July 28, 2026 A Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) eating the nectar of Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens). As an adult, the Painted Lady butterfly lives from 2 to 4 weeks. Favorite host plants for Painted Lady butterflies are thistles, hollyhocks, sunflowers, and mallows. This butterfly has the widest distribution of any butterfly globally. It lives in…