MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! A Guide to Native Host Plants Grown by Wild Ridge Plants

Native Plants. Grown from Local Provenance Seed in Our Chemical-free Greenhouses. CREATE BUTTERFLY & MOTH HABITAT with Native Wildflowers, Trees, & Shrubs

This guide represents a selection of the native plant species we grow at Wild Ridge Plants.

Highlighted inside are nearly 70 native host plants of butterfly and moth caterpillars.

Organized by plant species, find species that host caterpillars that are beautiful to behold. Their life cycles are truly transformative.

Discover what herbivore is nibbling on your native plants. Congratulations! Your planting is part of the food web!

Our plants are... 100% Native, Straight Species Grown using chemical-free methods, in an organic, peat-free potting mix.

Find our complete catalog at wildridgeplants.com

Contact us for assistance in the selection of appropriate species, rooted in our extensive field experience.

[email protected] / (908) 319-7230 Wild Ridge Plants, LLC Pohatcong, NJ Hummingbird Clearwing Moth on Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Host Species Moth Butterfly Actaea racemosa / Black Cohosh Appalachian Azure Agastache foeniculum / Anise Hyssop Hermit Sphinx Amelanchier laevis / Smooth Serviceberry Blinded Sphinx Red Spotted Purple Canadian Melanolophia Striped Hairstreak Common Lytrosis Dotted Gray Fringed Looper Hummingbird Clearwing Impressive Dagger Linden Looper One-Spotted Variant Radcliffe's Dagger Red-humped Caterpillar Small-eyed Sphinx The Bruce Spanworm Tufted Thyatirid White-dotted Prominent

Anaphalis margaritacea / Pearly Everlasting American Lady Antennaria plantaginifolia / Pussytoes American Lady Apios americana / Groundnut Saddleback Caterpillar Silver-spotted Skipper Southern Cloudywing

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Aquilegia canadensis / Wild Columbine Columbine Duskywing Asclepias exaltata / Tall Milkweed Milkweed Tussock Monarch Asclepias incarnata / Swamp Milkweed Striped Garden Caterpillar Asclepias purpurascens / Purple Milkweed Unexpected Cycnia Asclepias syriaca / Common Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa / Orange Milkweed

Asimina triloba / Pawpaw Pawpaw Sphinx Zebra Swallowtail Brachyletrum erectum / Bearded Shorthusk Northen Pearlyeye Carex lupulina / Hop Sedge Appalachian Brown Carex squarrosa / Squarrose Sedge Black Dash Dion Skipper Dun Skipper Eyed Brown Georgia Satyr Mulberry Wing Two-spotted Skipper

Carpinus caroliniana / Hop Hornbeam Black-blotched Schizura Striped Hairstreak Blinded Sphinx Curve-lined Looper Distinct Quaker Eyed Baileya Eyed Mustard Sallow Fluid Arches Intractable Quaker Nason's Slug Norman's Quaker Ruby Quaker Saddled Prominent Skiff Moth Unadorned Carpet Unicorn Caterpillar Walnut Sphinx Yellow-shouldered Slug

Milkweed Tussock

Monarch

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Carya ovata / Shagbark Hickory American Dagger Banded Hairstreak Angus' Datana Hickory Hairstreak Banded Tussock Moth Black-blotched Schizura Canadian Melanolophia Contracted Datana Copper Underwing Crocus Geometer Crowned Slug Early Button Slug Elm Spanworm Fall Webworm Epione Underwing Filament Bearer Hickory Horned Devil Hickory Tussock Imperial Moth Inconsolable Underwing Intractable Quaker Linden Looper Luna Moth Maple Spanworm Monkey Slug Nason's Slug Obscure Underwing One-Spotted Variant Paddle Caterpillar Polyphemus Moth Royal Walnut Moth Saddled Prominent Shivering Pinion Small Phigalia Small Purplish Gray Spiny Oak Slug Spotted Apatelodes Stinging Rose Caterpillar Streaked Tussock The Half-wing Unicorn Caterpillar White-marked Tussock Imperial Moth Yellow-Haired Dagger Moth (Background Image) Yellow-shouldered Slug

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Ceanothus americanus / New Jersey Tea Cleft-headed Looper Mottled Duskywing Crocus Geometer Summer Azure Filament Bearer Purplish-brown Looper Unicorn Caterpillar

