The female spicebush swallowtail butterfly was fluttering down, landing for a moment or two on a leaf on my sassafras tree and moving on to do the same thing on other leaves over and over again. It… ...

The leaves of a sassafras tree at Harriet McCarthy’s home garden, Saturday, May 23, 2020. Sassafras is a host plant for the Spicebush Swallowtail. Walt Unks/Journal Butterfly host plants.

If there is one critter in the animal kingdom that stakes claim as being the master of disguise, it's the spicebush swallowtail caterpillar. And talk about having a bag of tricks up its sleeve ...

Other host plants for the spicebush swallowtail include camphor, sassafras and red bay, which have been dying out in our area. And you might find you have a zebra in the back yard if you have a ...

Stand quietly in the bog as a spicebush swallowtail floats by and you can actually hear the butterfly’s wings beat against the air. The gentle hushing sounds like a feather brushing against your ...

Spicebush are also an important host plant to two impressive lepidopterans. The Promethea silkmoth and the plant’s namesake butterfly, the spicebush swallowtail, ...

Spicebush, Lindera benzoin, is a deciduous shrub native to the eastern United States and is hardy in zones 4 through 9. It is a member of the laurel family and a relative of our local sassafras.

Do you recognize this herb garden demon? I've dislodged it everywhere I see it, but it keeps coming back! What to do?

No, it’s not a potato, but I did discover the answer to this riddle when I came across a peculiar looking caterpillar in my flower bed: the spicebush swallowtail caterpillar.

Spicebush is a plant that's been called by many names. The genus name Lindera honors Johann Linder (1676-1723), a Swedish botanist and physician. The species name benzoin comes from an Arabic word ...

How can I support the swallowtail butterfly population? It's great to see the monarchs but I would like to have another variety in my yard. A. Swallowtail butterflies are beautiful insects easily ...