Plants That Attract Butterflies
Monarch Life Cycle
Host Versus Nectar Plants
Host Plants: More than 100 host plants have been noted; favorites include Prairie thistle (Cirsium discolor) and Swamp thistle (Cirsium muticum). Others include Asters (Aster species), Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), Joe pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum), Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), Sunflowers (Helianthus species), Liatris (Liatris species), Black eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta and R. Subtomentosa), Cup plant and Compass plant (Silphium species), Goldenrods (Solidago species), Milk vetch (Astragalus species), Prairie clover (Dalea species or Petalostemon species), and Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis)
Habitat: Found in a variety of open habitats including old fields, meadows, disturbed areas and roadsides.
Comments: This species is the least common of the Vanessa sp. (which include the American Lady and Red Admiral) in Wisconsin.
Find instructions on how to design a butterfly-friendly habitat including a catalog of favorite flowers guaranteed to attract butterflies.
Take this quick quiz and see how much you know about caterpillars. This quiz is intended for fun, in a random-facts-can-be-cool kind of way.
How does this magic happen? Learn about metamorphosis - the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult bitterfly.