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This
page shows which California
butterflies use which California
native plants.
To get more details on a plant or for ordering the plant for your
garden, just click on the plant links. The plant links give
growing requirements (if you can use them in your garden),
pictures and prices. (If there is no link on the plant it is because we
do not carry it.) To get more detailed information on butterflies and
for scientific names, click on the butterfly links. Each page has larval and adult food plant information and
butterfly pictures. If there is no link on a butterfly it is because
the page has not been written yet. Sorry.
NOTE: This page may not load completely because of the complexity of this table. If you are missing stuff try reloading it.
Host Plant Species |
Adult Butterfly use this plant
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Larva need this plant
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Laviana Skipper |
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Hairstreaks |
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Echo Blue Butterfly |
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Spring Azure Butterfly |
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Bauer's Giant Skipper |
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Stephens's Giant Skipper |
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Allie's Giant Skipper |
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Amaranthus sp. |
Common Sooty-wing Butterfly |
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Common Sooty-wing Butterfly |
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Southern Dog-face Butterfly |
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Common Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Silver-spotted skipper |
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Northern Cloudy-wing Butterfly |
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Silver-spotted skipper |
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Andropogon scoparius |
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Miriam's Skipper |
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Antirrhinum majus |
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Mustard White Butterfly |
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Boisduval's Marble Butterfly |
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Edwards's Marble Butterfly |
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Large Marble Butterfly |
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California White Butterfly |
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Arabis glabra |
Boisduval's Marble butterfly |
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Arabis holboelii |
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Edwards's Marble Butterfly |
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Arabis perennans |
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Boisduval's Marble butterfly |
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Doudoroff's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Arceuthobium sp |
Nelson's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Arceuthobium campylopodium |
Muir's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Muir's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Pipe-vine Swallowtail Butterfly |
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Baird's Swallowtail Butterfly |
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Ruddy Copper Butterfly |
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Artemisia rothrockii |
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Aclepias albicans |
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Many California Moths |
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Aster sp. |
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Northern Pearl Crescent Butterfly |
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Aster californicus |
Field Crescent Butterfly |
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Aster conspicuus |
Hoffmann's Checkerspot Butterfly |
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Aster hesperius |
Field Crescent Butterfly |
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Astragalus Spp. |
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Alexandra Sulfur Butterfly |
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Arrowhead Blue Butterfly |
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Edwards's Sulfur Butterfly |
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Golden Sulfur Butterfly |
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Palo Verdes Blue Butterfly |
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Marine Blue Butterfly |
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Melissa Blue butterfly |
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Northern cloudy-wing Butterfly |
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Western Sulfur Butterfly |
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Western Tailed Blue Butterfly |
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Astragalus douglasii |
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Mojave Sooty-wing Butterfly |
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Alpheus Sooty wing Butterfly |
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Pygmy Blue Butterfly |
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San Emigdio Blue Butterfly |
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Atriplex hastata |
Pygmy Blue Butterfly |
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Pygmy Blue Butterfly |
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MacNeill's Sooty-wing Butterfly |
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Atriplex semibaccata |
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Pygmy Blue Butterfly |
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Fatal Metalmark Butterfly |
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Dusky Metalmark Butterfly |
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Bidens pilosa |
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Dainty Sulfur Butterfly |
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Brassica spp. |
Becker's White Butterfly |
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Western White Butterfly |
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Large Marble Butterfly |
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Imperial Checkerspot Butterfly |
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Betula fontinalis |
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Blues |
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Hairstreaks |
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Clench's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Umber Skipper |
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Harbison's Skipper |
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Mexican Yellow Butterfly |
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Nicippe Yellow Butterfly |
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Cloudless Sulfur Butterfly |
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Large Orange Sulfur Butterfly |
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Mexican Sulfur Butterfly |
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Nicippe Sulfur Butterfly |
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Sleepy Orange Butterfly |
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Leanira Checkerspot Butterfly |
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Ceanothus Spp. |
Artful Duskywing Butterfly |
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Doudoroff's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Echo Blue Butterfly |
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Southern Buckthorn Butterfly |
