Quick answer: 44 butterfly and moth host plants are native to South Dakota, 44 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
44 species
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Black walnut Juglans nigra · 33 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 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
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Common hackberry Celtis occidentalis · 33 states
- Common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus · 21 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Eastern red columbine Aquilegia canadensis · 36 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica · 30 states
- Golden alexanders Zizia aurea · 35 states
- Gray dogwood Cornus racemosa · 19 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Highbush cranberry Viburnum opulus var. americanum · 22 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Nannyberry Viburnum lentago · 25 states
- Paper birch Betula papyrifera · 28 states
- Partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata · 30 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata · 14 states
- Pussy willow Salix discolor · 18 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea · 36 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Showy tick trefoil Desmodium canadense · 29 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata · 37 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana · 30 states
- White heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides · 26 states
- White meadowsweet Spiraea alba · 22 states
- Whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata · 30 states
Butterfly and moth host plants in South Dakota: what to know
44 of the 146 plants native to South Dakota in this directory fit this need: 30% of the state's list, above the 23% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through December, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 44 are also good for pollinators, 35 are also good for birds, 30 are also drought-tolerant.
41 of them grow in full or partial sun and 22 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Black-eyed Susan and Buffalograss to trees such as Bearberry and Black walnut. For wildlife, 44 support pollinators, 35 provide food or cover for birds and 44 are caterpillar host plants.
All 44 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Black-eyed Susan, 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
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Feb-Apr