There are many recommendations and guides for planting a butterfly gardens.  These are designed to attract a wide variety of common butterflies that are doing well.  This guide is designed for the rare and conservative species.  Those species that are not doing well locally.  If you live next to a forest, savanna, wetland, or grassland, this guide will tell you what rare plants are used as larval food plants by rare local butterflies. Planting these can possibly help bring back populations of both rare plants and butterflies by extending their habitat.  The assumption here is that some butterflies are rare since their food plants are rare.

Forests 

Aristolochia serpentaria (Virginia Snakeroot): Pipevine Swallowtail

Asarum canadense  (Wild Ginger): Pipevine Swallowtail

Betula papyrifera (Paper Birch): Compton Tortoise Shell

Celtis occidentalis (Hackberry): Tawny Emperor

Lupinus perennis (Lupine): Wild Indigo Duskywing, Silvery Blue

Savannah/Forest Edge/Shrublands

Agropyron smithii (Western Wheat Grass): Zabulon Skipper

Agropyron trachycaulum (Slender Wheat Grass): Zabulon Skipper

Agrostis scabra (Fly-away Grass): Leonard’s Skipper

Amorpha fruticosa (Indigo Bush): Dog Face, Mottled Duskywing

Andropogon scoparius (Little Bluestem): Leonard’s Skipper, Ottoe Skipper

Arabis lyrata (Sand Cress): Olympia Marble

Aristolochia serpentaria (Virginia Snakeroot): Pipevine Swallowtail

Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger): Pipevine Swallowtail

Astragalus canadensis (Canadian Milk Vetch): Silvery Blue, Reakirt’s Blue

Baptisia leucantha (White Wild Indigo): Dreamy Duskywing, Mottled Duskywing

Baptisia leucopaea (Cream Wild Indigo): Dreamy Duskywing, Mottled Duskywing

Carex lacustris (Common Lake Sedge): Dion Skipper, Broad-winged Skipper, Appalachian Eyed Brown

Desmodium canescens (Hoary Tick Trefoil): Hoary Edge

Desmodium cuspidatum (Bracted Tick Treefoil): Hoary Edge

Desmodium glutinosum (Pointed Tick Trefoil): Hoary Edge

Desmodium illinoense (Illinois Tick Trefoil): Hoary Edge

Desmodium paniculatum (Panicled Tick Trefoil): Hoary Edge

Desmosium sessilifolium (Sessle-leaved Tick Trefoil): Hoary Edge

Elymus riparius (Riverback Wild Rye): Zabulon Skipper

Elymus villosus (Silky Wild Rye): Zabulon Skipper

Eragrostis hypnoides (Creeping Love Grass): Zabulon Skipper

Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel): Dreamy Duskywing

Lespedeza leptostachya (Prairie Bush Clover): Hoary Edge

Lupinus perennis (Lupine): Wild Indigo Duskywing, Silvery Blue

Prunus americana (Wild Plum): Coral Hairstreak

Prunus virginiana (Choke Cherry): Coral Hairstreak

Quercus alba (White Oak): Dreamy Duskywing, Horaces, Duskywing, Edward’s Hairstreak

Quercus imbricaria (Shingle Oak): Dreamy Duskywing, Horace’s Duskywing, Edward’s Hairstreak

Quercus macrocarpa (Bur Oak): Dreamy Duskywing, Horace’s Duskywing, Edward’s Hairstreak

Quercus muhlenbergii (Chinquapin Oak): Dreamy Duskywing, Horace’s Duskywing, Edward’s Hairstreak

Quercus palustris (Pin Oak): Dreamy Duskywing, Horace’s Duskywing, Edward’s Hairstreak

Quercus rubra (Red Oak): Dreamy Duskywing, Horace’s Duskywing, Edward’s Hairstreak

Quercus velutina (Black Oak): Dreamy Duskywing, Horace’s Duskywing, Edward’s Hairstreak

