Quick answer: 45 butterfly and moth host plants are native to Maine, 34 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
45 species
- American elm Ulmus americana · 31 states
- American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana · 33 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata · 20 states
- Birdfoot violet Viola pedata · 34 states
- Black cherry Prunus serotina · 35 states
- Black oak Quercus velutina · 30 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum · 11 states
- Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa · 33 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Common winterberry Ilex verticillata · 32 states
- Creeping snowberry Gaultheria hispidula · 12 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis · 25 states
- Eastern red columbine Aquilegia canadensis · 36 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Flowering dogwood Cornus florida · 31 states
- Gray birch Betula populifolia · 17 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Hobblebush Viburnum lantanoides · 17 states
- Mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia · 23 states
- Nannyberry Viburnum lentago · 25 states
- New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae · 29 states
- New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus · 35 states
- Northern red oak Quercus rubra · 33 states
- Pagoda dogwood Cornus alternifolia · 30 states
- Paper birch Betula papyrifera · 28 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica · 20 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red maple Acer rubrum · 33 states
- Red pine Pinus resinosa · 13 states
- Sheep laurel Kalmia angustifolia · 13 states
- Showy tick trefoil Desmodium canadense · 29 states
- Slippery elm Ulmus rubra · 30 states
- Southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum · 28 states
- Sundial lupine Lupinus perennis · 28 states
- Tamarack Larix laricina · 17 states
- Trailing arbutus Epigaea repens · 24 states
- Trumpet vine Campsis radicans · 33 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
- White ash Fraxinus americana · 35 states
- White oak Quercus alba · 33 states
Butterfly and moth host plants in Maine: what to know
45 of the 125 plants native to Maine in this directory fit this need: 36% of the state's list, well above the 23% share across all species.
Between them they flower from January through October, with the most in bloom in April. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 45 are also good for pollinators, 37 are also good for birds, 29 are also shade-tolerant.
35 of them grow in full or partial sun and 29 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 hornbeam. For wildlife, 45 support pollinators, 37 provide food or cover for birds and 45 are caterpillar host plants.
34 of the 45 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, Hobblebush, Mountain laurel: 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
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Feb-Apr