Butterflies · Bees · Moths · Hummingbirds

Native Florida Pollinators

Florida hosts one of the most diverse pollinator communities in North America. Meet the butterflies, bees, moths, and hummingbirds that keep our native ecosystems alive — and learn exactly which plants they need to thrive in your yard.

200+ native bee species found in Florida

180+ butterfly species recorded in the state

$15B annual value of pollination services to U.S. agriculture

1 hummingbird species nests regularly in Florida (Ruby-throated)

Pollinators don't just make your garden beautiful — they're essential links in the food chain that supports everything from songbirds to black bears. Without them, most of our native plants can't reproduce. The good news: attracting pollinators is straightforward. Plant their host plants. Skip the pesticides. Let a few "weeds" do their job. That's mostly it.

Native Butterflies

Florida's butterflies need two things from you: nectar plants for the adults, and host plants for their caterpillars. Most people plant for nectar and wonder why no butterflies stay. Host plants are the secret.

Butterfly

Gulf Fritillary

Agraulis vanillae

A vivid orange butterfly with silver-spotted underwings, the Gulf Fritillary is one of Florida's most recognizable and common species. Medium-sized with elongated forewings spanning 65–95 mm — females are larger and darker than males.

Host Plant Passionflower species (Passiflora incarnata, P. lutea)

Nectar Beggarticks, coreopsis, black-eyed Susan, climbing aster

Habitat Sunny roadsides, field edges, yards — all 67 Florida counties

Cool fact: Passionflower toxins are retained in Gulf Fritillary larvae and adults, making them toxic to unprepared predators. The bright orange coloration is a warning signal.

State Butterfly

Zebra Longwing

Heliconius charithonia

Florida's state butterfly, with long narrow wings banded in dramatic black and pale yellow stripes. Unlike most butterflies, Zebra Longwings roost communally and can live for months — not weeks — thanks to their ability to digest pollen.

Host Plant Passionflower species (Passiflora spp.)

Nectar Firebush, tropical sage, Spanish needles, blue porterweed

Habitat Hammocks, woodland edges, shaded gardens with passionflower

Cool fact: Zebra Longwings are among the longest-lived butterflies. They can digest pollen — an unusual ability that provides extra protein and extends their lifespan dramatically.

Butterfly

Atala

Eumaeus atala

A small jewel of a butterfly — velvety black with iridescent turquoise spots and a brilliant red-orange abdomen. Once thought extinct in Florida, the Atala made a dramatic comeback thanks to coontie restoration efforts.

Host Plant Coontie (Zamia pumila) — the only known larval host

Nectar Beautyberry, saw palmetto, white indigoberry, blue porterweed

Habitat South and Central Florida scrub where coontie grows

Cool fact: Plant coontie, get Atalas. This butterfly's entire existence in Florida depends on a single native cycad. Its story is one of conservation's great local success stories.

Butterfly

Giant Swallowtail

Papilio cresphontes

The largest butterfly in North America, with a wingspan reaching 6 inches. Dark brown-black with yellow band markings above, and soft yellow with blue, orange, and black below. A dramatic, slow-flapping flier easy to spot in the garden.

Host Plant Wild lime, Hercules club, hoptree, common rue

Nectar Lantana, bougainvillea, azalea, swamp milkweed, goldenrod

Habitat Hammocks, forest edges, citrus groves, suburban gardens

Cool fact: Giant Swallowtail caterpillars are called "orange dogs" by citrus farmers — they mimic bird droppings to avoid predation. Don't spray them; they become something magnificent.

Butterfly

Palamedes Swallowtail

Papilio palamedes

A large, dark swallowtail butterfly closely tied to Florida's swamp and wetland habitats. Distinguished by a yellow stripe on its hindwing base and pale yellow spots along the wing edges. Wingspan 3.5–5 inches.

Host Plant Red bay (Persea borbonia), swamp bay, silk bay

Nectar Swamp milkweed, pickerelweed, thistles, azalea

Habitat Swamps, bay heads, hammock edges, stream corridors

Cool fact: This butterfly's host plant, Red Bay, is critically threatened by laurel wilt disease spread by an invasive ambrosia beetle — making Palamedes Swallowtail conservation increasingly urgent.

