Vanessa cardui
Common name: Painted Lady
Feeds on these plants:
Allium ampeloprasum
(sold as elephant garlic)
Allium cepa ‘Pickling Onion’
(sold as Barletta)
Allium cepa ‘Red Onions’
(sold as Sweet Spanish Red, Southport red globe, Granex Red, red hamburger)
Allium cepa ‘Shallot’
(sold as Ambition, Armador, Cuisse de Poulet echalion, Matador)
Allium sativum
(sold as California Early, California Late)
Allium schoenoprasum
(sold as Corsican, Grolau Forcing Chives, Polyvit, Prager, Staro)
Allium tuberosum
(sold as Kobold a couper, mauve flowering form)
Arctostaphylos bakeri ssp. bakeri
Arctostaphylos bakeri ‘Louis Edmonds’
Arctostaphylos densiflora
(sold as Emerald Carpet)
Arctostaphylos densiflora
(sold as Howard McMinn)
Arctostaphylos hookeri ssp. hearstiorum
Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. elegans
Arctostaphylos pajaroensis ‘Warren’
Arctostaphylos stanfordiana ssp. stanfordiana
Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. rosei
Arctostaphylos
(sold as aff. Purissima)
Asclepias curassavica
(sold as Silky Deep Red)
Asclepias curassavica
(sold as Silky Gold)
Buddleja davidii ‘Pink Delight’
Buddleja davidii
(sold as dwarf)
Buddleja weyeriana 'honeycomb'
Celosia
(sold as Mixed Colors)
Celosia
(sold as Prestige Scarlet)
Cirsium altissimum
(sold as Thistle)
Cirsium arvense
(sold as Thistle)
Cirsium hilli
(sold as Thistle)
Cirsium muticum
(sold as Thistle)
Cirsium nuttalii
(sold as Thistle)
Cirsium occidentale
(sold as Thistle)
Cirsium species
(sold as Thistle)
Cirsium vulgare
(sold as Thistle)
Dahlia hybrid
(sold as gallery Series)
Dahlia
(sold as Alfred Grille)
Dahlia
(sold as Mystic Desire)
Dahlia
(sold as Orange Dinner Plate)
Dahlia
(sold as Park Princess)
Dahlia
(sold as Pink Dinner Plate)
Dahlia
(sold as Prince Charming)
Dahlia
(sold as Purple Dinner Plate)
Dianthus caryophyllus
(sold as Cinnamon Red Hots)
Dianthus hybrid
(sold as Spangled Star)
Dianthus
(sold as Raspberrry Parfait)
Dianthus
(sold as Telstar Crimson)
Dianthus
(sold as Telstar Purple)
Dianthus
(sold as x Raspberry Swirl)
Echium hybrid
(sold as Mr Happy)
Erigeron glaucus
(sold as Bountiful)
Erigeron glaucus
(sold as Cape Sebastian)
Lantana camara
(sold as Carlos)
Lantana camara
(sold as Landmark Peach Sunrise)
Lantana camara
(sold as Landmark Pink Dawn)
Lantana hybrid
(sold as New Gold)
Lantana montevidensis
(sold as Confetti)
Lantana montevidensis
(sold as Lavender Trailing)
Lantana montevidensis
(sold as New Gold)
Lantana montevidensis
(sold as orange)
Lantana montevidensis
(sold as white)
Lantana montevidensis
(sold as yellow)
Ligustrum sinense ‘Variegatum’
Nepeta racemosa ssp. racemosa ‘Blue Wonder’
Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker's Low’
Nepeta x faassenii
(sold as Blue Ice)
Nepeta x faassenii
(sold as Dropmore)
Passiflora edulis
(sold as Frederick)
Passiflora
(sold as Lavender Lady)
Prunus laurocerasus ‘Marbled White’
Prunus laurocerasus ‘Otto Luyken’
