Attracting Swallowtail Butterflies To Canadian Gardens
All about the beautiful and fascinating swallowtail butterflies who call Canada home, and ways to support each swallowtail species in the yard. Swallowtail butterflies are one of the most beautiful butterflies with their unique wing patterns and colourations, the way that they fly in the air, how picky they’re about plants and flowers, and the way that each one is different from one another.
Gardening for swallowtails is pretty straight forward to do, because they’re one of the most easiest butterflies to encourage in any garden especially butterfly gardens. Creating a habitat for swallowtail butterflies is quite rewarding in the end, after all of the hard work has been completed.
In the province of Ontario and other parts of Canada, there are a total of nine different species of swallowtail that call this country home. The species include Pipevine Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail, Old World Swallowtail, Giant Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, and Spicebush Swallowtail. Each swallowtail species is beautiful in their own way, they have a unique way to defend for themselves out in nature, and are so fascinating creatures. You’ll find out a little bit about each swallowtail species, what their host plant(s) are, their favourite nectar sources, and ways on how to support them in the garden.
Types Of Swallowtails
Male Black Swallowtail on Purple Coneflower Photo Credits: scampisg from iNaturalist
Female Black Swallowtail on purple flowers Photo Credits: amaryllia from iNaturalist
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes): The Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) is one of the most common swallowtail species that can be seen in backyard gardens, open fields, along roadsides, community gardens, and forests. It is a swallowtail butterfly that is found throughout much of North America. This swallowtail species is mostly black with a little bit of markings on their wings. Male Black Swallowtails have more yellow spots that are thicker on their wings, compared to female Black Swallowtails. Female Black Swallowtails have more blue markings on their wings that are more vibrant, and bigger compared to male Black Swallowtails. This swallowtail’s host plants include Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), Heart Leaf Alexander (Zizia aptera), Flat Leaf Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Moss Curled Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Dill (Anethum graveolens), Common Rue (Ruta graveolens), Fennel (Nigella sativa), and Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota). Some of the Black Swallowtail’s favourite native nectar sources include Common Milkweed (Asclepias syracia), Pale Purple Coneflower ( Echinacea pallida), Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Scarlet Bee Balm (Monarda didyma), Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Field Thistle (Cirsium discolor), Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), and Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta).
Old World Swallowtail resting on some rocks Photo Credits: stanley_77 on iNaturalist
Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon): The Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) is a widespread species of swallowtail that is found in much of the Palearctic, Europe, and North America. This swallowtail has yellow wings with black vein markings. The hindwings of both male and female Old World Swallowtails have a pair of protruding tails. Just below each tail is one red eye and six blue eye spots. Their host plants include Common Woodworm (Artemisia absinthium), Arctic Woodworm (Artemisia senjavinensis), Wild Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Lovage (Levisticum officinale ), and Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium). Some of the Old World Swallowtail’s favourite native nectar sources include Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), American Pussy Willow (Salix discolor), Sweet Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum), Narrow Leaf Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum), Blue Mist Flower (Conoclinium coelestinum), Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), Field Thistle (Cirsium discolor), Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifolia), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), and Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum).
Giant Swallowtail on a pink flower Photo Credits: jnate309 from iNaturalist
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes): The Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) is plentiful through many parts of Eastern North America, Western North America, and down in Panama. The wings are black with a horizontal yellow line across the forewings, and a diagonal yellow line across the hindwing. The underside of the wings is yellow with accents of black, and it has a small patch of red on the ventral within the small blue band. Their host plants include Common Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata), Common Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), and Common Rue (Ruta graveolens). Some of the Giant Swallowtail’s favourite native nectar sources are Virginia Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana), Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Field Thistle (Cirsium discolor), Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), Common Milkweed (Asclepias syracia), and Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos).