Migratory

Monarch

Danaus plexippus

America's most recognized butterfly, the Monarch passes through Florida in large numbers during fall migration. Some Florida populations are year-round residents. Listed as endangered by the IUCN — milkweed planting directly helps their recovery.

Host Plant Milkweed species only — swamp milkweed, butterflyweed, white milkweed

Nectar Milkweed flowers, goldenrod, aster, ironweed, lantana

Habitat Open fields, roadsides, gardens — throughout Florida

Cool fact: Use native milkweed species, not tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). Tropical milkweed can disrupt migration patterns and harbor a parasite that weakens Monarchs.

Butterfly

Cloudless Sulphur

Phoebis sennae

A large, brilliant yellow butterfly — one of the most common in Florida. Often seen in rapid, direct flight just above the treeline during fall migration. Males are a clear bright yellow; females are yellow with scattered dark markings.

Host Plant Wild senna, partridge pea, other Cassia species

Nectar Cardinal flower, firebush, coral honeysuckle, lantana

Habitat Open woods, fields, roadsides, gardens — statewide

Cool fact: Cloudless Sulphurs are strongly attracted to tubular red and orange flowers. Plant coral honeysuckle or cardinal flower and watch them come from surprising distances.

Skipper

Long-tailed Skipper

Urbanus proteus

One of Florida's most eye-catching skippers, with iridescent blue-green on the body and wing bases, and distinctive long hindwing tails. Fast, darting fliers that are easy to identify once you know their characteristic perching posture.

Host Plant Legumes — wisteria, hog peanut, wild bean, butterfly pea

Nectar Lantana, Spanish needles, bougainvillea, thistles

Habitat Open areas, forest edges, roadsides, gardens statewide

Cool fact: Despite being classified as a skipper rather than a "true" butterfly, Long-tailed Skippers are strong pollinators and visit a wide variety of flowers — more than many larger species.

Native Bees

Florida's 200+ native bee species are far more important pollinators than the non-native European honeybee. Many are specialists — they visit only one plant family. Lose the native plant, lose the bee. Plant the native plant back, and the bee returns.

Native Bee

Eastern Bumble Bee

Bombus pensylvanicus

A large, fuzzy bee with a yellow and black banded abdomen — the bumble bee most Florida gardeners know. Social, colony-forming, and one of the most effective pollinators of native wildflowers through buzz pollination.

Nesting Underground in abandoned rodent burrows; sometimes in leaf litter

Forages On Coneflowers, tickseed, wild bergamot, blueberry, passionflower

Active Year-round in Florida; most active in cooler months

Cool fact: Bumble bees "buzz pollinate" — they grab a flower and vibrate their flight muscles rapidly, shaking loose pollen that other bees can't access. This is essential for blueberries and tomatoes.

Solitary Bee

Florida Mason Bee

Osmia species

Small metallic-green to blue-black solitary bees that nest in hollow stems and wood cavities. Highly efficient pollinators — a single mason bee can do the work of dozens of honey bees. They carry pollen dry on their abdomens, losing more at each flower.

Nesting Hollow plant stems, pithy stems, wooden bee houses

Forages On Generalist — visits many native wildflowers, especially spring bloomers

Support Them Leave hollow stems standing over winter; don't over-tidy your garden

Cool fact: The single best thing you can do for solitary bees is stop "cleaning up" your garden. Leave hollow stems, bare soil patches, and leaf piles — that's their nesting habitat.

Specialist

Southeastern Blueberry Bee

Habropoda laboriosa

A specialist solitary bee perfectly timed to emerge when Florida's native blueberry species bloom. Furry, fast, and surprisingly loud for its size — it is the primary pollinator of native blueberries in Florida and makes the difference between fruit and no fruit.

Specialist Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) — synchronizes emergence with bloom

Nesting Bare or sparsely vegetated sandy soil, ground-nesting

Active Late winter to early spring — a very short window

Cool fact: Plant native blueberry and leave a patch of bare sandy soil nearby. You'll have this bee in your yard and dramatically more fruit — from both your blueberries and your neighbors'.

Hummingbird

Florida has one regularly nesting hummingbird species — and it has a favorite plant. Plant coral honeysuckle and you're almost guaranteed visits from late winter through early summer.