Pacuvius Dusky-wing Butterfly |
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Spring Azure Butterfly |
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Pacuvius Dusky-wing Butterfly |
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Ceanothus incanus |
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Pale Swallowtail Butterfly |
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Pacuvius Dusky-wing Butterfly |
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Snout Butterfly |
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Chenopodium sp. |
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Common Sooty-wing Butterfly |
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Chenopodium album |
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Pygmy Sooty-wing Butterfly |
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Doudoroff's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Skippers |
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Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus |
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Acastus Checkerspot Butterfly |
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Thistle Crescent Butterfly |
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Orseis Crescent Butterfly |
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Editha Checkerspot Butterfly |
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Echo Blue Butterfly |
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Spring Azure Butterfly |
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Echo Blue Butterfly |
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Spring Azure Butterfly |
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Wind's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Cuscuta Sp. |
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Doudoroff's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Ines Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Muir's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Southern Dog-face Butterfly |
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Lindsey's Skipper |
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Columbian Skipper |
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Umber Skipper |
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Descurainia sp |
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Edwards's Marble Butterfly |
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Large Marble Butterfly |
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Felder's Orange-tip Butterfly |
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Descurainia richardsonii |
Edwards's Marble Butterfly |
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Diascia vigilis |
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Clodius Parnassian Butterfly |
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Clodius Parnassian Butterfly |
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Dicentra pausiflora |
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Sandhill Skipper |
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Wandering Skipper |
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Eunus Skipper |
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Gray Blue Butterfly |
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Arctic Blue Butterfly |
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Sonora Blue Butterfly |
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Human Folly Butterfly |
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Woodland Skipper |
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Fatal Metalmark Butterfly |
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Dusky Metalmark Butterfly |
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California Dog-face Butterfly |
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Gorgon Copper Butterfly |
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Lupine Blue Butterfly |
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Eriogonum incanum |
Lembert's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Eriogonum microthecum |
Elvira's Blue Butterfly |
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Gorgon Copper Butterfly |
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El Segundo Blue Butterfly |
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Eriogonum plumatella |
Elvira's Blue Butterfly |
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Eriogonum pusillum |
Mojave Blue Butterfly |
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Eriogonum reniforme |
Mojave Blue Butterfly |
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Small Blue Butterfly |
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Eriogonum spp. |
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Comstock's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Common Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Gorgon Copper Butterfly |
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Blue Copper Butterfly |
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Lupine Blue Butterfly |
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Square-spotted Blue Butterfly |
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Dotted Blue Butterfly |
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Mojave Blue Butterfly |
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Edward's Blue Butterfly |
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Elvira's Blue Butterfly |
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Bernardino Blue Butterfly |
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Lupine Blue Butterfly |
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Eriogonum wrightii |
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Veined Blue Butterfly |
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Large Marble Butterfly |
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Sonora Skipper |
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Lindsey's Skipper |
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Two-tailed Swallowtail Butterfly |
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Melissa Blue Butterfly |
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Glycyrrhiza lepidota |
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Gnaphalium sp |
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Siva Hairstreak |
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Helianthus annuus |
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Bordered Patch Butterfly |
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Common Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Powdered Skipper |
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Horkelia bolanderi |
Rural Skipper |
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Horkelia fusca |
Edith's Copper Butterfly |
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Rural Skipper |
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Horkelia tenuiloba |
Edith's Copper Butterfly |
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Becker's White Butterfly |
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Skinner's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Muir's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Leda Hairstreak |
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Juniperus osteosperma |
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Siva Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Clench's Hairstreak |
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Columbian Skipper |
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Marine Blue Butterfly |
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Northern Blue Butterfly |
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Western Tailed Blue Butterfly |
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Silvery Blue Butterfly |
