Butterfly Host Plants

Butterfly host plants are specific plant species on which butterflies lay eggs and their larvae feed. These plants provide vital nutrients for the development and survival of many butterfly species throughout their life cycles. Butterflies are choosy in their host plant selection, with various species favoring different types of plants based on chemical content, leaf structure, and other environmental circumstances. When a butterfly lays eggs on a host plant, the larvae, or caterpillars, hatch and start eating the leaves as their primary food source. As the caterpillars mature, they continue to eat on the host plant until they pupate and emerge as adult butterflies.