Salvia cleveladii, or clevelandii
Salvia coccinea
(sold as May Night)
Salvia coccinea
(sold as Rose Queen)
Salvia coccinea
(sold as Select Rose)
Salvia elegans
(sold as Golden Delicious)
Salvia greggii ‘Navajo Bright Red’
Salvia greggii ‘Sierra San Antonio’
Salvia greggii
(sold as watermelon Autumn Sage pink)
Salvia involucrata
(sold as El Cielo)
Salvia leucantha ‘Santa Barbara’
Salvia microphylla
(sold as Bezerkeley)
Salvia microphylla
(sold as Rosita)
Salvia microphylla
(sold as ucb pink)
Salvia nemorosa ‘Sensation Rose’
Salvia nemorosa
(sold as Viola Klose)
Salvia officinalis ssp. lavandulifolia
Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’
Salvia splendens ‘Salsa Purple’
Salvia verticillata ‘Purple Rain’
Salvia x sylvestris
(sold as Snowhill)
Salvia
(sold as Red Hot Sally)
Sedum anglicum
(sold as green)
Sedum kamtschaticum var. floriferum ‘Weinhenstephaner Gold’
Sedum kamtschaticum
(sold as Akebono)
Sedum rupestre
(sold as Blue Spruce)
Tagetes erecta
(sold as Inca Orange)
Tagetes erecta
(sold as Inca Yellow)
Tagetes
(sold as Marigold Antigua orange)
Tagetes
(sold as Marigold Antigua yellow)
Tagetes
(sold as Marigold Bonanza yellow)
Verbena hybrid
(sold as Quartz scarlet)
Verbena hybrid
(sold as Sparkler Purple & White)
Verbena hybrid
(sold as Sparkler Red & White)
Verbena hybrid
(sold as Sparkler Sky Blue & White)
Verbena hybrid
(sold as Tapien Pink)
Verbena
(sold as Aztec Cherry Red)
Verbena
(sold as Aztec Light Pink)
Verbena
(sold as Aztec Raspberry)
Verbena
(sold as Aztec White Magic)
Verbena
(sold as Babylon Deep Pink)
Verbena
(sold as Sparkler Purple & White)
Verbena
(sold as Sparkler Sky Blue & White)
Verbena
(sold as Tukana White)
Verbena
(sold as x hybrida Taylortown Red)
Veronica
(sold as Royal Candles)
Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum ‘Mariesii’
Viburnum tinus ‘Spring Bouquet’
Viburnum tridentatum
(sold as Densa)
Viburnum x bodnantense
(sold as Pink Dawn)
Viburnum x burkwoodii ‘Anne Russell’
Vinca minor
(sold as Bowles Blue)
Vinca minor
(sold as Sterling Silver)
Vinca
(sold as Pacifica Deep Orchid)
Vinca
(sold as Victory Bright Eye)
Vinca
(sold as Victory Deep Pink)
Vitex trifolia
(sold as Fascination)
Zinnia elegans
(sold as Magellan Coral)
Zinnia elegans
(sold as Magellan Yellow)
Zinnia elegans
(sold as Oklahoma Scarlet)
Zinnia elegans
(sold as Sizzle Cherry & Ivory)
Zinnia
(sold as Crystal White)
Zinnia
(sold as Dreamland Mix)
Zinnia
(sold as Dreamland scarlet)
Zinnia
(sold as Profusion Apricot)
Zinnia
(sold as Profusion Cherry)
Zinnia
(sold as Profusion Orange)
Zinnia
(sold as Profusion White)
Vanessa cardui, the Painted Lady, can be found in nearly every state in the union, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Favorite nectar plants include: Allium, Apocynum, Asclepias, Buddleja, Cephalanthus, Cirsium, Erigeron, Lantana, Liatris, Pentas, Salvia, Tithonia, Verbena, and Vernonia, and Zinnia
USDA Growing Zones for these plants include: 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11