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail relaxing in grass Photo Credits: smithjg1954 from iNaturalist
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus): The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) a species of swallowtail native to Eastern North America including the eastern part of The United States, and the eastern part of Canada. It is common in many habitats including backyard gardens, open fields, and roadsides. This swallowtail species is one of the most common swallowtail species that is seen in the wild. The colours on an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail are very vibrant. They have broad yellow wings that are edged in black , and has a few stripes that are black in colour like tapering chevrons. from the forewing margins downward into their yellow wings. The bottom edges of the hindwings are especially colourful with bluish scales and one or more red spots. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail’s host plants are Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides), Big - tooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata), Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), Narrow leaf Cottonwood (Populus angustifolia), and Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides). Some of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail’s favourite nectar sources include Sweet Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum), Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Common Milkweed (Asclepias syracia), Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata), Button Bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), and Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida).
Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail on Common Milkweed Photo Credits: tomdudones from iNaturalist
Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis x glaucus): The Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis x glaucus) covers a large number across Southern and Eastern Ontario, and Southern United States. This swallowtail species partially overlaps with the northern range edge of Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and the southern range edge of Canadian Tiger Swallowtails. The taxonomy of this species is unknown at this time. It is known as a hybrid swallowtail species between the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. In a way the Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail closely resembles the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail than the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. The host plants for the Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail are Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides), Big - tooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata), Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides), Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), and White Ash (Fraxinus americana). Some of the Midsummer Tiger Swallowtail’s favourite native nectar source include Button Bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), Common Milkweed (Asclepias syracia), Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata), Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida), and Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis).
A Canadian Tiger Swallowtail on Common Yarrow Photo Credits: steveansell from iNaturalist
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis): The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) is found in most provinces and territories in Canada, Arctic Circle in the Yukon, and in the northern third of The United States. This swallowtail species has a yellow ground colour on it’s wings with wide black tiger stripes. The underside of it’s wings is yellow and often has an over scaling of orange and black. This swallowtail is smaller than the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Western Tiger Swallowtail. The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is very similar to the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, but it has a noticeable smaller wingspan. The underside of the forewing has a yellow marginal band that is continuous. The hindwings have many orange scales on both morphs. This species of swallowtail has also been known to hybridize with both the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and the Western Tiger Swallowtail but it is extremely rare for that to happen. The host plants of the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail are Sweet Crab Apple (Malus coronaria), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides), Big - tooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata), Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides), Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), and Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera). Some of the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail’s native nectar sources include Common Milkweed (Asclepias syracia), Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Pussy Willow (Salix discolor), Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica), False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), Button Bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), Sweet Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum), Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Field Thistle (Cirsium discolor), Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), and Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum).
Spicebush Swallowtail Photo Credits: jeffmcmillian from iNaturalist
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus): The Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) is a common black swallowtail butterfly found in North America. This butterfly species is found only in the Eastern United States, and Southern Ontario. It is rarely spotted in Upper Canada. The Spicebush Swallowtail is generally black, and marked with broad, black hind wings bordered with pale greenish spots. The hind wings on male Spicebush Swallowtails have a blue green band, and the hind wings on female Spicebush Swallowtails has a blue shading. The host plants for the Spicebush Swallowtail are Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), and Sassafras (Sassafras albidum). Some of the Spicebush Swallowtail’s favourite nectar sources include Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Field Thistle (Cirsium discolor), Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Sweet Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum), False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), Button Bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata), Common Milkweed (Asclepias syracia), Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), and Scarlet Bee Balm (Monarda didyma).
Non Native Flowering Plants That Are Great Nectar Sources For Adult Swallowtails:
🎕Maltese Cross (Silene chalcedonica)
🎕 Indian Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella)
🎕 Delphinium (Delphinium elatum)
🎕 Mountain Azalea (Rhododendron canescens)
🎕 Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus)
🎕 Common Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
🎕 Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
🎕Common Peony (Paeonia officinalis)
🎕Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
🎕Fan Flower (Scaevola aemula)
🎕English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
🎕 Privet (Ligustrum obtusifolium)
Annual Flowers That Are Good Nectar Sources For Swallowtails:
💮 Sunflowers
💮 Mexican Sunflower
💮 Lantana
💮 Zinnias
💮 Pentas
💮 Verbena
💮 Dahlias
💮 Pansies
💮 Sage
💮 Salvia
💮 Gerber Daisy
💮 Cornflower
Native Ornamental Grasses For Swallowtails:
🍁 Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum)
🍁 Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
🍁 Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
🍁 Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis)
★ These native ornamental grasses are used by giant swallowtails when they're in their caterpillar form, chrysalis form, and mature adult form. The swallowtails use these grasses as shelter and protection from inclement weather and their natural predators. When they hide in the grasses they're camouflaged where they blend in with their surroundings which keeps them safe during these times in their life when they're the most fragile and vulnerable.
Ways To Support & Attract Swallowtail Butterflies To The Yard:
🠊 Avoid using any type of herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides on your property and in the gardens. These chemicals are extremely harmful towards the life cycle of swallowtail butterflies, our ecosystems, biodiversity, and other beneficial insects.
🠊 Create a Swallowtail Habitat that is in full sun that has a variety of different plants. Swallowtails prefer their habitat to be in the sun since like all butterflies they’re cold blooded, and they love a garden that has a lot of plants.
🠊 Plant a few of the swallowtail butterfly host plants to support the different types of swallowtails. This will support the life cycle of the swallowtail butterflies, the females will have a place to lay their eggs, and the caterpillars will have food once they hatch from their eggs.
🠊 Plant a few of the native flowering plants in your backyard that are favourited by the swallowtails. This will provide nectar and pollen for the adult swallowtails, as well as other beneficial insects.
🠊 Add a few of the non native flowering plants that are good for swallowtails, to provide the butterflies with a variety of different plants.
🠊 Add a few annual flowers that the swallowtails like to offer them a variety of different flowers.
🠊 Add one or two of the ornamental grasses that are native to provide shelter for the mature adult Swallowtails, their caterpillars, and the Swallowtail Chrysalids. These will keep them safe from inclement weather, and any potential predators that are around in the area.
🠊 Plant flowers on your property that are different colours that are bright, and that will bloom in different times during the gardening season. Swallowtails prefer a variety of colours for flowers, and it’s important to plant flowers that bloom at different times because it will support swallowtails and other butterfly species all throughout the season, by providing nectar and pollen at the crucial times of when they need those.
🠊 Place flat rocks in different sunny locations throughout your yard, so the swallowtails have a place to sit and rest their wings when they get tired.
🠊 Put a few slices of fermented fruit such as bananas, oranges, peaches, mangos, watermelon, honey dew melon, cantaloupe, and strawberries on a flat plate or plant saucer. Place it up high in direct sun in the location of the flowering plants, or in a spot that is near the flowering plants. ✬
🠊 Create a butterfly puddling station for the swallowtails in your garden. Find and fill a shallow dish or container with soil or sand. Add a few good size flat rocks to the dish or container. Pour a little bit of water in the dish or container, like the amount of water that will moisten the soil or sand. Keep the soil moist during the day especially on hot days, because that is when swallowtails are commonly seen. ✭
⭐Putting out fermented fruit on a flat dish or flat bowl for the swallowtails is an extra thing that you can do to attract them to your yard. It is important to replace the fermented fruit slices a few times each day, since they sit out in the sun during the day and can loose the taste that the swallowtails enjoy. Make sure you bring it in at night because it may attract unwanted guests such as raccoons, rodents, and other small creatures as well as insects. You can bring a fresh plate of fermented fruit slices every morning for the swallowtails.
