The best way to attract butterflies to your garden is to plant the plants that the caterpillar stage of the butterflies in your area eat. Caterpillars are very specific about what they will and won’t eat, so female butterflies are equipped with an extremely good sense of smell in order that they can lay their eggs on the correct plant(s). It stands to reason then that having these plants in your garden will attract female butterflies from all around your area – some can even smell their host plant from several kilometres away!
You will also attract male butterflies into your garden by planting a butterfly host plant garden – after all the boys are always on the lookout for the girls.
There are a couple of things to remember when planting out and caring for your butterfly friendly plants. Don’t have then in a prime spot in your garden – remember the whole idea is that the leaves will be eaten by caterpillars! Secondly – don’t spray them with insecticides. Be careful with the amount of fertiliser you apply. Even that can affect a caterpillar’s sensitive constitution.
Not all the butterflies and moths listed below will fly in your area – a huge percentage of Australia’s butterflies and moths are found in the tropical rainforests in north Queensland (which is why we are here!). Best to check with your local nursery as to whether or not the plants are available/will grow in your area. Chances are that if conditions are conducive and the plants occur throughout your region, the butterflies and moths will also be there to take advantage of the food.
And while you’re at it – don’t forget butterflies need to eat to, so don’t forget to plant some flowers for nectar. Pentas or Ixora are good as they are multi-headed and have lots of nectar. Have fun!
Native Dutchman’s Pipe Aristolochia tagala |
Cairns Birdwing; Red-Bodied Swallowtail; Big Greasy |
Native Dutchman’s Pipe Aristolochia thozetti |
Big Greasy; Red-Bodied Swallowtail |
Asystasia gangetica |
Leafwing; Danaid Eggfly; Blue Banded Eggfly; Blue Argus |
Flame Tree Brachychiton acerifolius |
Common Aeroplane; Tailed Emperor; Helenita Blue |
Coffee Bush Breynia oblongifolia |
Australian Rustic; Grass Yellow |
Bottlebrushes Callistemon spp. |
Nectar for butterflies; Ghost Emperor Moth; Emperor Gum Moth |
Scented Myrtle Canthium coprosmoides |
Hummingbird Hawk Moths |
Sweet Scented Canthium Canthium odoratum |
Hummingbird and Bumblebee Hawk Moths |
Corky Bark Carallia biachiata |
Four O’Clock Moth (day flying moth and beautifully coloured) |
Slender Grape Cayratia clematidea |
Harlequin Moth |
Silky Celtis Tree Celtis paniculata |
Australian Beak; Tailed Emperor |
Common Celtis Celtis philippensis |
Tailed Emperor; Macleays Swallowtail; Blue Triangle; Purple Brown-eye; Common Red-eye |
Oliver’s Laurel Cinnamomum oliveri |
Blue Triangle |
Citrus – esp grapefruit, lemon & lime trees |
Orchard Butterfly; Dingy Swallowtail; Chequered Swallowtail; Ambrax; Hummingbird Moth; Emperor Moth |
Brown Kurrajong Commersonia bartramia |
Peacock Jewel |
Northern Laurel Cryptocarya hyposyodia |
Macleays Swallowtail; Blue Triangle; Common Oakblue |
Darlingia darlingiana |
Good source of nectar for most butterflies and moths |
Climbing Derris Derris spp. esp. D. trifoliata |
Orange Aeroplane; Broad-Banded Awl |
Hard Quandong Elaeocarpus obovaus |
Fiery Jewel |
Toywood Tree |
Zodiac Moth, White Striped moth |
Cherry Ballart Exocarpos cupressiformis, Native Cherry Exocarpos latifolius |
Fiery Jewel; Crow butterflies; Foam Moths; Large Leaf Moth |
October Glory Vine Faradaya splendida |
Common Oakblue; Common Tit; Tailed Emperor; Pale Ciliate Blue; Eone Blue |
Figs Ficus spp esp. F. racemosa; F.macrophylla |
Crow butterflies; Common Moonbeam; Foam Moths |
Buttonwood/Cheese Tree Glochidion spp. esp. G. ferdinandi, G. phillipicum |
Common Oakblue; Hercules Moth; Ghost Moths |
Ischnostemma carnosum (syn. Cynanchum carnosum) |
Black & White Tiger; Lesser Wanderer; Blue Tiger; Common Crow |
Brush Box Lophostemon conferta |
Common Red-eye; Rare Red-eye; Regent Skipper; Fiery Jewel |
Melaleuca spp. esp M.quinquinerva Mviridiflora, M.leucadendron & M.dealbata
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Dull Oakblue; Common Oakblue; Ghost Moths: Flowers attract a range of butterflies
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Melicope/Euodia spp. esp M.elleryana; E.bonwickii |
Ulysses butterfly; Ghost Moths; Emperor Moths |
Mistletoes esp. Ameyma spp. Dedrophthoe spp. |
Northern Jezabel; Union Jack; Common Jezabel; Nysa Jezabel; Genoveva Azure; Purple Azure; Olane Azure; Dodds Azure; Cooktown Azure; Silky Azure; Amaryllis Azure; Narcissus Jewel; Diggles Blue; various Oakblues; Mistletoe Emperor Moths |
Burny Bean Mucuna gigantea |
Green Awl; Tailed Green Banded Blue |
Ant Plant Myrmecodia beccarii |
Apollo Jewel; Sphinx Hawk Moth |
Booly Gum/White Bollywood Neolitsea dealbata |
Blue Triangle; Purple Brown-eye |
Bleeding Heart Omalanthus novoguineensis |
Hercule Moth |
Day Moth Vine Omphalea queenslandiae |
Zodia Moth |
White Mulberry Pipturus argenteus |
White Nymph |
Cocy Apple Planchonia careya |
Copper Jewel; Emperor Moth |
Basswood Polyscias ssp |
Hercules Moth |
Pastel Flower Pseuderanthemum variabile |
Blue Banded Eggfly; Common Eggfly; Daniad Eggfly; Leafwing; Blue Argus |
Zig Zag Vine Rauwenhoffia leichardtii (syn. Melodorum leichardtii) |
Four Bar Swordtail; Pale Green Triangle; Green Spotted Triangle |
Brazil Red Bell Plant xRuellia tuberosa |
Australian Lurcher |
Gunstock Wood/Flintwood Scolopia braunii |
Australian Rustic; Zebra Moth |
Corky Milk Vine Secamone elliptica |
Blue Tiger; Crow butterfly |
Small Tetra Beech Tetrasynandra longipes |
Regent Skipper |
Damson/Almond Terminalia esp T.muelleri |
Common Oakblue; Narcissus Jewel; Copper Jewel; Emperor Moth |
Timonius timon |
Hercules Moth; Emperor Moth |
Wilkiea huegeliana & W.macrophylla |
Regent Skipper |
Yellowood Zanthoxylum brachyacanthum |
Orchard Butterfly; Ambrax; Capaneus |
