Butterfy Plants for Southern Climates
Use this button to download a more detailed list of butterfly plants for Brevard County. List is in PDF Format  |
Select scientific name for more information.
(Plant links from Floridata.com and enature.com, when available)
| LARVAL PLANTS for BREVARD BUTTERFLIES – FOR THE EGGS AND CATERPILLARS – Native plants in italics | ||
| To Attract | Larval Food | Scientific Name |
| Swallowtails | ||
| Pipevine Swallowtail Polydamus Swallowtail |
Dutchman’s Pipe | Aristolochia spp. |
| Zebra Swallowtail | Paw Paw | Asimina spp. |
| Black Swallowtail | Dill Fennel Parsley Rue Snakeroot |
Anethum graveolens Feoniculum vulgare Petroselinium crispum Ruta graveolens Eryngium yuccifolium |
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Black Cherry Green Ash Sweet Bay White Ash |
Prunus serotina Fraxinus pennsylvanica Magnolia virginiana Fraxinus americana |
| Spicebush Swallowtail | Camphor Tree Sassafras Spicebush Swamp Bay |
Cinnamonum camphora Sassafras albidum Lindera benzoin Persea palustris |
| Giant Swallowtail | Hercules’ Club Hop Tree Rue Wild Lime |
Zanthoxylum clava-hercules Ptelea trifoliata Ruta graveolens Zanthoxylum fagara |
| Whites | Virginia Peppergrass | Lepidium virginicum |
| Sulphurs | Cassia Necklace Pod |
Cassia sp. Sophora tomentosa |
| Hairstreaks | Live oak Wax Myrtle Winged Sumac |
Quercus virginiana Myrica cerifera Rhus copallina |
| Heliconians and Fritallaries | Blue passionvine Corky-stemmed passion vine Maypop |
Passiflora caerulea Passiflora suberosaPassiflora incarnata |
| Monarchs and Queens | Mexican Milkweed Swamp Milkweed White Milkweed |
Asclepias curassavica Asclepias incarnata Asclepias perennis |
| Skippers | Beggar’s Tick | Bidens sp. |
| FLOWERS – FOR THEIR NECTAR | ||||
| SHRUBS | ||||
|
Common name
|
Scientific name
|
Color
|
Season
|
Sun
|
| Butterfly bush | Buddleia spp | varied | Sp-F | FS/PS |
| Firebush | Hamelia patens | red | Sp-W | FS/PS |
| Lantana | Lantana camara | varied | Sp-W | FS |
| Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis | blue | W-Sp | FS |
| Glossy abelia | Abelia X grandiflora | pink | Sp-F | FS/PS |
| Tarflower | Befaria racemosa | white/pink | S | FS |
| False Heather | Cuphea hyssopifolia | lavendar | Sp-W | FS/PS |
| Hibiscus | Hibiscus spp. | varied | Sp-W | FS/PS |
| Plumbago | Plumbago auriculata | lavender | Sp-F | FS/PS |
| Viburnum | Viburnum spp. | white | Sp | PS |
| PERENNIALS | ||||
| Scarlet milkweed | Asclepias tuberosa | orange | S-F | FS |
| Stokes’ Aster | Stokesia laevis | white/blue | S-F | PS |
| Purple coneflower | Echinacea purpurea | purple | S | FS |
| Sunflower | Helianthus spp. | yellow | S-F | FS |
| Blazing-star | Liatris spp. | purple | S-F | FS |
| Mint | Mentha, Nepeta,etc. | lavender | Sp-F | FS |
| Pentas | Pentas lanceolata | varied | Sp-F | FS |
| Blue phlox | Phlox divaricata | blue | Sp | PS |
| Phlox | Phlox floridana | lavender | Sp-S | FS |
| Salvia | Salvia spp. | varied | S-F | FS |
| Sedum | Sedum spectabile | red | F-W | FS/PS |
| Blue porterweed | Stachytarpheta jamaicensis | blue | Sp-F | FS |
| Thyme | Thymus spp. | purple | Sp-F | FS |
| Coastal verbena Tampa vervain |
Verbena maritima verbena tampensis |
varied | Sp-F | FS |
| Yarrow | Achillea millefolium | varied | S | FS |
| Dotted Horsemint | Monarda punctata | purple | S | FS/PS |
| ANNUALS | ||||
| Ageratum | Ageratum spp. | blue | Sp-S | FS |
| Borage | Borago officinalis | blue | S-F | FS |
| Cosmos | Cosmos bipinnatus | varied | S | FS |
| Flowering tobacco | Nicotiana alata | varied | S | FS/PS |
| Small scabious | Scabiosa columbaria | varied | S-F | FS |
| Shasta daisy | Chrysanthemum spp. | white | Sp-S | FS/PS |
| Sweet william | Dianthus spp. | varied | Sp-W | FS/PS |
| Gaillardia | Gaillardia pulchella | yellow/red | Sp-S | FS |
| Strawflower | Helichrysum spp. | varied | Sp-S | FS |
| Phlox | Phlox drummondii | varied | Sp-S | FS |
| Black-eyed susan | Rudbeckia hirta | yellow | S | FS |
| Marigold | Tagetes spp. | yellow | Sp-F | FS |
| Zinnia | Zinnia spp. | varied | Sp-F | FS |
| VINES | ||||
| Mexican flame vine | Senecio confusus | orange | S | FS/PS |
Sp=Spring S=Summer F=Fall W=Winter FS=Full Sun PS=Partial Sun
Sources of Information:
Butterfly Gardening in Brevard County
by Sally Scalera, Extension Agent-Horticulture
Your Florida Guide to Butterfly Gardening: A Guide for the Deep South
by Jaret C. Daniels
Butterflies of North America Butterflies of Brevard County, Florida ***Excellent Website
By Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
