The Spicebush Swallowtail is a medium to large butterfly found in various parts of North America. It gets its name from the spicebush plant, one of its primary host plants. This butterfly is typically black with broad hindwings bordered by pale greenish spots. Males have a distinctive blue-green band across the hindwings, while females show a softer blue shading in the same area.

 

Female

Spicebush Swallowtail” by John Flannery, licensed under (CC BY-ND 2.0)

 

Male

Spicebush Swallowtail” by Rodney Campbell, licensed under (CC BY 2.0)

 

Spicebush Swallowtail Facts

Butterfly Family: Swallowtail Butterflies (Papilionidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Papilioninae

Butterfly Wingspan: 3 – 4 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Deciduous woodlands, fields, roadsides, yards, pine barrens, wooded swamps, and parks

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

  • Redbay (Persea borbonia)

  • Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

  • Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

  • Swampbay (Persea palustris)

  • Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)

  • Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of native flowers:

  • Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

  • Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

  • Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

  • Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)

  • Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)

  • Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

  • Phlox (Phlox paniculata or P. divaricata)

  • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

  • Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

  • Thistle (Cirsium discolor)

  • Zinnia (Zinnia spp.)