Chelone glabra / Turtleheads Baltimore Checkerspot Corylus americanus / American Hazelnut American Dagger Banded Tussock Moth Early Zanclognatha Eyed Mustard Sallow Filament Bearer Fringed Looper Linden Looper Norman's Quaker One-Spotted Variant Paddle Caterpillar Polyphemus Moth Red-humped Caterpillar Red-winged Sallow Saddled Prominent Small Phigalia Splendid Dagger Spotted Apatelodes Spotted Tussock The Bruce Spanworm Zebra Caterpillar

Imperial Moth

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Diospyros virginiana / Black-Waved Flannel American Persimmon Caterpillar Harris' Three-spot Hickory Horned Devil Large Necklace Moth Luna Moth Monkey Slug Pin-striped Vermilion Slug Royal Walnut Moth Saddled Prominent Small Necklace Moth Small Purplish Gray Unicorn Caterpillar

Elymus hystrix / Bottlebrush Grass Northern Pearlyeye Eragrostis spectabilis / Hobomok Skipper Purple Love Grass Zabulon Skipper Euonymus americana / Hearts a Burstin Saddleback Looper Eupatorium perfoliatum / Boneset Camouflaged Looper Eurybia divaricata / Black Arches Pearl Crescent White Wood Aster Brown-hooded Owlet Camouflaged Looper Eurybia macrophylla / Common Tan Wave Bigleaf Aster Confused Euscarca Saddleback Caterpillar Striped Garden Caterpillar The Asteroid

Hobomok Skipper

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Great Spangled Fritillary with Flat Topped Joe Pye (Eutrochium maculatum)

Eutrochium fistulosum / Hollow Stem Joe Pye Common Pug Eutrochium maculatum / Flat Top Joe Pye Haploa spp. Eutrochium purpureum / Purple Joe Pye

Fragaria virginiana / Wild Strawberry Blackberry Looper Appalachian Grizzled Filament Bearer Skipper Purple-lined Sallow Gaylussacia baccata / Apple Sphinx Brown Elfin Black Huckleberry Chain-dotted Geometer Henry's Elfin Sweetfern Geometer

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Hamamelis virginiana / Witch Hazel Alien Probole Striped Hairstreak Black-Waved Flannel Caterpillar Checkered-fringe Prominent Curve-lined Looper Definite Tussock Distinct Quaker Early Button Slug Elm Spanworm Eyed Mustard Sallow Figure-Seven Moth Fluid Arches Intractable Quaker Norman's Quaker Oak Beauty Saddleback Looper Saddled Prominent Small Phigalia Spotted Apatelodes The Bruce Spanworm Three-spotted Nola Unicorn Caterpillar Wavy-lined Heterocampa Witch Hazel Dagger Moth

Definite Tussock

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Io Moth Caterillars

Helianthus decapetalus / Thinleaf Sunflower Giant Leopard Moth Silvery Checkerspot Helianthus divaricatus / Woodland Sunflower Helianthus strumosus / Paleleaf Sunflower Hibiscus moschuetos / Swamp Rose Mallow Io Moth Hydrangea arborescens / Wild Hydrangea Hydrangea Sphinx Iris versicolor / Blue Flag Iris Virginia Ctenucha Laportea canadensis / Wood Nettle Eastern Comma Milbert's Tortoiseshell Question Mark Red Admiral Lindera benzoin / Spicebush Promethea Moth Spicebush Swallowtail Saddleback Caterpillar Tulip-tree Beauty Lonicera sempervirens / Alternate Woodling Baltimore Checkerspot Coral Honeysuckle Great Tiger Moth Harris' Three-spot Hummingbird Clearwing Snowberry Clearwing

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Monarda didyma / Bee Balm Hermit Sphinx Monarda fistulosa / Wild Bergamot Morella pensylvanica / Chain-dotted Geometer Northern Bayberry Purpled-crested Slug Sweetfern Geometer The Little Wife

Packera obovata / Roundleaf Ragwort Nothern Metalmark Prunus maritima / Beach Plum Alternate Woodling Coral Hairstreak Prunus virginiana / Chokcherry Bent-line Gray Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Black-blotched Schizura Red Spotted Purple Black-Waved Flannel Striped Hairstreak Caterpillar Blinded Sphinx Bold-based Zale Canadian Melanolophia Cecropia Moth Checkered-fringe Prominent Cherry Dagger Clear Dagger Cleft-headed Looper Common Idia Common Metarranthis Confused Woodgrain Copper Underwing Crocus Geometer Dot-lined White Dotted Gray Doubled-Lined Gray Dowdy Pinion Early Button Slug continues... Elegant Tailed Slug Fall Webworm Filament Bearer

