Recommended Plants for a Butterfly House

ARISTOLOCHIA ELEGANS (CALICO FLOWER) - Foodplant for various Pachliopta, Parides, Papilio and Birdwing butterflies. Good for polydamas swallowtails but not recommended for pipevine swallowtail caterpillars or the Cairns Birdwing.

ASCLEPIAS CLIMBER (MILKWEED) - Foodplant for Danaus species (e.g. Monarch butterfly). An unidentified species of Milkweed was recommended by the London Butterfly House for it's rapid growth and suitability as a butterfly foodplant.

ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA (MILKWEED) - Foodplant for Danaus species (e.g. Monarch butterfly) and good nectar plant. This species of Milkweed is slower growing and has much smaller leaves than the Asclepias climber mentioned above. Perhaps more useful as a nectar plant than a larval foodplant.

CITRUS - Foodplant for many Papilio species (Swallowtail butterflies). Good for butterflies to lay on even if you are using Choisya ternata or Skimmia for the later instars.

PENTAS LANCEOLATA (EGYPTIAN STAR CLUSTER) - One of the best nectar plants for butterflies. Can be grown from seed and may flower within four months. The pink variety seems to be most popular with butterflies.

BUDDLEJA MADAGASCARIENSIS - A tropical variety of Buddleia, the favourite nectar plant of UK butterflies.

LANTANA CAMARA - Possibly the favourite nectar plant for butterflies in tropical climates. Easy to grow from seeds or cuttings.

PASSIFLORA SPECIES
Passiflora caerulea (foodplant for many Heliconius butterflies)
Passiflora biflora (foodplant for many Heliconius butterflies)
Passiflora talamancensis (foodplant for Philaethria dido, Heliconius erato, etc.)
Passiflora amalocarpa (foodplant for many Heliconius butterflies)
Passiflora ligularis (foodplant for Heliconius cydno, etc.)
Passiflora mollissima (foodplant for many Heliconius butterflies)
Passiflora anfracta (foodplant for Heliconius erato, etc.)
Passiflora suberosa (foodplant for Heliconius erato, Heliconius charitonius, etc.)
Passiflora serrato-digitata (foodplant for Heliconius doris)
Passiflora vitifolia (foodplant for Heliconius cydno, etc.)
Passiflora quadrangularis (foodplant for Heliconius ismenius, etc.)
Passiflora maliformis (possible foodplant for Heliconius ismenius, Eueides isabella, etc.)
Passiflora urbaniana (possible foodplant for various Heliconius species)
Passiflora gritensis (possible foodplant for various Heliconius species)
Passiflora platyloba (foodplant for Heliconius hecale, Eueides isabella, etc.)