There are many small host plants:

butterfly weed for monarchs

cassia can be trimmed and kept short-for sulfurs

passionflower for gulf fritallaries-I'd put it in a pot and use a tomato cage upside down for support. you can even sink the pot in the ground.

dutchmans pipe for gold rims-ditto above

parsley for black swallowtails-it's a little hot right now for parsley but fall is is coming :-)

When you keep your plants small they can be eaten down quite rapidly so be prepared with back-up plants that you've kept protected. I visited a native plant nursery on Sanibel that kept their sale plants in a screened cage so they wouldn't be eaten to nothing before getting sold. A screened lanai would do the trick.

Good luck. I LOVE all the butterflies in my yard, a never ending show.

Denise

Thanks Denise, I'm putting these 'host' plants in a separate area in the back-yard where I don't have to look at the bugs, and the 'butterfly plants' in a different bed from my roses, where I don't spray.... I'm trying to maintain a 'no-spray' garden especially for my roses, but with the thrips it's getting iffy, so I may have to get out the sprayer... and the butterfly area is set away from the roses... I have butterflys come for the pentas and Tampa Verbain and Verbena and other nectar plants already, and am gradually transplanting these into a separate bed, away from the roses.... and the 'host plant' bed will be back in a corner... thanks, sally

Another vine is Butterfly Pea vine for the Longtail Skippers. The problem with trimming vines and other plants is that you will be cutting off the new growth which is where the Momma butterfly likes to lay her eggs so that the tiny cats have tender growth to eat on. But if you get a lot of cats, you will need alot of food so that does help keep the growth down naturally.

Thanks mboston, I can put the Pea Vine in the back on a fence and maybe not have to trim it... might work.... this is a slow process, I have been transplanting the pentas and other plants into an area I don't spray, and with this heat I go slow... but it'll get there... and I need to go to a Nursery and ask abt. some of the other plants I don't have.... I'm also setting aside another area for a Hummingbird Garden, no-spray... and do have some plants in pots waiting for that to be finished..... what with the high-humidity and heat in the 90's it tends to limit 'outdoor' time, but it will get done.... Thanks for the information, you folks on GW are awesome ! sally

At Willow Tree nursery today I bought a dill plant that came with an added bonus of swallowtail cats and eggs. They had more with cats if you are around that area.

Thanks amberroses, I like Willow Tree and will try and get out there, did you see in the paper the ad for HD showed perennials @ 4 for $10. and listed milkweed also pentas... they are usually abt. $3.50 each..... I have lots of pentas but could use some milkweed, and it's supposed to be a good host plant.... and I'll take the lists of plants when I go... thanks, sally