
What Kind Of Plants Do Butterflies Lay Their Eggs On?
Butterfly | Host plant |
Monarch | Milkweed |
Black swallowtail | Carrot, parsnip, parsley |
Red admiral | Nettles |
Zebras | Passion flower leaves |
What plants do butterflies lay eggs on?
Butterfly egg laying depends on the type of butterfly, as do the butterfly host plants. Below is a list of common butterflies and their preferred host plants: Monarch – Milkweed. Black Swallowtail – Carrots, Rue, Parsley, Dill, Fennel.
Do swallowtail butterflies lay eggs in parsley?
So perhaps it is her kin, but whoever they are, the black swallowtail butterflies come to my Secret Garden every year and lay their eggs in my parsley plants. First, she lays eggs all over the parsley and as soon as the Caterpillars emerge from the eggs, they begin devouring my parsley like crazy.
What kind of tree do swallowtail butterflies lay eggs?
Tiger swallowtails lay small, pearlescent green eggs individually on the topside of leaves. They choose the leaves of various trees and plants, including: Tulip trees: Also known as tulip poplars, these trees don’t actually belong to the poplar family.
What plants do butterflies like to eat?
Below is a list of common butterflies and their preferred host plants: Monarch – Milkweed. Black Swallowtail – Carrots, Rue, Parsley, Dill, Fennel. Tiger Swallowtail – Wild Cherry, Birch, Ash, Poplar, Apple Trees, Tulip Trees, Sycamore.

What plants do yellow swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs on?
Butterfly want to lay their eggs on a good larval source, so the young have something to eat as soon as they emerge from the egg. The nectar plants of the tiger swallowtail are butterfly bush, cone flowers, milkweed, phlox, lilac, ironweed, and wild cherry – I've even seen them on my plumbago flowers.
What is the host plant for the swallowtail butterfly?
The host plants of the Black Swallowtail butterfly include such plants as carrots, parsley, dill, fennel, Queen Anne's Lace and rue. The Anise Swallowtail caterpillar feeds on anise as well and reportedly citrus plants also.
Where do swallowtails lay their eggs?
The black swallowtail has two generations a year. The first group of butterflies emerges between late April and early June after having overwintered in the chrysalis. They mate and then the females lay small white eggs on the underside and tops of plant leaves. The eggs hatch in 3-5 days.
What plants do butterflies lay their eggs on?
Some of the best plants for attracting butterflies are:Butterfly Bush.Joe Pye Weed.Caryopteris.Lantana.Butterfly Weed.Cosmos.Shasta Daisy.Zinnias.More items...•
What plants do Giant swallowtails lay eggs on?
A Giant Swallowtail lays eggs on wild lime Citrus plants (orange, lemon, etc) – Citrus spp. Rue – Ruta graveolens (Some people have bad reactions to rue, including marks on the skin as if they were burned.)
Can you raise Monarchs and swallowtails together?
At this point, I'm not aware of any issues with raising different caterpillar species in the same cage. However, I would recommend spacing them out by using elevated stem cuttings so they aren't forced to interact..
Where do swallowtails make their chrysalis?
They'll even form chrysalises inside holes in the bottom of an egg carton that we (formerly) used to hold floral tubes: It's much easier to deal with relocation after the chrysalis is formed. If you're happy with the caterpillar-chosen location, just leave the chrysalis in place and let nature take its course…
Are swallowtail butterflies good for the garden?
Black swallowtails are not really harmful as adults but they don't directly benefit any garden plants either. Their young are considered pests in large numbers, but the average hatch doesn't kill carrot plants, just defoliates them.
What butterflies lay eggs on parsley?
If you want to attract black swallowtails, don't destroy the beautiful, brightly striped caterpillars! The butterflies lay their eggs on the parsley plants, which hatch into caterpillars. The caterpillars munch on leaves before pupating and creating a chrysalis.
What do swallowtail butterflies like to lay their eggs on?
Eggs and Host Plants Black swallowtail butterflies (Papilio polyxenes) lay eggs on celery, sweet fennel, caraway, parsley and dill, along with common roadside wildflowers like Queen Anne's lace. This is one of the easiest butterflies to lure to your own backyard, just by planting a bed of these herbs in a sunny spot.
What butterfly lays eggs on dill?
female black swallowtail butterflyA female black swallowtail butterfly lays her eggs on dill. This is one reason growing herbs like parsley and dill in a backyard garden has become so popular.
What is a butterfly's favorite flower?
For butterflies, Joe-Pye weed, ironweed, coneflowers, goldenrod, and brightly-hued asters are nectar-filled favorites.
What native plants do swallowtail caterpillars eat?
Many of our old world culinary crops happen to be in this family, including Carrots, Dill, Cilantro, Fennel, Parsley, Celery, Anise, Caraway, and Chervil - and this is why we often find Black Swallowtails feeding on these plants.
What is rue a host plant for?
The rue plant is the Host Plant for three different types of butterflies. The Black Swallowtail, Anise Swallowtail, and the Giant Swallowtail butterflies use this plant (among others) to lay their eggs, so their caterpillars can eat the foliage and grow.
What butterfly uses fennel as host plant?
Swallowtail butterfliesBoth fennel and dill look great in the landscape with their fine-textured, feathery fronds, but my favorite similarity of these herbs is that they are excellent host plants for Swallowtail butterflies! These tiny white eggs that are laid atop and under the leaves of dill and fennel hatch in about 3-5 days.
Where do swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs?
Giant swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs on trees in the citrus family, including lemon, lime and orange. This family also includes prickly ash (Aralia spinosa) and hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata), along with common rue (Ruta graevolens). Be careful, though. Almost all of these trees have spiny branches!
What is the best plant for butterflies?
Salvia longispicata x farinacea, zones 7 to 10. Most salvia species are excellent for butterflies, but the tall blue flower spikes of the cultivar, Mystic Spires, are especially suited to large butterflies like swallowtails. Plant in well-drained soil and cut back spent flowers to encourage new growth.
What butterfly is the largest in the garden?
Transform your backyard garden into a swallowtail butterfly paradise with these flower favorites. Every butterfly gardener delights when showy swallowtails make an appearance. These butterflies are some of the largest in the garden, and their colorful wings and soaring flight patterns make them a treat to watch.
What do black swallowtail caterpillars eat?
This annual is a favorite host plant for black swallowtail caterpillars. They’ll also eat fennel, dill, Queen Anne’s lace and other members of the carrot family , but parsley is easy to grow in just about every garden. In the Deep South, provide some shade in the hot summer months.
Why do we love swallowtails?
Why we love it: The central cone that gives the flower its name makes it easy to see swallowtails (and photograph them) when they land for a meal.
What is butterfly weed?
Butterfly weed is part of the milkweed family, known host plants for monarchs. But the flowers it produces are also attractive to many other kinds of butterflies, including the black swallowtail. This resilient plant is a must-have addition to any garden. It tolerates dry soil and prefers plenty of sunshine.
What is the best flower to grow in butterfly gardens?
Coneflower. Echinacea purpurea, zones 3 to 9. This native wildflower finds its way into every butterfly garden sooner or later. Coneflower is easy to grow and provides masses of tall purple blooms. For best growth, you should divide the clumps every few years.
What butterfly lays eggs on parsley?
The Swallowtail butterfly lays eggs on my parsley plant and metamorphis begins.
Who is "She" in the parsley basket?
Who is “she” you ask? Well, “She” is a female Swallowtail butterfly. (note the blue color near the bottom of her wings). You see, several years ago, “She” decided to use the parsley in my Herb basket as her “nest”.