Provide essential food and shelter for swallowtail butterflies at every stage of their life cycle.

By planting these host plants, you’ll support caterpillars as they grow, witness the magic of metamorphosis, and release new born butterflies into your garden. It’s an easy, rewarding way to nurture nature.

A female Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) in my butterfly tent

 

Raising your butterflies

Choose your own butterfly-raising adventure! Let nature take its course by watching caterpillars develop right in your garden, or boost their chances of survival by raising them in a protected enclosure. I’ll tell you everything I know about how to do it in my included guide.

JOY MAX GUIDE TO RAISING SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES

Eastern Swallowtail caterpillars have white, green, and black stripes with yellow dots, similar in look to a Monarch. Giant Swallowtail Caterpillars are brown and white splotched, camouflaged as bird droppings. The younger versions of both are dark with a light “saddle” in the middle of their body.

Add some nectar sources for your butterfly garden

Joy Max Giant Zinnia Mix Joy Max Giant Zinnia Mix
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Mexican Sunflower “Torch” Tithonia Mexican Sunflower “Torch” Tithonia
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Chrysanthemum Mix Zinnias Chrysanthemum Mix Zinnias
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