Hermit Sphinx

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Prunus maritima / Beach Plum Fluid Arches Prunus virginiana / Chokcherry Fringed Looper Giant Leopard Moth Gray Dagger Great Tiger Moth Harris' Three-spot Hickory Horned Devil Interrupted Dagger Intractable Quaker Io Moth Lappet Large Maple Spanworm Large Tolype Linden Looper Lunate Zale Monkey Slug Norman's Quaker Oak Beauty One-Spotted Variant Pale Green Pinion Pin-striped Vermilion Slug Purpled-crested Slug Purplish-brown Looper Radcliffe's Dagger Red-crossed Button Slug Red-winged Sallow Royal Walnut Moth Ruby Quaker Rusty Tussock Saddleback Looper Shivering Pinion continues... Skiff Moth Small-eyed Sphinx Smaller Parasa

Species that host the most - From this catalog: Beach Plum and Chokecherry (Prunus spp.) - 80+ Lepidopterans Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) - 50+ Lepidopterans Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) - 40+ Lepidopterans

Witch Hazel, American Hazelnut, native viburnums, and native roses each host at least 20 caterpillars!

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Spotted Tussock Moth

Prunus maritima / Beach Plum Speckled Green Fruit Worm Prunus virginiana / Chokcherry Spiny Oak Slug Splendid Dagger Spotted Apatelodes Spotted Tussock Stinging Rose Caterpillar Streaked Tussock The Bruce Spanworm Tufted Bird-dropping Moth Ultronia Underwing Unicorn Caterpillar Variable Antepione White Furcula White Slant-line White Spring Moth White-dotted Prominent White-marked Tussock Wooly Gray Yellow-Haired Dagger Moth Yellow-shouldered Slug

Pycnanthemum incanum / Hoary Mtn Mint Crocus Geometer P. muticum / Broadleaf Mountain Mint Hermit Sphinx P. virginianum / Virginia Mountan Mint

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Ribes cynosbati / Prickly Gooseberry Ruby Quaker Gray Comma Ribes rotundifolium / Speckled Green Fruit Worm Appalachian Gooseberry Haploa spp.

Rosa carolina / Carolina Rose Apple Sphinx Rosa virginiana / Virginia Rose Black-blotched Schizura Blinded Sphinx Camouflaged Looper Checkered-fringe Prominent Cleft-headed Looper Common Lytrosis Crocus Geometer Dot-lined White Fringed Looper Linden Looper Norman's Quaker Polyphemus Moth Purple-lined Sallow Red-humped Caterpillar Skiff Moth Stinging Rose Caterpillar Unicorn Caterpillar White-dotted Prominent White-marked Tussock Yellow-necked Caterpillar

White Marked Tussock Moth

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Rubus allegheniensis / Allegheny Blackberry Blackberry Looper Camouflaged Looper Canadian Melanolophia Checkered-fringe Prominent Distinct Quaker Impressive Dagger Intractable Quaker Io Moth Large Lace-Border Lunate Zale Paddle Caterpillar Red-humped Caterpillar Saddleback Looper Small Purplish Gray Spotted Apatelodes Tufted Thyatirid Variable Antepione

Rubus idaeus v. strigosus / Red Raspberry Black Arches Camouflaged Looper Copper Underwing

Rubus occidentalis / Black Cap Raspberry Black Arches Camouflaged Looper Copper Underwing

Hickory Tussock Moth

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Sambucus canadensis / Elderberry Bent-line Gray Purplish-brown Looper Ruby Quaker Schizachryium scoparium / Arogos Skipper Little Bluestem Cobweb Skipper Crossline Skipper Delaware Skipper Dusted Skipper Indian Skipper Leonard's Skipper Swarthy Skipper

Solidago caesia / Wreath Goldenrod Bent-line Gray Solidago nemoralis / Grey Goldenrod Black Arches Solidago puberula / Downy Goldenrod Blackberry Looper Solidago speciosa / Showy Goldenrod Brown-hooded Owlet Camouflaged Looper Common Pug Common Tan Wave Confused Euscarca Dark-spotted Palthis Goldenrod Flower Moth Striped Garden Caterpillar The Asteroid

Brown Hooded Owlet Common Pug on Wreath Goldenrod (Solidago caesia)

