This page is your gateway to the plants on this site. Below you will find every plant page in one alphabetical list, and the Host Plant Table pairs plants with the butterflies and moths they support.
The Host Plant Table page lists many host plants and their butterfly and moth counterparts in a table format that allows you to quickly find a plant by common name, or identify plants that pack a lot of hosting power.
As you explore this site, hover your mouse over titles, plant and insect names, and photo captions – many of them are linked to sites with additional information!
Agaves and Allies (Family Asparagaceae)
Host plants for the Arizona Giant Skipper, Sandia Hairstreak, Yucca Giant Skipper, Ursine Giant Skipper and Yucca Moth in the Southwest. Asparagaceae, known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, and includes the Agave and Yucca subfamilies.
Click on a plant name for more information…










“Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ornamentals, such as Alcea (hollyhock), Malva (mallow) and Lavatera (tree mallow), as well as Tilia(lime or linden tree).
The largest genera in terms of number of species includes Hibiscus (300 species). Abutilon is a large genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae.” Larval host for a large variety of butterflies, including Common Checkered Skipper, Gray Hairstreak, Mallow Scrub Hairstreak, Painted Lady, West Coast Lady, Arizona Powdered Skipper, Common Streaky Skipper, Laviana White Skipper, Northern White Skipper, White Checkered Skipper, Cloudless Sulphur and several moth species.












“The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, are a large and economically important family of flowering plants. It includes trees, shrubs, and perennial or annualherbaceous plants, which are easily recognized by their fruit (legume) and their compound, stipulate leaves. Many legumes have characteristic flowers and fruits.”
*The Great Purple Hairstreak hosts on Mistletoe that grows on Ironwoods, Palo Verdes and Mesquites.
**The genista broom moth (Uresiphita reversalis) eats the leaves of Dermatophyllum trees and may be considered undesirable, however the trees have nectar rich flowers and the moths are food for the eco web.





























Information Resources
Arizonensis – A focus for the study and appreciation of Arizona Natural History. Topics include: Plants, Animals, Fungi, Geology, Insects.
Desert Survivors Nursery (Tucson, AZ) – A unique synergy of integrated employment for adults with intellectual developmental disabilities and a retail native plant nursery in a horticultural therapy setting, celebrating respect for all, human dignity, community and a sense of place.
Mountain States Wholesale Nursery (Phoenix, AZ)
Spadefoot Nursery (Tucson, AZ) – Supplies native plants, domestic edible crops, and botanical curiosities. Our main emphasis is growing and supplying native plants.
- Tree Selection Guide
- Shrubs A-B
- Shrubs C-D
- Shrubs E-F
- Shrubs G-H
- Shrubs I-J
- Shrubs K-L
- Shrubs M-N
- Shrubs O-P
- Shrubs Q-R
- Shrubs S
- Shrubs T-U
- Shrubs V-W
- Best Butterfly Plants
SEINet – The SEINet data portal was created to serve as a gateway to distributed data resources of interest to the environmental research community within Arizona and New Mexico.
Southwest Desert Flora – An on-line guide for those curious about wildflowers and natural vegetation in the southwest, primarily Arizona.
Every plant page on PollinatorWeb
Every plant I have written up, in one place. 187 species and groups, alphabetical by common name. The Recommended Plants page ranks the ones I would plant first; the Host Plant Table matches plants to the butterflies and moths they support.
A
- Agaves
- Aloe
- Angelita Daisy
- Apache Plume
- Arizona Ash
- Arizona Barrel Cactus
- Arizona Foldwing
- Arizona Milkweed
- Arizona Rosemallow
- Arizona Rosewood
- Arizona Spurge
- Arizona Wrightwort
B
- Baja Fairy Duster
- Baja Ruellia
- Barrel Cactus spp
- Bear Grass
- Bergamot (Bee Balm)
- Blackfoot Daisy
- Bladdermallow
- Blanketflower
- Blue Beech
- Bottle Brush
- Box Elder
- Brittlebush
- Broom Snakeweed
- Buckhorn Cholla
- Burrobush
- Butterfly Weed
C
- California Barrel Cactus
- Cape Honeysuckle
- Cascalote
- Catclaw Acacia
- Chain Fruit Cholla
- Chocolate Flower
- Chollas
- Chuparosa
- Citrus Tree
- Cleveland Sage
- Clustered Mountainmint
- Colorado Four O’clock
- Common Ninebark
- Coreopsis
- Cowpen Daisy
- Creosote
- Crossvine
- Culver’s Root
- Cutleaf Coneflower
D
- Damianita
- Day-of-the-Dead Daisy
- Desert Bluebells
- Desert Broom
- Desert Ceanothus
- Desert Cotton
- Desert Globe Mallow
- Desert Hackberry
- Desert Honeysuckle
- Desert Justicia
- Desert Lavender
- Desert Marigold
- Desert Milkweed (Rush Milkweed)
- Desert Rosemallow
- Desert Senna
- Desert Willow
- Dill
- Dogweed
E
F
G
H
- Heart Leaved Hibiscus
- Hedgehog Cactus spp
- Hollyhock
- Honey Mesquite
- Hooker’s Evening Primrose
- Hopseed Bush
I
J
L
M
- Mangle Dulce
- Mastic Tree
- Mealy Cup Sage
- Mesquite Trees
- Mexican Bird of Paradise
- Mexican Blue Palm
- Mexican Elderberry
- Mexican Hat
- Mexican Honeysuckle
- Mexican Petunia
- Mexican Sunflower
- Mexican Tree Sunflower
- Moss Phlox
- Muhly Grass
N
O
P
- Paleface Hibiscus
- Palo Verde
- Parish’s Goldeneye
- Parsley
- Passion Vine
- Penstemons
- Perennial Rockcress
- Pineleaf Milkweed
- Pink Fairyduster
- Plums, Cherries and Allies
- Poppies
- Prairie Acacia
- Prairie Dropseed
- Prickly Pear
- Purple Coneflower
- Purple Three-Awn
Q
R
- Red Bird of Paradise
- Red Push Pistache
- Red Yucca
- Rock Penstemon
- Rubber Rabbitbrush
- Rue of the Mountains
S
- Sacred Datura
- Saguaro
- San Felipe Dogweed
- Sandpaper Verbena
- Scorpionweed
- Seep Willow
- Serviceberry
- Shrubby Deervetch
- Shrubby Indian Mallow
- Snapdragon Vine
- Sonoran Kidneywood
- Sonoran Water-willow
- Southern Arrowwood
- Spreading Fleabane
- Staghorn Cholla
- Sunflowers
- Superstition Mallow
- Swamp Milkweed
- Sweetbush
- Switchgrass
T
- Tahoka Daisy
- Tall Blue Wild Indigo
- Teddy Bear Cholla
- Texas Sage
- Thornbush Wolfberry
- Trailing Indigo Bush
- Tree Morning Glory
- Triangle Leaf Bursage
- Tropical Sage
- Turk’s Cap
- Turpentine Bush
V
W
- Western Goldenrod
- Whirling Butterflies
- White Ash
- White Sagebrush
- White Stemmed Milkweed
- Wild Petunia
- Willow Ragwort
- Willows
- Wolfberry
- Woodland Stonecrop
- Wooly Butterfly Bush
- Wright’s Buckwheat
Y
Z
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