Host plants:
Achillea millefolium
Alcea rosea
Althaea
Althaea officinalis
Amsinckia
Amsinckia douglasiana
Anaphalis
Anaphalis margaritacea
Anchusa
Anchusa officinalis
Arctium
Arctium lappa
Arctium minus
Arctium tomentosum
Arctotis
Arctotis grandis
Arctotis stoechadifolia
Argemone mexicana
Argyrolobium
Artemisia
Artemisia frigida
Artemisia ludoviciana
Artemisia princeps
Artemisia stelleriana
Artemisia subdecurrens
Artemisia vulgaris
Berkheya
Berkheya discolor
Beta vulgaris
Blumea
Blumea alata
Boehmeria
Boehmeria nivea
Borago
Borago officinalis
Brassica rapa sarson
Calendula officinalis
Carduus
Carduus acanthoides
Carduus crispus
Carduus nutans
Carduus pycnocephalus
Carlina vulgaris
Centaurea
Centaurea nigra
Centaurea solstitialis
Chenopodium album
Chrysanthemum
Cirsium
Cirsium acaule
Cirsium altissimum
Cirsium arvense
Cirsium callilepis oregonense
Cirsium discolor
Cirsium douglasii canescens
Cirsium helenioides
Cirsium hydrophilum
Cirsium japonicum
Cirsium muticum
Cirsium neomexicanum
Cirsium occidentale
Cirsium scopulorum
Cirsium texanum
Cirsium undulatum
Cirsium vulgare
Citrus sinensis
Cnicus benedictus
Cryptantha
Cryptantha angustifolia
Cucumis melo
Cynara cardunculus
Cynara scolymus
Cynoglossum
Debregeasia bicolor
Dendranthema indicum
Dimorphotheca
Dimorphotheca pluvialis
Dolichos
Echinops humilis
Echium
Echium vulgare
Eriodictyon californicum
Eryngium
Euchiton japonicus
Filago
Filago arvensis
Filago pyramidata
Fragaria
Gamochaeta pensylvanica
Gamochaeta purpurea
Gazania
Gerardiina
Girardinia diversifolia
Glycine
Glycine max
Gnaphalium
Gnaphalium affiro
Gnaphalium declinatum
Gnaphalium purpureum
Gossypium
Helianthella
Helianthus annuus
Helianthus argophyllus
Helichrysum
Ipomoea batatas
Lablab purpureus
Lactuca sativa
Lantana
Laportea
Laportea allidens
Lappula
Lupinus
Lupinus albifrons
Lupinus arboreus
Lupinus argenteus
Lupinus articus subalpinus
Lupinus bicolor
Lupinus formosus
Lupinus perennis
Lupinus succulentus
Madia
Madia sativa
Malva
Malva moschata
Malva neglecta
Malva nicaeensis
Malva parviflora
Malva rotundifolia
Malva sylvestris
Malva verticillata
Malvella leprosa
Medicago sativa
Mentha
Mentha spicata
Myosotis
Nicotiana
Nicotiana glauca
Nonea
Obetia radula
Onopordum acanthium
Oryza sativa
Parietaria
Parthenium argentatum
Pentzia
Petunia
Phacelia campanularia
Phaseolus
Phaseolus vulgaris
Pisum sativum
Plantago lanceolata
Plantago major
Prunus
Raphanus sativus
Rhamnus
Ricinus
Ricinus communis
Rumex
Salvia
Senecio
Senecio cineraria
Senecio maritima
Serratula
Silybum marianum
Smilax china
Solanum tuberosum
Soleirolia
Sonchus
Sphaeralcea ambigua
Stachys floridana
Stoebe
Symphytum
Symphytum officinale
Tanacetum
Trifolium
Ulmus americana
Ulmus davidiana
Urtica
Urtica dioica
Urtica dioica gracilis
Urtica massaica
Urtica thunbergiana
Urtica urens
Wyethia glabra
Xanthium
Xanthium spinosum
Xanthium strumarium canadense
Zea mays
Zornia diphylla
