While I was in my garden, talking to Sandy Bradley on the phone, this Tiger Swallowtail visited the Passiflora and had a snack.  It stayed long enough for me to get a bunch of pictures.  You can see how big they both are, about 4 inches across.

 

Tiger Swallowtails will find nectar in all the flowers in our garden:  Marigolds, Passiflora, Zinnias;  but when it's time to lay eggs, the females will go to the Tulip Poplar and Wild Cherry trees.  These are the host plants, providing food for the caterpillars.  The caterpillars will stay on the host plants until they are ready to cocoon.  When they emerge as adult butterflies, they will feed on nectar plants.  Nectar plants are just about everything that's blooming:  Echinacea, Black eyed Susies, Marigolds, Poppies, Cosmos, Coreopsis, Joe Pye weed, New York Ironweed, etc.......

 

I'm so glad I let the Passiflora grow.  This Tiger Swallowtail is too. 

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!