Salix nigra (Black Willow): Acadian Hairstreak

Sorgastnum nutans (Indian Grass): Pepper and Salt Skipper

Vicia Carolina (Wood Vetch): Silvery Blue

Viola cucullata (Hooded Violet): Great Spangled Fritillary

Viola incognita (Hairy White Violet: Great Spangled Fritillary

Viola nephrophylla (Northern Bog Violet): Great Spangled Fritillary

Viola pallens (Smooth White Violet): Great Spangled Fritillary

Viola pedata (Bird’s Foot Violet): Great Spangled Fritillary

Viola pedatifida (Prairie Violet): Great Spangled Fritillary

Viola pubescens (Yellow Violet): Great Spangled Fritillary

Prairie/Grassland/Wetland

Agrostis scabra (Fly-away Grass): Leonard’s Skipper

Amorpha fruticosa (Indigo Bush): Dog Face

Arabis lyrata (Sand Cress): Olympia Marble

Andropogon gerardi (Big Bluestem): Delaware Skipper

Andropogon scoparius (Little Bluestem): Ottoe Skipper, Leonard’s Skipper

Aster umbellatus (Flat-top Aster): Harris’ Checkerspot

Astragalus canadensis (Canadian Milk Vetch): Silvery Blue, Reakirt’s Blue

Aureolaria grandiflora (Yellow False Foxglove): Baltimore Checkerspot

Carex lacustris (Common Lake Sedge): Dion Skipper, Broad-winged Skipper, Appalachian Eyed Brown

Carex lupulina (Common Hop Sedge): Northern Eyed Brown

Carex stricta (Common Tussock Sedge): Black Dash, Mulberry Wing Skipper, Northern Eyed Brown

Carex trichocarpa (Hairy-fruited Lake Sedge): Two-spotted Skipper, Northern Eyed Brown

Chelone glabra (Turtlehead): Baltimore Checkerspot

Eleocharis elliptica (Golden-seeded Spike Rush): Poweskiek Skipper

Galium asprellum (Rough Bedstraw): Purplish Copper

Galium boreale (Northern Bedstraw): Purplish Copper

Galium concinnum (Shining Bedstraw): Purplish Copper

Galium obtusum (Wild Madder): Purplish Copper

Galium pilosum (Hairy Bedstraw): Purplish Copper

Galium tinctorium (Stiff Bedstraw): Purplish Copper

Galium trifidum (Small Bedstraw): Purplish Copper

Leptoloma cognatum (Fall Witch Grass): Ottoe Skipper

Poa palustris (Marsh Blue Grass): Long Dash

Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass): Delaware Skipper

Polygonum arifolium var. pubescens (Halberd-leaved Tear-thumb): Great Copper

Polygonum punctatum (Smartweed): Great Copper

Polygonum ramosissimum (Bushy Knotweed): Great Copper

Polygonum sagittatum (Arrow-leaved Tear-thumb): Great Copper

Potentilla anserine (Silverweed): Purplish Copper

Potentilla arguta (Prairie Cinquefoil): Purplish Copper

Potentilla fruticosa (Shrubby Cinquefoil): Purplish Copper

Potentilla pensylvanica var. bipinnatifida (Gray Cinquefoil): Purplish Copper

Prunus americana (Wild Plum): Coral Hairstreak

Prunus virginiana (Choke Cherry): Coral Hairstreak

Salix nigra (Black Willow): Acadian Hairstreak

Scirpus cyperinus (Wool Grass): Dion Skipper

Viola fimbriatula (Sand Violet): Great Spangled Fritillary, Aphrodite

Viola lanceolata (Lance-leaved Violet): Great Spangled Fritillary, Aphrodite

Viola nephrophylla (Northern Bog Violet): Silver-bordered Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary

Viola pallens (Smooth White Violet): Meadow Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary

Viola pedata (Bird’s Foot Violet): Regal Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary

Viola petatifida (Prairie Violet): Great Spangled Fritillary

Plants were chosen for rarity and McHenry County residence with “Plants of the Chicago Region” by Swink and Wilhelm.  Butterfly diets were primarily from: