Every butterfly gardener delights when showy swallowtail butterflies make an appearance. These butterflies are some of the largest in the garden, and their colorful wings and soaring flight patterns ...

Last week I had a picture of a dark form of the eastern tiger swallowtail with my column. The obvious question about any species with more than one color form is: What is the advantage? The advantage ...

We have a large patch of bronze fennel growing out back — this is unfortunate because it can be an aggressive invasive plant and is currently attempting to overrun my blueberry patch, but, on the ...

If you discover caterpillars chowing down in your herb garden, resist the urge to squish them. They'll be gone soon enough. If they're eating parsley, dill or fennel, they'll likely turn into Eastern ...

The first time I saw a giant swallowtail butterfly years ago, I just happened to walk out to get the mail and saw it nectaring on lantana in my flower bed by the road. What a surprise! This huge pale ...

North Carolina’s state butterfly is hard to miss — and also easy to attract to backyards by planting a variety of native plants. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) can be bright yellow ...

About 170 butterfly species occur in North Carolina as permanent residents, regular visitors, or rare strays. Some of these are restricted to either the coastal or mountain regions. I'd estimate that ...

While hopscotching between Sabine Pass and Freeport over the past several weeks to enjoy the annual spectacle of migratory birds, I also enjoyed the sight of giant swallowtail butterflies. The big ...

There was an absolutely wonderful change in the weather two weeks ago. Gone were the days of oppressive humidity and scorching temperatures. In their place came days with highs near 80 F, lower ...

LANSING, MI - Michigan Garden Clubs President Carol Brodbeck believes Michigan should recognize the value of butterflies by naming the black swallowtail as its official state butterfly. Naming a state ...

While perusing the Pacific Island of Vanua Levu in Fiji last year, researchers happened upon a precellular butterfly that captivated their attention. Given the mysteriousness surrounding its identity, ...