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Edwards's Marble Butterfly |
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Western White Butterfly |
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Variegated Fritillary Butterfly |
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Edward's Swallowtail Butterfly |
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Lotus sp |
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Eastern tailed Blue Butterfly |
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Greenish blue Butterfly |
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Northern Blue Butterfly |
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Northern Cloudy-wing Butterfly |
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Western Tailed Blue Butterfly |
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Lotus argophyllum |
Avalon Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Lotus crassifolius |
Silver-spotted Skipper |
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Afranius Dusky-wing Butterfly |
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Blues |
Clouded Sulfur Butterfly |
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Avalon Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Marine Blue Butterfly |
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Funereal Duskywing Butterfly |
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Southern Blue Butterfly |
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Icarioides Blue Butterfly |
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Arrowhead Blue Butterfly |
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Icarioides Blue Butterfly |
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Silvery Blue Butterfly |
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Arrowhead Blue Butterfly |
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Evius Blue Butterfly |
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Icarioides Blue Butterfly |
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Lupinus hirsutissimus |
Arrowhead Blue Butterfly |
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Lupinus lyalli |
Shasta Blue Butterfly |
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Lupinus versicolor |
Icarioides Blue Butterfly |
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Lupinus spp. |
Sooty Gossamer-wing Butterfly |
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Common Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Northern Blue Butterfly |
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Melissa Blue Butterfly |
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Icarioides Blue Butterfly |
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Silvery Blue Butterfly |
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Arrowhead Blue Butterfly |
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Machaeranthera canescens |
Mariposa Copper Butterfly |
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Neumoegen's Checkerspot |
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Funereal Dusky-wing Butterfly |
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Editha Checkerspot Butterfly |
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Arachne Checkerspot Butterfly |
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Monache Checkerspot Butterfly |
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Cinereous Blue Butterfly |
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Spring Azure Butterfly |
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| Phorodendron flavescens | Great Purple Hairstreak Butterfly | ||
| Pinus jeffreyi |
Pine White Butterfly |
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Pinus |
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Pine White Butterfly |
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Western Banded Elfin Butterfly |
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Pine White Butterfly |
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| Edith Checkerspot Butterfly | |||
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Plantago lanceolata | Buckeye Butterfly | ||
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Plantago major | Buckeye Butterfly | ||
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Don't mix up our dainty California native grasses, Poa scabrella, with the weeds on the hillside! |
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Poa sp |
Common Branded Skipper |
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Poa pratensis |
Field skipper |
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Comma skipper |
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Populus Spp. |
Arizona Viceroy Butterfly |
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Dreamy Dusky-wing |
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Weidemeyer's Admiral |
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Wide-banded Admiral |
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Weidemeyer's Admiral |
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Wide-banded Admiral |
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Persius Dusky-wing Butterfly |
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Palmer's Metalmark Butterfly |
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Long-tailed Skipper |
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Henne Comstock's Hairstreak |
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Cerunus Blue Butterfly |
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Reakirt's Blue Butterfly |
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Cerunus Blue Butterfly |
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Palmer's Metalmark Butterfly |
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Prunus sp |
Coral Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Prunus Subcordata |
Coral Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Two-tailed Swallowtail Butterfly |
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Pine White Butterfly |
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Two-tailed Swallowtail |
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Pteryxia Spp. |
This plant is great, Western Hop tree, Ptelea crenulata. It attracts everyone! |
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Behr's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Behr's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Propertius Dusky-wing Butterfly |
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Canyon Oak Hairstreak |
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Boisduval's Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Gold-hunter's Hairstreak |
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Quercus dumosa |
Gold-hunter's Hairstreak |
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Nut Brown Hairstreak |
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Santa Monica Mountains Hairstreak |
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Sleepy Dusky-wing butterfly |
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Propertius Dusky-wing Butterfly |
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Quercus suber |
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Quercus spp. |
California Hairstreak |
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Echo Blue Butterfly |
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Western Oak Duskywing |
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Canyon Oak Hairstreak |
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Quercus vaccinifolia |
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Gold-hunter's Hairstreak |
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Hermes Copper |
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Rhamnus spp. |
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Rustic Anglewing Butterfly |
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Sylvan Anglewing Butterfly |
