Here are some of the best food plants, shrubs and trees that you can have in the garden for the caterpillars of Moths and Butterflies.

Plants

• Bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) - Will attract: Common blue (Polyommatus icarus), Green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi).
  
  
• Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) - Will attract: Scarlet tiger (Callimorpha dominula).
  
  
• Cuckoo flower or Lady’s smock (Cardamine pratensis)- Orange-tip and Green-veined white
  
  
• Dog rose (Rosa canina) - Will attract: Shoulder stripe (Earophila badiata), Streamer (Anticlea derivata) and Barred yellow (Cidaria fulvata) moths
  
  
• Fuchsias (Fuchsia species) - Will attract: Elephant hawk moths (Deilephila elpenor)
  
  
• Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)- Orange-tip and Green-veined white 
  
  
• Hops (Humulus lupulus) - Will attract: Comma (pictured), Currant pug (Eupithecia assimilata), buttoned snout (Hypena rostralis), buff ermine (Spilosoma lutea), pale tussock (Calliteara pudibunda).
  
  
• Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) - Will attract: Large white (Pieris brassicae), Small white (Pieris rapae) and Green-veined white (Pieris napi).
  
  
• Nettles (Urtica dioica) - Will attract: Red admirals (Vanessa atalanta), Commas (Polygonia c-album), Peacocks (Aglais io), and Small Tortoiseshells (Aglais urticae). Also, Mother of pearl (Pleuroptya ruralis), Burnished brass (Diachrysia chrysitis), Jersey tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria), Beautiful golden Y (Autographa pulchrina), spectacle (Abrostola tripartita) and Snout (Hypena proboscidalis) moths.
  
  
• Sweet bedstraw (Galium species) - Will attract: Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Red twin-spot carpet (Xanthorhoe spadicearia), Barred straw (Gandaritis pyraliata).
  
  
• Thistles (Cirsium and Carduus species) - Will attract: Painted ladies (Vanessa cardui)
  
  
• Verbascum thapsus (Verbascum bombyciferum) - Will attract: Mullein moths (Cucullia verbasci)
  
  

Shrubs

• Alder buckthorn, Frangula alnus - Will attract: Brimstones (Gonepteryx rhamni)
  
  
• Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) - Will attract: Brown hairstreak (Thecla betulae), Blue-bordered carpet (Plemyria rubiginata), Peppered moth (Biston betularia), Chinese character (Cilix glaucata).
  
  
• Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) - Will attract: Swallow-tailed moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria), Brimstone moth (Opisthograptis luteolata), Feathered thorn (Colotois
  pennaria).
  
  
• Holly (Ilex aquifolium) and ivy (Hedera helix) - Will attract: Holly blues (Celastrina argiolus)

Trees

• Lime (Tilia species) - Will attract: Orange sallow (Tiliacea citrago), Lime hawkmoth (Mimas tiliae).
  
  
• Oaks (deciduous, native Quercus species) - Will attract: Purple hairstreak (Neozephyrus quercus), Merveille du jour (Griposia aprilina), Oak beauty (Biston strataria), December moth (Poecilocapma populi).
  
  
• Willows (Salix species) - Will attract: Sallow kitten (Furcula furcula), Poplar hawk-moth (Laothoe populi), Puss moth (Cerura vinula), Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix), Red underwing (Catocala nupta).

Grasses

•  Common bent (Agrostis capillaris), Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata), Couch grass (Elytrigia repens) Will attract: Skippers (Thymelicus sylvestris), Marbled white (Melanargia galathea), Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina), Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus), Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus), Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria).