Plants for gardeners who care about butterflies

657 of US butterflies — 87% — are nectar-feeding
and many will come to gardens and parks.
Links below provide comprehensive information about
plants for nectar-feeding adult US butterflies.

The 2023 UPGRADE includes data from 10,551 entries. We extracted data from a working library of over 50,000 images.

657 of US butterflies — 87% — are nectar-feeding and many will come to gardens and parks. Links below provide comprehensive information about plants for nectar-feeding adult US butterflies.

A list of the US states where each butterfly has been sighted is included in the data; as is the USDA plant zones for both cultivated and wild flora.

With this upgrade, we have added an additional 46 US butterflies to the database. The number of butterflies associated with “flower nectar” has decreased from 453 to 53 — an 88% improvement, as specific plants are now correlated with these butterflies. The number of butterflies associated with “unknown” food sources has decreased from 142 to 42 — a 71% improvement.

All of the entries were extracted from sightings recorded by citizens. Ms. Dunlap translated plant and butterfly data contained in more than 95% of these sightings. All references to butterflies associated with a particular “Plant Family” have been removed. The addition of specific plants — genera and species —has facilitated this improvement and will better assist butterfly gardeners who wish to attract and feed local butterflies.

This body of work is protected by US copyright. We are willing to collaborate with scientists and educators who share an interest in butterflies.

Plants for gardeners who care about butterflies

Butterflies that feed on nectar plants