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Green Comma Butterfly |
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California fuchsia, Ribes Spp. is stunning in a garden. It's also loved by
hummingbirds. |
Comstock's Hairstreak |
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Oreas Anglewing |
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Ribes Spp. |
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Zephyr Anglewing |
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Cloudy Copper Butterfly |
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| Hoary Comma |
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Rumex crispus |
Great Copper Butterfly |
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Rumex hymenosepalus |
Great Copper Butterfly |
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Salicornia ambigua |
Pygmy Blue Butterfly |
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Dryope Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Arizona Viceroy Butterfly |
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Weidemeyer's Admiral Butterfly |
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Wide-banded Admiral Butterfly |
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Sylvan Hairstreak Butterfly |
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Sarcostema cynanchoides |
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Sarcostema hirtellum |
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Variable Checkerspot |
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Fritillaries |
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Hairstreaks |
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Skippers |
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Moss's Hairstreak |
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Emmel's Elfin Butterfly |
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Small Apollo |
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Lustrous Copper |
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Sphaeralcea spp. |
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Laviana Skipper |
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Sphaeralcea augustifolia |
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Becker's White Butterfly |
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Stipa nevadensis. |
Uncas Skipper |
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Stipa occidentalis |
Nevada Skipper |
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Stipa thurberiana |
Comma Skipper Butterfly |
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Colon Checker Spot butterfly |
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Wright's Swallowtail butterfly |
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Thamnosma montana |
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Alexandra Sulfur butterfly |
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Persius Dusky-wing butterfly |
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Thermopsis pinetorum |
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Tauschia spp. |
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Trifolium sp. |
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Eastern tailed Swallowtail Butterfly |
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Greenish Blue Butterfly |
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Northern cloudy-wing butterfly |
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Shasta Blue Butterfly |
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Southern Dog-face butterfly |
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Trifolium breweri |
Greenish Blue Butterfly |
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Trifolium longipes |
Greenish Blue Butterfly |
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Trifolium monanthum |
Greenish Blue Butterfly |
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Mexican cloudy-wing Butterfly |
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Trifolium repens |
Alexandra Sulfur |
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Trifolium wormskjoldii |
Greenish Blue Butterfly |
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Diverse Cloudy-wing butterfly |
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Urtica sp |
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Satyr Anglewing |
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Milbert's Tortoiseshell |
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Vaccinium caespitosum |
Behr's Sulfur Butterfly |
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Vicia spp |
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Northern Blue Butterfly |
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Silvery Blue Butterfly |
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Western Sulfur Butterfly |
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Vicia gigantea |
Western Tailed Blue |
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Silvery Blue Butterfly |
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California Patch Butterfly |
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| Frittilary Butterflies |
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Viola spp. |
Apache Fritillary Butterfly |
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Atlantis Fritillary Butterfly |
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| Comstaock's Fritillary Butterfly |
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Crown Fritillary Butterfly |
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Egleis Fritillary Butterfly |
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Hydaspe Fritillary Butterfly |
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Leto Fritillary Butterfly |
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Nokomis Fritillary Butterfly |
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Unsilvered Fritillary Butterfly |
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Variegated Fritillary Butterfly |
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Western Meadow Fritillary |
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Zerene Fritillary Butterfly |
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Common Giant skipper |
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Common Giant skipper |
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Yucca semibaccata |
Common Giant skipper |
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General Butterfly Information
The most important butterfly plants (they support the largest variety of butterflies in California) that we grow are Eriogonum spp., Lupinus spp., Salix spp., Quercus spp, and Ceanothus spp. The plants that the butterfly larvae live on we do not grow in numbers at the moment but will have in the near future are Viola spp., Astragalus spp., Lotus scoparius , Arabis spp. If these are in your area, try to protect them. Violets alone support 11 different subspecies of butterflies. The most popular perennials (with adult butterflies) are Eriodictyon californicum, Salvia mellifera, Monardella antonina, Monardella villosa, and Stachys spp. Garth and Tilden also state that Erysimum, Aesculus californica, and members of the sunflower family and mint family are used as nectar sources by adult butterflies. We will soon be listing plants by families so you can quickly see which plants are attractive to butterflies. Remember, you will not see very many butterflies in your garden if their larval food plants are not in your garden or nearby.
You need to have plants flowering throughout the season that the adults (both human and buttefly) like. Then you will see butterflies spring through summer. |
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References: Comstock, John A. Butterflies of California. 1989 (old and ugly 1927 on new paper) |
Last edited on 2012-01-22 09:13:51.
