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Eastern tiger swallowtail
Eastern tiger swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
Butterfly
Large yellow-and-black butterfly common across eastern North America. Adults nectar on a wide variety of native perennials including coneflower, bee balm, garden phlox, and butterfly weed; larvae feed on tulip tree, wild cherry, and other native trees.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 11
American plum
Prunus americana
Documented
Prunus americana is a documented larval host for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and other butterflies; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center notes the plants "are a host to many butterflies," and Missouri Botanical Garden lists the species among host plants for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.
Black cherry
Prunus serotina
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists black cherry as a larval host for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail; Prunus serotina is one of this swallowtail's key native host trees across the East.
Black willow
Salix nigra
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists black willow as a larval host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (along with the Acadian Hairstreak, Mourning Cloak, Viceroy, and Red-spotted Purple — willows are among the most important larval hosts of native North American trees).
Eastern cottonwood
Populus deltoides
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists eastern cottonwood as a larval host for Tiger Swallowtail (along with Mourning Cloak, Red-spotted Purple, and Viceroy) — poplars and cottonwoods are well-known caterpillar host trees.
European plum
Prunus domestica
Documented
The NC State Plant Toolbox documents Prunus domestica as a larval host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus).
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
Plausible
Both sources document fennel as a larval host for "certain swallowtail butterflies" without naming each species; swallowtail host use is recorded here as the genus-level relationship the sources state.
Pussy willow
Salix discolor
Documented
Willows (Salix) are a documented larval host for the eastern tiger swallowtail among the many Lepidoptera that use the genus.
Quaking aspen
Populus tremuloides
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists quaking aspen as a larval host for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (and the Viceroy). Aspens and poplars are well-documented butterfly host trees.
Sweet cherry
Prunus avium
Documented
NC State Extension documents Prunus avium as a larval host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus).
Tulip tree (yellow poplar)
Liriodendron tulipifera
Documented
NC State documents tulip tree as the primary larval host for Papilio glaucus, supporting three flights in the deep south (February-November) and one in the north (March-September). The wedge-relevant relationship for eastern butterfly-garden design: planting tulip tree is among the most direct ways to support local eastern tiger swallowtail populations.
Weeping willow
Salix babylonica
Plausible
Willows (Salix) are among the documented larval host trees of the eastern tiger swallowtail across its range; Salix babylonica is a non-native willow that can serve the same role where planted.
Nectar plants · 32
Annual vinca
Catharanthus roseus
Plausible
NC State Extension lists the flowers as attracting butterflies. The long, narrow nectar tube favors long-tongued butterflies such as swallowtails; mapped here as a representative documented butterfly visitor rather than a recorded specialist relationship.
Blue false indigo
Baptisia australis
Documented
Butterfly weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Documented
Cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Documented
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists cardinal flower as attracting butterflies; large swallowtails with long proboscises are among the few insects that can reach the nectar in the long red tube.
Catawba rhododendron
Rhododendron catawbiense
Plausible
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder notes the flowers are a nectar source for butterflies; large swallowtails are typical visitors to spring-blooming Appalachian rhododendrons, though the source does not name species.
Common hops
Humulus lupulus
Plausible
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags Humulus lupulus var. lupuloides as a plant that attracts butterflies; the specific documented larval hosts (Question Mark and Red Admiral) are not yet in the Plotwright wildlife catalog, so no host-larvae relationship is asserted here.
Common lilac
Syringa vulgaris
Documented
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists common lilac as attracting butterflies; the fragrant spring panicles are a nectar source for swallowtails and other early-season butterflies.
Common milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Documented
Daylily
Hemerocallis (hybrid)
Plausible
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists daylilies as attracting butterflies; large swallowtails such as the eastern tiger swallowtail nectar at the open flowers.
Dense blazing star
Liatris spicata
Documented
European pear
Pyrus communis
Plausible
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists the species under "Attracts: Butterflies" for its showy fragrant spring flowers; the specific butterfly species are not named, so this is mapped as a plausible nectar visitor rather than a documented host relationship.
Foxglove beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Documented
Garden phlox
Phlox paniculata
Documented
Japanese spirea
Spiraea japonica
Documented
The Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder and NC State Extension both report that the showy flat-topped flower clusters of Spiraea japonica attract butterflies for nectar. Mapped to a representative widespread eastern nectar-feeding butterfly; the sources document butterfly attraction at the category level rather than naming species.
Lantana
Lantana camara
Plausible
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists the flowers as attractive to butterflies; lantana is a widely used nectar plant for large swallowtails, though MBG names butterflies only as a group rather than this species.
Mountain laurel
Kalmia latifolia
Documented
New Jersey tea
Ceanothus americanus
Documented
New York ironweed
Vernonia noveboracensis
Documented
Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Documented
Quince
Cydonia oblonga
Plausible
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder flags the showy spring flowers under "Attracts: Butterflies" without naming species; mapped as a plausible nectar visitor rather than a documented host relationship.
Scarlet bee balm
Monarda didyma
Documented
Spotted Joe-Pye weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Documented
Stiff goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Documented
Sugar maple
Acer saccharum
Documented
NC State notes the flowers attract butterflies; sugar maple's late-spring bloom timing fits the first eastern tiger swallowtail brood.
Summersweet (sweet pepperbush)
Clethra alnifolia
Documented
Swamp milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Documented
Sweet Joe-Pye weed
Eutrochium purpureum
Documented
Eastern tiger swallowtails work the tall domed flower clusters concurrently with other large butterflies; the late-season bloom timing makes joe-pye one of the few reliable nectar sources during the second swallowtail brood.
Threadleaf coreopsis
Coreopsis verticillata
Documented
Virginia bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Documented
Virginia sweetspire
Itea virginica
Documented
Woodland phlox
Phlox divaricata
Documented
NC State lists "butterflies" generically; eastern tiger swallowtails are among the documented spring visitors on woodland phlox stands.
Yoshino cherry
Prunus × yedoensis
Documented
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists Prunus × yedoensis as attracting butterflies; the profuse early-spring bloom is an early nectar source for swallowtails and other butterflies.
Range
Eastern North America from southern Canada to Florida.
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