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Spiraea tomentosa / Steeplebush Blinded Sphinx Symphyotrichium cordifolium / Black Arches Pearl Crescent Blue Heart-Leaved Aster Brown-hooded Owlet Symphyotrichium novae-angliae / Camouflaged Looper New England Aster Common Tan Wave Symphyotrichium patens / Confused Euscarca Late Purple Aster Saddleback Caterpillar Striped Garden Caterpillar The Asteroid Vaccinium angustifolium / Alternate Woodling Brown Elfin Lowbush Blueberry American Dagger Henry’s Elfin Andromeda Underwing Spring Azure Apple Sphinx Striped Hairstreak Banded Tussock Moth Black-Waved Flannel Caterpillar Canadian Melanolophia Chain-dotted Geometer Cleft-headed Looper Common Metarranthis Confused Woodgrain Copper Underwing Crocus Geometer Dash-lined Looper continues... Definite Tussock Distinct Quaker Dotted Gray

American Dagger Moth

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Vaccinium angustifolium / Filament Bearer Lowbush Blueberry Forest Tent Caterpillar Harris' Three-spot Impressive Dagger Intractable Quaker Large Lace-Border Large Maple Spanworm Linden Looper Major Datana Norman's Quaker One-Spotted Variant Paddle Caterpillar Pale Green Pinion Red-humped Caterpillar Red-winged Sallow Ruby Quaker Saddleback Caterpillar Saddled Prominent Skiff Moth Slender Clearwing Small Phigalia Small Purplish Gray Sordid Underwing Spiny Oak Slug Streaked Tussock Sweetfern Geometer The Half-wing Triton Dagger Unicorn Caterpillar Yellow-based Tussock Yellow-Haired Dagger Moth Yellow-necked Caterpillar Yellow-shouldered Slug Zebra Caterpillar

Major Datana Yellow-Haired Dagger Moth Forest Tent Caterpillar

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Native Viburnums Host our Caterpillars. Mapleleaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerfolium)

Viburnum acerifolium / Bent-line Gray Baltimore Checkerspot Mapleleaf Viburnum Canadian Melanolophia Spring Azure Viburnum lentago / Chestnut Schizura Nannyberry Common Lytrosis Common Pug Copper Underwing Crocus Geometer Distinct Quaker Elm Spanworm Harris' Three-spot Horrid Zale Hummingbird Clearwing Intractable Quaker Large Maple Spanworm Purplish-brown Looper Red-humped Caterpillar Rose Hooktip Rusty Tussock White Slant-line

Baltimore Checkerspot - 3 life stages

Research shows early instars host on Turtleheads (Chelone glabra). Later instars host on Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) and Native Viburnums.

MORE Butterflies & Moths NOW! Wild Ridge Plants / Growers and Stewards of Native Plants / Pohatcong, NJ Tiger Swallowtail, one of 80+ Lepidopterans to host on Prunus spp. nectaring on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata).

Reference List

Butterflies and Moths of North America. (2017) Host plant data. Retrieved from https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org. Cech, R., & Tudor, G. (2005). Butterflies of the East Coast: An observer’s guide. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Glassberg, J. (1999). Butterflies through binoculars: The East. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. North American Butterfly Association - North Jersey Butterfly Club. (2017) Host plant data. Retrieved from http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabanj/butterflies.html. Tallamy, D. W. (2007). Bringing Nature Home: How native plants sustain wildlife in our gardens. Portland, OR: Timber Press. Wagner, D. L. (2010). Caterpillars of Eastern North America: A guide to American Lady hosting identification and natural history. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. on Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) Wagner, D. L. (2011). Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

© 2018 Rachel Mackow and Pearl Crescent, one of Wild Ridge Plants, LLC nine Lepidopterans to host All images by Rachel Mackow on aster species. Our plants are:

100% Native

Nursery-propagated here at Wild Ridge Plants, Pohatcong, NJ.

Grown from genetically diverse, local ecotypic seed collections

Grown using chemical-free methods, in an organic, peat-free potting mix

Our growing methods yield hardy, adaptable, restoration-ready plants.

Retail - Order online at WildRidgePlants.com or pick-up at our nursery. Wholesale - To qualified customers. Please contact us to place your order.

Find our complete catalog at wildridgeplants.com

[email protected] (908) 319-7230

Wild Ridge Plants, LLC Native Plant Growers. Restoration Practitioners. Pohatcong, NJ