Support Moths With Native Plants in Your Garden

(by Anita Fernandez)

Though we celebrated International Moth Week last week, we encourage you all to extend the celebrations year-round by taking actions to support moth populations. Here are some tips to get started through your gardening practices.

Adult moth diets can vary widely, from flower nectar to fruits, to grain and even blood (vampire moths luckily are not found in North America!). There are even moths, such as the large silk moths, that do not eat at all as adults. However, you can support their entire lifecycle by providing moths with their native host plants (the specific types of plants caterpillars need to eat to grow and pupate). Check out the list below for some native plants and which moths they support.

• Brown-hooded Owlet Moth
  • Plants in the aster and goldenrod groups
• Cecropia Moth
  • Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
  • Plants in the maple, birch, dogwood, and plum groups
• Double-lined Prominent Moth
  • American Basswood (Tilia americana)
• Giant Leopard Moth
  • Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
  • Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
  • Plants in the sunflower and plum groups
• Great Tiger Moth
  • Northern Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
  • Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
  • Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
  • Plants in the plum group
• Greater Oak Dagger Moth
  • Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
• Hickory Tussock Moth
  • Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
  • American Basswood (Tilia americana)
  • Plants in the maple, birch, and blueberry groups
• Hummingbird Clearwing Moth
  • Plants in the blueberry and viburnum groups
• Io Moth
  • Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
  • Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
  • American Basswood (Tilia americana)
  • Plants in the maple and birch groups
• Luna Moth
  • Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
  • Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
• Milkweed Tussock Moth
  • Plants in the milkweed group
• Polyphemus Moth
  • Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
  • Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
  • Plants in the maple and birch groups
• Promethea Moth
  • Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
  • Plants in the plum group
• Rosy Maple Moth
  • Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
  • Plants in the maple group
• Snowberry Clearwing Moth
  • Northern Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
  • Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
• White-lined Sphinx Moth
  • Plants in the grape group