Quick answer: 66 butterfly and moth host plants are native to Louisiana, 60 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
66 species
- American elm Ulmus americana · 31 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana · 33 states
- American wisteria Wisteria frutescens · 14 states
- Bald cypress Taxodium distichum · 16 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Birdfoot violet Viola pedata · 34 states
- Black cherry Prunus serotina · 35 states
- Black walnut Juglans nigra · 33 states
- Black willow Salix nigra · 24 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blackjack oak Quercus marilandica · 24 states
- Boxelder Acer negundo · 16 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa · 33 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- Chinkapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii · 30 states
- Common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata · 28 states
- Common persimmon Diospyros virginiana · 26 states
- Common winterberry Ilex verticillata · 32 states
- Coral honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens · 16 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum · 16 states
- Flowering dogwood Cornus florida · 31 states
- Fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica · 30 states
- Golden alexanders Zizia aurea · 35 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Honey locust Gleditsia triacanthos · 13 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Inland sea oats Chasmanthium latifolium · 21 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Loblolly pine Pinus taeda · 18 states
- Mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium · 27 states
- Maypop passionflower Passiflora incarnata · 21 states
- Mexican plum Prunus mexicana · 10 states
- New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus · 35 states
- Northern red oak Quercus rubra · 33 states
- Northern spicebush Lindera benzoin · 31 states
- Partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata · 30 states
- Pawpaw Asimina triloba · 29 states
- Post oak Quercus stellata · 28 states
- Red maple Acer rubrum · 33 states
- Sassafras Sassafras albidum · 22 states
- Shortleaf pine Pinus echinata · 22 states
- Shumard oak Quercus shumardii · 22 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Smooth hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens · 23 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum · 28 states
- Southern live oak Quercus virginiana · 10 states
- Southern red oak Quercus falcata · 23 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Sweetbay magnolia Magnolia virginiana · 17 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Trumpet vine Campsis radicans · 33 states
- Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera · 27 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
- Water oak Quercus nigra · 17 states
- White ash Fraxinus americana · 35 states
- White fringetree Chionanthus virginicus · 21 states
- White oak Quercus alba · 33 states
- Willow oak Quercus phellos · 23 states
- Winecup Callirhoe involucrata · 16 states
- Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria · 11 states
- Yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea · 21 states
Butterfly and moth host plants in Louisiana: what to know
66 of the 179 plants native to Louisiana in this directory fit this need: 37% of the state's list, well above the 23% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through December, with the most in bloom in May. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 66 are also good for pollinators, 57 are also good for birds, 45 are also drought-tolerant.
50 of them grow in full or partial sun and 38 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Birdfoot violet and Black-eyed Susan to trees such as American elm and American holly. For wildlife, 66 support pollinators, 57 provide food or cover for birds and 66 are caterpillar host plants.
60 of the 66 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying American wisteria, Black-eyed Susan, Honey locust: 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.
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Feb-Apr
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Dec