If you want to attract Swallowtail butterflies to your garden, check out the list of host and nectar plants below for each of the seven species that visit Tennessee!
| Swallowtail Species | Host Plants | Nectar Plants |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian |
Magnolia Tree (Magnolia virginiana) Wild Black Cherry Tree (Prunus serotina) Willow (Salix) |
Blackberry (Rubus) Cockspur Hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli) Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) Northern Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) Wild Black Cherry Tree (Prunus serotina) |
| Black |
Carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) Celery (Apium graveolens) Dill (Anethum graveolens) Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) Rue (Ruta graveolens) |
Blazing Stars (Liatris spp.) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Verbena (Vervain spp.) Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) |
| Eastern Tiger | American Basswood (Tilia americana)
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) Green Ash Tree (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) Hickory Tree (Carya) Hop Tree (Ptelea trifoliata) Plum Tree (Prunus domestica) Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) Tulip Poplar Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) White Ash Tree (Fraxinus americana) |
Blazing Stars (Liatris spp.) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Verbena (Vervain spp.) Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) |
| Giant | Hop Tree (Ptelea trifoliata)
Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) Rue (Ruta graveolens) |
Blazing Stars (Liatris spp.) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Verbena (Vervain spp.) Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) |
| Pipevine | Pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla) |
Azalea (Rhododendron) Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) Blazing Stars (Liatris spp.) Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum) Petunia (Petunia x hybrida) Phlox (Phlox drummondii) Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Thistle (Cirsium discolor) Verbena (Vervain spp.) Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) |
| Spicebush | Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) |
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum) Phlox (Phlox drummondii) Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Red Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Thistle (Cirsium discolor) Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) |
| Zebra | Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) |
Blackberry (Rubus) Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) Eastern Blue Star (Amsonia tabernaemontana) Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) Jacobs Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum) Pawpaw Tree (Asimina triloba) Verbena (Vervain spp.) White Clover (Trifolium repens) Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) |