Quick answer: 17 butterfly and moth host plants are native to Idaho, 17 with a live listing as of 16 Sep 2026.
17 species
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Paper birch Betula papyrifera · 28 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
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
Butterfly and moth host plants in Idaho: what to know
17 of the 79 plants native to Idaho in this directory fit this need: 22% of the state's list, close to 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: 17 are also good for pollinators, 16 are also good for birds, 12 are also drought-tolerant.
16 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 Black-eyed Susan and Pearly everlasting to trees such as Bearberry and Chokecherry. For wildlife, 17 support pollinators, 16 provide food or cover for birds and 17 are caterpillar host plants.
All 17 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, 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
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Dec