Butterflies in our Area

University of CA Irvine - Butterflies of Orange County

http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/index.htm

How to attract butterflies to you yard

Attract Butterflies to your own yard by having both nectar plants and host plants in the ground or in pots. Adult Butterflies feed on flower nectar which can be obtained from a variety of nectar plants while the caterpillar one feeds on specific plants. On occasion a plant can double as both a nectar plant and a host plant such as Milkweed wiith the Monarch and Queen butterfly.

Some Great Nectar Plants

There is a huge variety of nectar plants out there. I would suggest watching what plants Butterflies frequent at your local plant store to see their personal favorites. Here is a small list of suggestions. 

Annuals:

Lantana
Pentas
Scabiosa
Verbena
Zinnia elegans
Asters (such as Sunflowers or Daisies)

Perennials

Bee Balm
Black Eyed Susan
Butterfly Weed
Mint
Purple Coneflower
Red Valerian
Rosemary
Sunflower
Yarrow
Globe Thistle
Honeysuckle
Black eyed-susan vine

 
 Wildflowers & Shrubs

Thistle
Yarrow
Goldenrod
Native Sages
Coyotemint
Brittlebush
Ceanothus sp.
Elderberry
Native Cherries
Liliac – Syringia sp.

Some Great Hostplants 

Gulf Fritillaries
     Passionvine
Blues
     Lupines, Buckwheat, Cape Plumbago
Buckeye
     Plantain, Frogfruit, Snapdragon, Monkeyflowers
Mourning Cloak
     Willow, Aspen, Cottonwood

Red Admiral
     Stinging Nettle, False Nettle

Sulphurs
     Senna, Alfalfa, False Indigo, Marigolds, Clover
Whites
     Mustard, Broccoli, Cabbage
Ladies
     Mallows, Everlasting, Thistle, Hollyhock
Swallowtails
     Fennel, Citrus, Pipevine, Ceanothus, Native Cherries, Willow
Milkweed Butterflies
     Milkweeds

DESPERATLEY SEEKING MILKWEED?

For those raising Monarch butterflies that have run through your supply of milkweed - Later stage caterpillars (think mid-sized to large caterpillars) will take pumpkin and various gourds as a substitute. THIS ONLY WORKS ON MONARCH CATERPILLARS IN CAPTIVITY!! Those not in captivity will not find the gourd slices without help. Slice the pumpkin or gourd into thin slices and place the caterpillars on to feed. Replace the gourd slices each day. 
 

Butterfly Resouces

Some Great Butterfly Resources on Facebook:

Brenda's Butterfly Habitat
     https://www.facebook.com/BrendasButterflyHabitat/
California Butterfly Lady
     https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaButterflyLady/
Shady Oak Butterfly Farm
     https://www.facebook.com/ShadyOakButterflyFarm/
 

 Some Great Butterfly Resources Online:

The Butterfly Website
     http://www.butterflywebsite.com/
Las Pitas Nursery
     http://www.laspilitas.com/butterflylist.htm
North American Butterfly Association (NABA)
     http://naba.org/
Xerces Society
     http://www.xerces.org/
National Wildlife Federation
     http://www.nwf.org