Nasturtiums and Cabbage Whites

Nasturtiums are one of the host plants for Cabbage Whites. Of course, Cabbage Whites also use cabbages and other plants in the cabbage family. But nasturtiums are everywhere and commonly used.

Cabbage Whites are not the charismatic butterfly. They are so plain in coloration, that people think they are moths. But, like most day-flying lepidoptera, they are butterflies. And they are not native. They were brought to this country from Europe, probably as eggs and larvae on cabbages.

However, I love them. Partly because they are so easy to rear. And partly because they are common across the USA. You can attract them almost anywhere. Put a pot of nasturtiums on your balcony in the middle of a big city, and you will probably get cabbage whites. The caterpillars are so well camouflaged, it is almost impossible to find them on leaves. I find it easier to look for the eggs, since the white eggs contrast nicely with the green leaves.

So even if Cabbage Whites are not the most beautiful or the most loved, they do have their positive qualities.