Florida's Nesting Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris

The only hummingbird that regularly nests in eastern North America and the most commonly seen hummingbird in Florida. Males display an iridescent ruby-red throat gorget; females are white-throated with green backs. At just 3–4 inches and 2–6 grams, they are engineering marvels — beating their wings up to 53 times per second and visiting up to 1,000 flowers daily.

Top Plant Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) — its #1 native nectar source in Florida

Also Loves Firebush, cardinal flower, tropical sage, wild columbine, red salvia

In Florida Year-round residents in north FL; migrants in south FL; peak late winter–summer

Nesting Females build a walnut-sized nest of plant fibers and spider silk, camouflaged with lichen

Cool fact: Ruby-throated Hummingbirds can fly backwards and temporarily enter torpor at night — dropping their heart rate from 1,200 to just 50 beats per minute to conserve energy.

Skip the feeders, plant instead. Nectar feeders attract hummingbirds but do nothing for their nutrition beyond sugar water. Native flowering plants — especially coral honeysuckle, firebush, and cardinal flower — provide both nectar and the insects hummingbirds need for protein. A planted garden beats a feeder every time.

Moths

Moths are vastly underappreciated pollinators. Florida hosts thousands of moth species, and their caterpillars are among the most important food sources for nesting birds. They work the night shift — pollinating while you sleep.

Giant Silkmoth

Luna Moth

Actias luna

One of North America's most stunning insects — pale green with sweeping hindwing tails and eye spots, wingspan up to 4.5 inches. Adults don't eat at all; they live only 1 week as adults, existing solely to mate. Their caterpillars, however, are voracious eaters of Florida hardwood foliage.

Host Plant Sweet gum, persimmon, hickory, walnut, white birch

Active Multiple generations Feb–Oct in Florida; nocturnal

Bird Food Caterpillars are critical protein source for nesting birds

Cool fact: Luna Moth adults have no mouths. They spend their adult lives using energy stored as caterpillars, focused entirely on finding a mate. The long hindwing tails help confuse bat echolocation.

Giant Silkmoth

Polyphemus Moth

Antheraea polyphemus

A massive, tan-to-brown silkmoth with large, prominent eyespots on its hindwings — named after the cyclops of Greek myth. Wingspan reaches 6 inches. One of Florida's most spectacular native moths, regularly found in suburban neighborhoods with oak trees.

Host Plant Oak (preferred), maple, birch, willow, elm — very broad

Active Spring and fall; drawn to porch lights on warm nights

Bird Food Caterpillars are one of the most important caterpillar species for birds

Cool fact: Plant an oak tree and you're feeding Polyphemus Moths — and by extension, the chickadees and other birds that feed their nestlings almost exclusively on caterpillars. One oak supports hundreds of caterpillar species.

Host Plant Quick Reference

Plant these native plants and you're directly supporting the pollinators that depend on them. Host plants are where butterflies and moths lay eggs and where caterpillars feed. Nectar plants alone won't keep pollinators in your yard long-term.

Passionflower

Passiflora incarnata, P. lutea

Gulf Fritillary Zebra Longwing Julia Heliconian

Coontie

Zamia pumila

Atala Butterfly

Native Milkweed

Asclepias tuberosa, A. perennis

Monarch Queen Butterfly

Wild Lime / Hercules Club

Zanthoxylum spp.

Giant Swallowtail Schaus Swallowtail

Red Bay / Swamp Bay

Persea borbonia

Palamedes Swallowtail Spicebush Swallowtail

Wild Senna / Partridge Pea

Chamaecrista fasciculata

Cloudless Sulphur Orange-barred Sulphur Sleepy Orange

Blueberry

Vaccinium corymbosum, V. darrowii

SE Blueberry Bee Bumble Bees Spring Azure

Live Oak

Quercus virginiana

Polyphemus Moth Banded Hairstreak 300+ caterpillar spp.

Sweet Gum

Liquidambar styraciflua

Luna Moth Imperial Moth Satin Moth

Coral Honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Snowberry Clearwing

Butterfly Pea

Centrosema virginianum

Long-tailed Skipper Zarucco Duskywing

Firebush

Hamelia patens

Hummingbird Zebra Longwing Gulf Fritillary

Ready to plant for pollinators? Explore our full plant profiles database for detailed growing information on every host plant listed above. Each profile includes spacing, light requirements, soil preferences, and seasonal performance for Spring Hill and Hernando County. Browse Plant Profiles →