ft Hardiness Zones: 5-8 Spread: forms a multi-stem clump Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Foliage: deciduous Water: average to xeric Sold out but likely back soon.