Quick answer: 81 butterfly and moth host plants are native to Oklahoma, 74 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
81 species
- American elm Ulmus americana · 31 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana · 33 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 oak Quercus velutina · 30 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
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Blue vervain Verbena hastata · 34 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa · 33 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Canadian wild ginger Asarum canadense · 30 states
- Chinkapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii · 30 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli · 25 states
- Common hackberry Celtis occidentalis · 33 states
- Common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata · 28 states
- Common persimmon Diospyros virginiana · 26 states
- Common selfheal Prunella vulgaris · 25 states
- Desert willow Chilopsis linearis · 5 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Eastern red columbine Aquilegia canadensis · 36 states
- Farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum · 16 states
- Flowering dogwood Cornus florida · 31 states
- Fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica · 30 states
- Fringed bluestar Amsonia ciliata · 2 states
- Gambel oak Quercus gambelii · 8 states
- Golden alexanders Zizia aurea · 35 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Honey locust Gleditsia triacanthos · 13 states
- Honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa · 4 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Inland sea oats Chasmanthium latifolium · 21 states
- Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus · 15 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Loblolly pine Pinus taeda · 18 states
- Maypop passionflower Passiflora incarnata · 21 states
- Mexican plum Prunus mexicana · 10 states
- Mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa · 26 states
- New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae · 29 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
- Pin oak Quercus palustris · 27 states
- Post oak Quercus stellata · 28 states
- Prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata · 14 states
- Red maple Acer rubrum · 33 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Sassafras Sassafras albidum · 22 states
- Shortleaf pine Pinus echinata · 22 states
- Showy tick trefoil Desmodium canadense · 29 states
- Shumard oak Quercus shumardii · 22 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Slippery elm Ulmus rubra · 30 states
- Smooth hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens · 23 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Southern red oak Quercus falcata · 23 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Trumpet vine Campsis radicans · 33 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana · 30 states
- Water oak Quercus nigra · 17 states
- White ash Fraxinus americana · 35 states
- White fringetree Chionanthus virginicus · 21 states
- White heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides · 26 states
- Whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata · 30 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 Oklahoma: what to know
81 of the 247 plants native to Oklahoma in this directory fit this need: 33% of the state's list, well above the 23% share across all species.
Between them they flower from January through December, with the most in bloom in May. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 81 are also good for pollinators, 62 are also good for birds, 54 are also drought-tolerant.
63 of them grow in full or partial sun and 42 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, 81 support pollinators, 62 provide food or cover for birds and 81 are caterpillar host plants.
74 of the 81 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, Honey locust, Indiangrass: 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