⭐Providing a puddling station for the swallowtails is an alternative if you don’t have the plants for them, and it is another way to support them if you already have flowers and plants for them. It is important to refill the puddling station, because during hot summer and fall days the water will evaporate and keeping it fresh is really good to do to prevent any diseases. Bring in the puddling station at night, because it could attract unwanted guests and to prevent any airborne particles to fall in. Each morning you can bring out the puddling station for the swallowtails, other butterflies, and other beneficial insects to use throughout the day.
Interesting Swallowtail Butterfly Facts:
⬤ The Name - Their name ''Swallowtail'' is referred to the extensions on the hindwings which look rather like the tail on the bird called Swallow.
⬤ Laying Eggs - Female swallowtail butterflies produce many eggs in their life, where they can lay up to 400 eggs in their lifetime before their life is over.
⬤ Most Popular Swallowtail - The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is one of the most common and well known swallowtail species in North America.
⬤ Largest Butterfly In North America - The Giant Swallowtail Butterfly is the largest butterfly in North America with a wingspan of 6 1/4 inches wide.
⬤ Zebra Swallowtails Have A Unique Look - Zebra Swallowtail have longer tails on their hindwings than any other species of swallowtail, where their tails on their hindwings are up to 1 inch long in size.
⬤ Dozens Of Swallowtail Butterfly Species Live In North America - More than 550 swallowtail species live all around the world. 31 species of swallowtails call North America home, which is about 2 dozen and a bit. 9 species of swallowtails live in Canada, and less than 30 species of swallowtails call The United States home.
⬤ Mimicry - Many swallowtail species mimic the colouration and patterns of butterflies that are protected by a bad taste.
⬤ Breeding - Swallowtail butterflies mate during the summer months from late May onwards, and the eggs are laid singly on the foliage, and sometimes the flowers on their host plants.
⬤ Habitat - The habitat of swallowtail butterflies can differ depending on the species. Many species of swallowtails are found in wooded areas, gardens, and fields.
⬤ Migration - Swallowtail butterflies including species such as the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail migrate seasonally. These migrations typically occur n the spring and fall. This may involve some species travelling hundreds or even thousands of miles.
⬤ Overwintering - Many swallowtail species go through a state called diapause, where they stay dormant inside their chrysalids during the winter months. The swallowtails will emerge out of their chrysalids in the spring of the following year which is about between 10 and 12 months.
⬤ Diet - these butterflies have a diverse diet, which includes a variety of different flowering plants. Occasionally they will feed on fermented fruit slices and take a drink from a butterfly puddling station.
⬤ Unique Behaviour - Swallowtail butterflies partake in a behaviour called butterfly puddling. Mostly male swallowtail butterflies do this behaviour. They congregate and uptake the sodium and amino acids from the mud, dung, urine of mammals, and animal carcasses. When mating occurs the males will transfer these minerals to the female. This behaviour and the minerals from these odd objects will provide important nutrients for the future offspring.
⬤ Least Common Swallowtails - There are three species of swallowtail butterflies that are not as common as others which includes the species Pipevine Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, and Old World Swallowtail. These swallowtails are species that are rare to spot out in the wild, because they're not as common as they use to be.
⬤ Most Common Swallowtails - There are some species of swallowtails that are more common than others, and in this case there are five swallowtail species that are the most common than the rest of the species. The species of swallowtails that are the most common are Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, and Giant Swallowtail.
⬤ Largest Butterfly In The World - The largest butterfly in the world is called the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing where it has a wingspan of 27 centimetres, and this butterfly is a swallowtail species where it belongs to The Swallowtail Family.
Conclusion
In conclusion, hope that this article will encourage you to support the native swallowtail species on your own property, and to plant native flowering plants that swallowtail butterflies will benefit from. Once you support and attract these creatures to your yard, there will be lots of opportunities to observe these beautiful swallowtail species up close. If you have some space in your yard or garden, let all of the plants and flowers grow a little wilder, and attract swallowtails including other butterflies to your property. Once you plant a habitat for the swallowtails, they will come to visit it and check out what plants were planted for them.
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