NATIVE HOST PLANTS
What are Native Host Plants?
A Native Host Plant is a specific plant that certain Lepidoptera larvae require to survive.
“Lepidoptera” are Butterflies and moths.
“Larvae or caterpillars” are the babies of lepidoptera..
Why are Host Plants important to Ecosystem health? Host plants supply food to countless Lepidoptera caterpillars. A non-host plant will not be a food source for most caterpillars. Caterpillars have specific food requirements. Everyone is probably familiar with story of the Monarch Butterfly. The Monarch butterfly Larvae (babies) can only survive on the leaves of a Milkweed Plant, thus the Milkweed plant is a Host Plant for the Monarch butterfly. There are also many host plants that support hundreds of caterpillars! These are called Keystone Host Plants. Planting these Keystone plants will help support the greatest number of caterpillars.
Caterpillars are a crucial food source for birds, particularly for feeding their young. They provide a high-protein, easily digestible food source rich in fats and carotenoids, essential nutrients for growing baby bids. If there are not enough caterpillars, the baby birds will not survive. Birds are vital to the health of our ecosystem. Birds provide many services …pest control (insect and vermin), seed dispersal, nutrient cycling and soil health through bird droppings, ecosystem engineers that can modify environments and create habitats for other wildlife such as the woodpecker and because they are so sensitive to environmental changes, they are an important environmental indicator of ecosystem health.