Quick answer: 24 butterfly and moth host plants are native to Arizona, 23 with a live listing as of 16 Sep 2026.
24 species
- Antelope-horns milkweed Asclepias asperula · 2 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Desert willow Chilopsis linearis · 5 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Gambel oak Quercus gambelii · 8 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Parry's agave Agave parryi · 2 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea · 36 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Winecup Callirhoe involucrata · 16 states
- Yellow bells (esperanza) Tecoma stans · 3 states
Butterfly and moth host plants in Arizona: what to know
24 of the 127 plants native to Arizona in this directory fit this need: 19% of the state's list, below the 23% share across all species.
Between them they flower from March through December, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 24 are also good for pollinators, 21 are also drought-tolerant, 19 are also good for birds.
22 of them grow in full or partial sun and 7 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Antelope-horns milkweed and Buffalograss to trees such as Bearberry and Chokecherry. For wildlife, 24 support pollinators, 19 provide food or cover for birds and 24 are caterpillar host plants.
23 of the 24 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Indiangrass, Switchgrass: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jul
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Dec
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms May-Aug