California Gardens - The Year Round Gardening Site

California Hairstreak - Satyrium californica

California Hairstreaks (Satyrium californica) are common from British Colombia to Southern California and east to Colorado. In our Southern California gardens we can typically see 1 broods in a season usually lasting May to August. Larval foods include Oaks and Willows, Cherry or Plums, Ceanothus, Cercocarpus. Adults are happy with nectar from almost any blooming plants. Gray Hairstreaks can be a pest with corn and cotton crops. This California Hairstreak is feeding on Asclepias subulata, Rush Milkweed or Skeleton Milkweed. We have an extensive list of plants that will attract these and other beauties to your butterfly garden.

California Hairstreak, Satyrium californica

California Hairstreak sipping nectar from Rush Milkweed. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.

High resolution photos of the Gray Hairstreak are part of our garden image collection.

Plants to attract the Gray Hairstreak, or Common Hairstreak to your garden:
Asclepias californica
Asclepias cordifolia
Asclepias curassavica Silky Gold
Asclepias eriocarpa
Asclepias erosa
Asclepias fascicularis
Asclepias linaria
Asclepias speciosa
Asclepias subulata * Rush Milkweed, Skeleton Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Aster chilense
Asteriscus maritimus
Asteriscus sericeus
Baileya multiradiata
Bidens Bedance Painted Red
Calliandra californica
Calliandra eriophylla
Calliandra haematocephala
Calliandra haematocephala alba
Calliandra tweedii
Calendula Zeolights
Centaurea cyanus
Centaurea gymnocarpa
Centaurea montana
Chrysothamnus nauseosus
Cirsium occidentale
Echinacea Cheyenne Spirit
Echinacea purpurea
Echinacea Salsa Red * Salsa Red Cone Flower
Echinacea Sunset
Ericameria linearifolia
Ericameria nauseosa
Erigeron argentatus * Silver Fleabane
Erigeron glaucus Bountiful * Bountiful Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus Sea Breeze * Pink Seaside Daisy, Sea Breeze Seaside Daisy
Erigeron gkaucus Wayne Roderick * Wayne Roderick Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus White Lights * White Lights Seaside Daisy
Erigeron karvinskianus * Mexican Daisy, Santa Barbara Daisy
Erigeron speciosus Aspen Fleabane, Showy Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane
Eriodictyon crassifolium * Felt Leaved Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon tomentosum * Woolly Yerba Santa
Eriogonum arborescens
Eriogonum cinereum
Eriogonum crocatum
Eriogonum fasciculatum
Eriogonum giganteum
Eriogonum grande rubescens
Eriogonum incanum
Eriogonum latifolium * Seaside Buckwheat, Coast Buckwheat
Eriogonum umbellatum
Eryngium planum * Blue Eryngo, Flat Sea Holly
Eryngium variifolium * Moroccan Sea Holly
Eryngium yuccifolium * Button Eryngo, Rattlesnake Master
Lavandula allardii Meerlo
Lavandula dentata
Lavandula dentata candicans
Lavandula Fred Boutin
Lavandula Goodwin Creek
Lavandula Grosso
Lavandula heterophylla
Lavandula multifida
Lavandula pinnata buchii
Lavandula Provence
Lavandula stoechas Atlas
Lavandula stoechas Coco Blue White
Lavandula stoechas Madrid Purple
Lavandula stoechas Silver Anouk
Leucanthemum superbum * Shasta Daisy
Osteospermum fruticosum
Osteospermum Spider White
Plumeria Celadine
Rudbeckia Tiger Eye
Santolina chamaecyparissus
Santolina Lemon Queen
Santolina virens
Scabiosa Black Knight
Scabiosa Butterfly Blue
Scabiosa caucasica Fama Blue
Scabiosa caucasica Perfecta Blue
Scabiosa columbaria
Scabiosa cretica
Scabiosa farinosa
Scabiosa ochraleuca
Scabiosa Pink Mist
Stokesia Blue Danube
Stokesia Peachies Pick
Stokesia Purple Parasols
Symphotrichum chilense
Verbena bonariensis
Verbena liacina De La Mina
Verbena lilacina Paseo Rancho
Verbena rigida