A plant which aids, shelters, or protects another plant in its growth, as those which are used for nurse crops.
A plant that provides nourishment and protection to a parasitic organism, living plant, or animal.
living plant attacked by or harboring a parasite or pathogen and from which the invader obtains part or all of its nourishment
Any plant that provides nutrition (and possibly shelter) for a plant pest to survive. That is, any plant that an insect or pathogen lives on is a host plant.
plant on which an insect, mite, fungus etc. lives and feeds
the plant on which an insect feeds. Many insects are adapted to feed on only one type or family of plants.
the variety of plant on which an insect prefers to live and eat. Manduca sexta host plants are in the Nightshade family (Solanaceae).
a place where she will lay her eggs
a plant that caterpillars eat, and you must plant these too
The plant used for food by a specific species. Butterflies typically lay their eggs on the host plant used by the caterpillar. A single species of butterfly may use one or several species of plants as host plants.
the plant that adult butterflies and moths will use for egg laying. Many species of butterflies and moths will only lay their eggs on one or a few types of plants, while others are less selective. The eggs are only placed on plants that the emerging caterpillars will eat. Hollyhock, thistle, and mallow are all host plants for the painted ladies butterfly. Milkweed plants are host plants for monarch butterflies.