Swallowtail Caterpillar
Host Plants of North America

Photo: WoodleyWonderworks

This page covers swallowtail caterpillar host plants for butterflies found in North America, some in South America.

Also a note about climbers... they climb.. a lot! Depending on the species they can become invasive. You can successfully keep them on the outskirts of the yard where they will climb the trees.

If you want climbers closer to your house be particular. In time the structure holding the climbers can break down, weather and possibly deteriorate the wood or brick supporting it.

Below is a summary of the plants that are listed under all the Swallowtail caterpillar's host plant preference.

To View Host Plants for Butterflies of All butterfly families click here

Alder (Alnus)
Angelica Trees (Aralia Elata)
Anise (Illicium)
Apple (Malus)
Ash (Fraxinus)
Aspen (Populus)
Avocado
Basswood (Tilia)
Bay
Birch (Betula)
Broadleaf (Griselinia Littoralis)
Buckthorn
Camphor Tree (Cinnamomum Camphora)
Carrot (Carum),(Daucua),
Celery (Apium)
Cheese Schrub (Malva Sylvestris)
Cherry (Prunus)
Chervil
Citrus (Rutaceau)
Clover (Trifolium)
Coffeberry (Rhamnus California)
Cottonwood (Populus)
Dill (Apiaceae)
Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare)
Gas Plant (Dictamnus Albus)
Guava
Hemlock
Hoptree (Ptelea Trifoliata)
Hercules Club (Aralia Spinosa)
Laurel (Prunus Lusitanica)
Lilac (Syringa)
Lomatium (Apiaceae)
Lovage (Levisticum Officinale)
Magnolia
Milkweed
Mint
Parsley (Petroselinum)
Parsnip (Pastinaca)
PawPaw (Asimina Triloba)
Plum (Prunus)
Pomelo/Pommelo (Asian-Citrus Grandis)
Poplar (Populus)
Queen Anne's Lace (Anthriscus Sylvestris)
Red Puccoon (Sanguinaria)
Rose (Rosa)
Rosewood (Tipuana Tipu)
Rue [Ruta (Rutaceae)]
Sagebrushes
Sassafras (Lauraceae)
Sea Torchwood
Snakeroot (Polygala)
Spicebush (Lindera Benzoin)
Sycamore (Platanus)
Tarragon (Artemisia Dracunculus)
Torchwood
Tulip
Verbena
Willow
Yellow Pimpernal

Swallowtail caterpillar butterfly host plants are by Alphabetical Order. Refer to the above list of plants - the family or genus of the plant type is given to provide more information.

1) Anise Swallowtail

Anise
Caraway
Carrot
Citrus
Dill
Fennel family including Common, Sweet,
Lomatium
Lovage
Parsley
Parsnip
Queen Anne's Lace
Rue

2) Bahamian

Citrus
Rue

3) Baird's (old World) Swallowtail

Carrot
Dill
Fennel
Milkweed
Mint family
Tarragon family
Sagebrush family

4) Band-Gapped

Citrus

5) Black Swallowtail

Angelica Trees
Caraway
Carrot family especially Golden Alexanders
Celery
Chervil family especially Common and Golden
Clover - Be careful! With about 240 species, some can be invasive weeds.
Dill
Fennel
Lovage
Milkweed family especially Common
Parsnip family especially water
Pipevine
Queen Anne's Lace
Rue
Thistle
Water Hemlock including Tsuga, Cowbane (Northern Water)

6) Broad-Banded

Citrus family espcially Lemon, Lime, Orange (Bitter, Common, Mandarin)
Rue

7) Canadian Tiger

Aspen
Birch
Black Cherry

8) Chinese

Citrus

9) Cuban-Kite

Citrus

10) Dark-Kite

Citrus

11) Eastern Black Swallowtail

Carrot family especially Golden Alexanders
Dill
Fennel
Parsley
Rue

12) Eastern Tiger

Apple family
Ash family especially white, green, mountain,
Aspen
Basswood family
Bay family especially Sweet,
Birch family
Broadleaf
Cherry family especially Wild, Black, Choke,
Cottonwood
HopTree
Lilac family
Magnolia family - NOT Magnolia Vine -
Plum family
Poplar family expecially Yellow
Rose family
Sassafras family
Sycamore family
Tulip family
Willow family

     *Because of the black and yellow stripes this butterfly
           is named 'Tiger'.
     *The darker Tiger Butterflies are believed to mimic
           the poisonous 'Pipevine' Swallowtail.

