Thanks Angel! I always get these 2 confused unless I can see them side-by-side and the pipevine in the back threw me. Thanks!

Rhonda

Gorgeous pictures! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Catherine!

Very nice photos, Rhonda. It is a Spicebush. I would guess that it is a female. The males usually have a bit of green, mixed in with the blue. Do you have larval sources for them nearby? On another thread we have been discussing this. They traditionally prefer bay trees, especially the redbay as a larval source. These trees have been hit hard by a particular beetle which brings with it a fungus that kills the mature trees. Here in Florida we have camphor trees that also serve as a host tree.

Thanks Tom! We do have camphor trees growing naturally here, so that must be their host. I planted a spicebush last year but it's tiny.

Rhonda

My success with the spicebush tree/bush has been limited, Rhonda. They like swampy conditions which I don't really have. I'm thinking of ordering another one next year and putting it in a very large pot with heavy soil that I water frequently. I have never seen Spicebush cats in any numbers. Many other butterflies tend to produce cats in bunches. This has not been my experience with Spicebush, although this year I see more in the garden than ever.

She's a beautiful female spicebush swallowtail!

If sassafras grows in your area, that could be the host.

Sherry

Tom, thanks for the great idea with the spicebush plant in a pot. Mine hasn't grown, probably because I can't keep it wet enough. Maybe I'll dig it up and pot it.

Sherry, I planted sassafras a few years back just for the butterflies so it must be working :)

Rhonda