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Host Plants
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butterflyboy821
Just Arrived
Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Location: Chicago
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 3:19 am Post subject: Host Plants |
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Hi i want to get tiger swallowtails next year. I live in Chicago IL. I would like to plant a few trees/shrubs in front of my house for them to lay eggs on. I know tulip tree and wild black cherry are favorites for them. The only things is i dont reallly have any of those in my area. The trees that are mostly here are white ash, green ash, and maple. If i plant wild black cherry and tulip tree will they still lay eggs on there even if they are not used to them in the area? One website says that they also use maple as a host is this true? heres the link.........http://www.illinoisbutterflies.com/tigerswltail.htm
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
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Regular Plantstew Contributor (over 1000 edits)
Joined: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Texas (Map)
Posts: 7561
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| Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 3:59 am Post subject: |
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Have you seen the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in your area? If so then planting those trees might attract them but it could take a few seasons before they find it. Do those trees grow readily in your area? In many cases the butterfly will adapt to the trees they can find, if some one in one part of Illinois has documented their caterpillars being hosted on Maple trees then it could possibly be a fact, you might try contacting that person for clarification.
You might find this information helpful. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1372&chosen_state=17*Illinois
The habitat map shows which counties in Illinois the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has been documented in.
Sometimes when a butterfly has been seen in a certain state, it might not be widespread in that state because the conditions are not suitable for them.
Maybe you could spend next spring and summer looking around your area to see what butterflies make a home there then concentrate on providing nectar and host plants for them if the Tiger Swallowtails don't work out.
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butterflyboy821
Just Arrived
Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Location: Chicago
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 4:08 am Post subject: |
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I watched the tiger swallowatails alot this summer and there is tons of them in my area. They seem to love to fly around the ash trees
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Kildale
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 30 Mar 2009
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 459
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| Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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We have some swallowtails around here and they like the fennel in the front garden. I have all kinds of pics from the early hatchings to big caterpillars.
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