13) Giant Swallowtail Butterfly

Ash family especially water, prickly, lime,
Citrus family expecially bitter orange, orange, wild lime
Gas Plant
Hercules Club family
Hoptree
Pomelo/Pommelo
Rue
Sea Torchwood

     *This swallowtail caterpillar is considered a pest
       in southern states where many orange and citrus
       groves are located.

14) Indra Swallowtail

Parsley family

15) Kite Swallowtail (Hard to find - mostly in rainforets and tropics)

Custard Apple family (Annonaceae) especially Cherimoya, Ilama, Pond Apple
Magnolia family

16) Magnificent

Avocado
Magnolias

17) Montezuma's Cattleheart

Dutchman's Pipe family especially Jalisco, Pelican Flower, Aristolochia Micrantha
See #24

18) Oregon (Old World) Swallowtail

Carrot
Dill
Fennel
Milkweed
Tarregon

19) Ornythion

Citrus

20) Ozark

Carrot family especially Golden Alexander
Parsley family
Parsnip family expecially Meadow,
Red Puccoon
Rosewood
Verbena
Yellow Pimpernal

21) Palamedes

Bay family expecially Red, Swamp, Silk
Laurel family
Sassafras

22) Pale Spotted

Buckthorn family
Cherry family especially Holly-leafed
Coffeeberry family especially California
Lilac family especially California

23) Pink-Spotted

Citrus

24) Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly

NOT Tropical Pipevines
Dutchman's Pipe - There are about 300 species of these Pipevines. Be aware many of these are climbers and most come with an unpleasant scent. Many of these are considered tropical and do not welcome the Swallowtail caterpillar.
Pipevine family recommend especially Aristolochia California, Big-leaf, Texas, Virginia Snakeroot (A. Serpentana), White-veined, Wooly

     *The Pipevine caterpillar feeds almost exclusively
       on pipevine leaves. This makes both larva and
       adult butterfly poisonous. The darker Tiger Swallow-
       tail mimics the Pipevine by confusing predators
       into thinking they, the Tiger, would be poisonous to.

25) Polydamas

NOT Tropical Pipevines
Pipevine family especially Giant, Virgina Snakeroot, white-veined,
Dutchman's Pipe especially Calico

26) Red-Sided Swallowtail

PawPaw
Sugar Apple family

27) Ruby-Spotted

Citrus family

28) Short-Tailed

Celery
Lovage especially Scotch
Parsley especailly Chinese Hemlock
Parsnip expecially Cow
Queen Anne's Lace

29) Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly

Ash family especially Prickley
Bay family especially Red, Swamp, Sweet,
Camphor Tree
Sassafras
Spicebush
Tulip Tree

30) Schaus's Swallowtail

Citrus family
Cheese Schrub
Guava
Hop Tree
Torchwood

31) Tailless Swallowtail

Snakeroot

32) Thoas

Ash family especially Hop, Prickly
Citrus family expecailly Lemon, Orange, Wild Lime
Rue

33) Three-Tailed Swallowtail

Litsea Tree in Lauraceae family

34) Two-Tailed Tiger Swallowtail

Ash family especially green
Cherry family especially Choke
Citrus family
HopTree family especially Common, California

35) Variable Cattleheart Swallowtail

Dutchman's Pipe, Specifically Aristolochia Cordiflora
See #24 Above, Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly

36) Western Black Swallowtail

Tarragon

37) Western Tiger Swallowtail

Alder family
Ash family
Aspen family
Cherry family especially Choke
Cottonwood
Poplar family
Willow family

     *Because of the black and yellow stripes this butterfly
      is named 'Tiger'.

     *The darker Tiger butterflies are believed to mimic
      the poisonous 'Pipevine' Swallowtail.