Butterfly friendly plants

Adult butterflies are attracted to and feed from nectar rich flowers. Female butterflies seek out specific 'host' plants to lay their eggs. These host plants provide the perfect food for their young, caterpillars. By incorporating a variety of native plant species, gardeners can offer a sustainable habitat that supports the entire life cycle of butterflies.

Nectar plants for adult butterflies

Nectar plants are essential food for adult butterflies, providing a source of sugar to fuel their flight. When choosing nectar plants, consider flowers that are brightly coloured with a flat or tubular shape. These are easier for butterflies to access. Any flowering plant can potentially feed a butterfly, if the length of the butterflies proboscis matches the depth of the flower's nectar stores. Native plants are especially beneficial because they are well adapted to the local climate and soil, and they support local butterfly species.

Host plants for caterpillars

Host plants are crucial for butterfly reproduction. Butterflies lay their eggs on these plants and caterpillars will feed on them after hatching. Each butterfly species has specific host plant requirements. Some caterpillars can feed on a range of host plants. Others are reliant on only one or two plant species. Including a variety of native host plants will attract a diverse range of butterflies to your garden and help to ensure the survival of local species.

Local native butterfly host plants

Local native plants are particularly valuable in butterfly gardening as they are best suited to support local butterfly species. By choosing a combination of nectar providing and host plants, you can create a vibrant and supportive environment for butterflies in your garden. 

Take this list of native butterfly host plants to your local native nursery.

Common name	Botanical name	Form	Butterfly (caterpillars feed on plant)
Barbed-wire grass	Cymbopogon refractus	Grass	Evening brown - Melanitis leda
Flax lily	Dianella caerulea	Grass	Dingy grass skipper – Toxidia peron
Mat rush	Lomandra sp.	Grass	Brown ochre- Trapezites iacchus
Tussock grass	Poa labillardierei	Grass	Banded grass skipper – Toxidia parvulus
Kangaroo grass	Themeda triandra	Grass	Evening brown - Melanitis leda
Emu foot	Cullen tenax	Ground cover	Chequered swallowtail – Papilio dfemoleus
Round leaf goodenia	Goodenia rotundifolia	Ground cover	Meadow Argus butterfly, Junonia villida
Love flower	Pseuderanthemum variabile	Ground cover	Blue-banded eggfly - Hypolimnas alimena
Crenate fanflower	Scaevola albida	Ground cover	Meadow argus -Junonia villida
Native wisteria	Callerya megasperma	Vine	Narrow-banded awl - Hasora khoda
Native sarsaparilla	Hardenbergia violacea	Vine	Common grass blue - Zizina labradus
Wax flower	Hoya australis	Vine	Common crow - Euploea core
Birdwing vine	Pararistolochia praevenosa	Vine	Richmond birdwing - Ornithoptera richmondia
Breynia	Breynia oblongifolia	Shrub	Large grass-yellow - Eurema hecabe
Blackthorn	Bursaria spinosa	Shrub	Fiery copper - Paralucia pyrodiscus
Finger lime	Citrus australasica	Shrub	Dainty swallowtail - Papilio anactus
Hop bush	Dodonaea triquetra	Shrub	Fiery jewel - Hypochrysops ignitus
Bolwarra	Eupomatia laurina	Shrub	Eastern dusk-flat - Chaetocneme beata
Native indigo	Indigofera australis	Shrub	Tailed pea-blue - Lampides boeticus
Blue tongue	Melastoma malabathricum	Shrub	Coral jewel - Hypochrysops miskini
Plumbago	Plumbago zeylanic	Shrub	Zebra blue - Leptotes plinius
Paper daisy	Xerochrysum bracteatum	Shrub	Painted lady - Vanessa kershawi
Koda	Ehretia acuminata	Small tree	Hairy line-blue - Erysichton lineata
Sandpaper fig	Ficus coronata	Small tree	Common moonbeam - Philiris innotata
Native mulberry	Pipturis argenteus	Small tree	Jezebel nymph - Mynes geoffroyi

NOTE: Only one butterfly has been listed for each host plant to keep the table a manageable size. Some plants support a number of butterfly species. This list is not exhaustive. It includes plants which will suit common backyard situations and are available at local native nurseries.