In anticipation of World Swallowtail Day on June 12th, it’s fitting that our butterfly of the month is the Giant Swallowtail. With a wingspan that can exceed 6 inches, the Giant Swallowtail is the largest butterfly native to Florida and one of the largest in the United States. 

The butterfly has beautiful coloration and is distinct from all other butterflies that fly in our area. Its top wings are a deep chocolate brown or black, with a pale cream band that runs horizontally across the top third of the wings and another yellow band that parallels the bottom edges. The two bands intersect to form an “X” near the tip of the top wings. Usually, there’s also a yellow spot in the tail. (See Photo #1.)

The bottom wings of the Giant Swallowtail are radically different. They are a pale cream with pronounced black venation and a blue median band that runs along the middle of the bottom wing. About halfway down this band, there’s also a small brick-red patch. (See Photo #2.) 

Giant Swallowtails females lay orange to yellow colored eggs (See Photo #3) on very young leaves of host plants in the Citrus family. Some of these native to our area include Common Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata), Hercules-club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis), and Wild-lime (Zanthoxylum fagara). Giant Swallowtails will also lay eggs on non-native edibles that include Orange, Lemon, and Tangerine trees (Citrus spp.), and Rue (Ruta graveolens). When the female Giant swallowtails are ovipositing the eggs, they never stop fluttering or actually land.  This butterfly is a very strong flyer. The caterpillars that emerge are brown with a white and yellow patch. More mature caterpillars can be 2.5” long and are frequently described as looking like bird droppings: they are a mottled brown with a whitish patch that resembles a saddle. (See Photo #4.) There are at least three generations of Giant Swallowtails in Florida and caterpillars are most typically seen from February through early November.

Giant Swallowtails are found throughout Florida in open woods, scrubs, and gardens. They glide effortlessly through the air – appearing to float – when they don’t feel threatened and are easily approached while nectaring on lantana, azalea, swamp milkweed, and firebush. We regularly see them at Felts Audubon Preserve in Palmetto, Little Red Wagon Native Nursery, my house, and, according to iNaturalist postings, people saw them at Sulphur Springs Park in Tampa during May. How about you? Let us know where you’re seeing them by reaching out to us on Facebook.

Let the big guy take a much-needed break this Father’s Day with a cocktail in the garden.  The stoneware flask and beer cups feature original ceramic material with a matte black finish to maintain the perfect temp.  And for the amateur sommelier, collect and display your corks in this charming owl cork cage.  Holds 80 corks. Add Dad’s favorite beverage for thoughtful gift set.

I still remember the first time I saw Man-in-the-ground (Ipomoea microdactyla). It was over in Miami-Dade County, in a recently burned pine rockland. There, amidst charred timbers and sooty soil, was a vine with crimson flowers that were all the more striking against the burnt backdrop.

I learned the plant was the globally imperiled and State of Florida endangered Man-in-the-ground. Endemic to the pine rocklands of south Florida, Man-in-the-ground is one of the first plants to flower after a burn due, in part, to the large, energy-storing underground tubers that give rise to the plant’s common name. A member of the Morning-glory family, this plant is a twinning, sprawling and climbing vine with hairless stems that can reach 10’ long. Although individual flowers last a single day, the plant is a repeat and constant bloomer, flowering from April through November in its native pine rockland habitat.

Man-in-the-ground is also known as Calcareous Morning-glory and Limestone Morning-glory and performs best in moist, but well-drained, nutrient-poor limestone soils in part shade or full sun. The trumpet-shaped 1” wide flowers provide nectar to hummingbirds, sphinx moths, bees, and skippers.

Pair it with grasses like Bluestems (Andropogon spp.) or Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) or add a contrasting color with Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) in your rock garden for some .

Only about a dozen populations of this plant are known in the wild, so please only source this plant from reputable growers. 

Buttonsage (Lantana involucrata) is a heavily branched, evergreen shrub that grows to 5-10’ tall by 5’ wide. It can be easily shaped to form an attractive specimen or it can be pruned as a group to form a hedgerow. It has clusters of tiny white to lavender very fragrant flowers that attract a range of butterflies, bees and, occasionally, hummingbirds. Flowers give way to tiny purple fruit that are a favorite of birds. 

Notably, Buttonsage leaves smell like sage when they’re crushed. According to one source, leaves of the plant were traditionally used in folk medicine to remedy coughing, treat insect bites and break fevers. According to published research, antitumor agents have also been isolated from Buttonsage.

The plant requires full sun and, once established, is drought resistant. A native of our coastal dunes, Buttonsage prefers sandy soils and is especially resistant to hurricane-strength winds. It can also tolerate an occasional storm surge and some exposure to salt wind. 

Buttonsage is the only lantana native to our area. Unfortunately, it is less commonly sold than the non-native Lantana camera, a Category I invasive species that can become the dominant understory and is also toxic to livestock.

So, why plant a poor imitation? Plant the original and help #NurtureNative.

Summer is here! Celebrate the season by learning everything there is to know about Florida’s Tiny Giants at our nature camps! Get ready to explore pollinators in space, travel back in time to meet bugs when they were giant, and get up close with a multitude of creatures from Florida’s wildlife. Each week is a new fun-filled adventure. Get your spot while they last!

Every child will have the opportunity to release a butterfly the week of camp (weather permitting) and meet our reptile ambassadors. Don’t delay--space is limited! 

Can’t join us for a whole week? Sign up for a single day for only $60!.

Join Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation and NABA Tampa Bay on a butterfly walk at Picnic Island. This is a new location that may be part of the North American Butterfly Association count circles for Tampa Bay. Come join us to help monitoring populations of butterflies in this beautiful park. This will be free for NABA members. Non-NABA members fee: $5. Please bring payment morning of event. This event is subject to change due to weather.

Join Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation and NABA Tampa Bay on a butterfly walk at Violet Cury Preserve in Lutz. Come join us to help monitoring populations of butterflies in this beautiful park. This will be free for NABA members. Non-NABA members fee: $5. Please bring payment morning of event. This event is subject to change due to weather.

If you didn't see our recent email about Pollinator Week here is a list of upcoming events.  Click the link below to view details and register for an event.