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Gray hairstreak butterfly

Strymon melinus

Tiny butterfly with gray underside, orange hindwing spots, and hair-like tail extensions. Caterpillars feed on legumes and other plants. Widespread generalist that benefits from diverse Bay Area plant palettes.

Plants that support Gray hairstreak butterfly

Sun Exposure
Water
Size
Garden Style
Plant Traits

49 plants

Red-flowering buckwheat

Red-flowering buckwheat

Eriogonum grande var. rubescens

critical

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Blue Witch

Blue Witch

Solanum umbelliferum

high

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
California Milkweed

California Milkweed

Asclepias californica

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Dove Weed

Dove Weed

Croton setiger

high

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Giant Coreopsis

Giant Coreopsis

Leptosyne gigantea

high

perennial herb

Nectar

Island mallow

Island mallow

Malva assurgentiflora

high

shrub

Larval Host

Jepson's Woolly Sunflower

Jepson's Woolly Sunflower

Eriophyllum jepsonii

high

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Mountain Pride Bluewitch

Mountain Pride Bluewitch

Solanum xanti 'Mountain Pride'

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Pacific stonecrop

Pacific stonecrop

Sedum spathulifolium

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Seaside Heliotrope

Seaside Heliotrope

Heliotropium curassavicum

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Summer Lupine

Summer Lupine

Lupinus formosus var. formosus

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native Keystone species
Woolypod milkweed

Woolypod milkweed

Asclepias eriocarpa

high

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Alkali Seaheath

Alkali Seaheath

Frankenia salina

perennial herb

Nectar

American Licorice

American Licorice

Glycyrrhiza lepidota

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
American birdsfoot trefoil

American birdsfoot trefoil

Acmispon americanus

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Beach Suncup

Beach Suncup

Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia subsp. cheiranthifolia

perennial herb

Larval Host

Big Deervetch

Big Deervetch

Hosackia crassifolia var. crassifolia

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Big Sagebrush

Big Sagebrush

Artemisia tridentata

perennial herb

Nectar

Keystone species
Bladder Desert-parsley

Bladder Desert-parsley

Lomatium utriculatum

perennial herb

Nectar

Bay Area native
Brewer's Ragwort

Brewer's Ragwort

Packera breweri

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Bright Green Dudleya

Bright Green Dudleya

Dudleya virens

perennial herb

Nectar

Bay Area native
California Buckeye

California Buckeye

Aesculus californica

tree

Nectar

Bay Area native
California Buckwheat

California Buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
California Coffeeberry

California Coffeeberry

Frangula californica

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
California Golden Violet

California Golden Violet

Viola pedunculata

perennial herb

Foliage

Bay Area native
California Goldenrod

California Goldenrod

Solidago velutina ssp. californica

perennial herb

Nectar

Bay Area native Keystone species
California Phacelia

California Phacelia

Phacelia californica

perennial herb

Nectar

Bay Area native
California Wild Rose

California Wild Rose

Rosa californica

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native Keystone species
Chaparral Pea

Chaparral Pea

Pickeringia montana var. montana

shrub

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Douglas's False Willow

Douglas's False Willow

Baccharis glutinosa

perennial herb

Nectar

Bay Area native
Golden aster

Golden aster

Heterotheca sessiliflora

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Graceful Cinquefoil

Graceful Cinquefoil

Potentilla gracilis

perennial herb

Nectar

Hooker's Evening Primrose

Hooker's Evening Primrose

Oenothera elata subsp. hookeri

annual

Nectar

Bay Area native
Imbricate Phacelia

Imbricate Phacelia

Phacelia imbricata var. imbricata

perennial herb

Nectar

Bay Area native
Large Leather-root

Large Leather-root

Hoita macrostachya

perennial herb

Foliage

Bay Area native
Lippia

Lippia

Phyla nodiflora

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Mission Manzanita

Mission Manzanita

Xylococcus bicolor

perennial herb

Larval Host

Popcorn-flower

Popcorn-flower

Plagiobothrys nothofulvus

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Rodeo Rose Arroyo Lupine

Rodeo Rose Arroyo Lupine

Lupinus succulentus 'Rodeo Rose'

annual

Larval Host

Keystone species
Rough-leaved Aster

Rough-leaved Aster

Eurybia radulina

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Santa Rosa Island Sage

Santa Rosa Island Sage

Salvia brandegeei 'Pacific Blue'

shrub

Larval Host

Scarlet Bugler

Scarlet Bugler

Penstemon centranthifolius

perennial herb

Nectar

Bay Area native
Seaside woolly sunflower

Seaside woolly sunflower

Eriophyllum staechadifolium

shrub

Nectar

Shade Phacelia

Shade Phacelia

Phacelia nemoralis var. nemoralis

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
St. Catherine's Lace

St. Catherine's Lace

Eriogonum giganteum

perennial herb

Nectar

Bay Area native
Vervain

Vervain

Verbena lasiostachys var. scabrida

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Western Virgin's Bower

Western Virgin's Bower

Clematis ligusticifolia

vine

Nectar

Bay Area native
Willdenow's Clover

Willdenow's Clover

Trifolium willdenovii

annual

Larval Host

Bay Area native
Willow-leaved Dock

Willow-leaved Dock

Rumex salicifolius

perennial herb

Larval Host

Bay Area native