Butterflies not only need flowers that provide nectar but also plants that can host their larvae, aka caterpillars. Butterfly gardens, therefore should include butterfly larvae host plants. The caterpillars hungrily munch the leaves of the host plants so expect eaten leaves in a butterfly garden!
As a bonus to cultivating butterfly gardens, you will also attract song birds! Song birds raise their baby birds on caterpillars. So, cultivating butterfly larvae host plants means cultivating habitat for both butterflies and songbirds. Check out some plants native to the Chesapeake Bay watershed that are butterfly larvae hosts.








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