With the advent of spring its important to look towards beautiful native plants to fill our homes and gardens with- check out these blooms who support butterflies!
American Wisteria is where the Silver Spotted Skipper butterflies lay their eggs and their caterpillars grow and make their cocoons!
Many types of Milkweed are native to New Jersey- and they support many pollinators but most famously the Monarch Butterfly! The plant makes the caterpillars unappatizing to predators, as Milkweed is poisonous and you are what you eat!
Asters are a late summer/autumn blooming flower that can be planted at any time in the growing season that can really liven up your yard when most of the flowers are long gone. There are many different native varieties, but all support Pearly Crescent, Harris Checkerspot, and Silvery Checkerspot caterpillars!
Blue False Indigo supports the Wild Indigo Duskywing butterfly catapillars, and is a beautiful perrenial that will come back year after year.
Dutchman’s Pipe is a vine native to New Jersey and the blooms are really one of a kind! Don’t let their uniqueness put you off- they are the home to caterpillars that grow into one of the most striking butterflies I have seen- The Pipevine Swallowtail.
For more information about different native plants please visit https://npsnj.org/native-plants/plant-lists/