In SoCal, the Western Tiger uses Willow, too.

Njbiology, I don't find any butterflies listed SPECIFICALLY as using pussy willow, because the books always lump all salix together. Any butterfly or moth that uses willows/salix might use s. discolor/pussy willow, but I doubt it's a favorite. I ordered and planted some s. caroliniana once, and it looked a lot like s. nigra/black willow, the favorite, but it's bushy and the leaves are whitish on the undersides instead of green like black willow. I only got one viceroy cat on them, and those willows soon died, probably because they're not native to my area and not adapted. Pussy willow looks very different from black willow, at least in the pictures I've seen - not only are the leaves whitish on the undersides, they're shaped differently from s. nigra. I also noticed that the range of pussy willow looks to be north of New Jersey, so it's not native for you. My opinion is that you might occasionally get a viceroy cat on it, but not often.
The only butterflies my books list as definitely using serviceberry/amelanchier are coral hairstreaks which are native to New Jersey and weidemeyer's admiral, which is a western butterfly. I've never found any cats on mine, but then neither coral hairstreaks or WAs occur here.
The only butterflies listed specifically for chokecherry/prunus virginiana, which has a western form, are lorquin's admiral and two-tailed tiger swallowtails, which are both western butterflies, so you won't be seeing them. The butterflies that commonly use prunus, like red-spotted purples and eastern tiger swallowtails, much prefer prunus serotina/wild black cherry.
Did you get this information from a western butterflies source?
MissSherry

Hi Miss Sherry,

I got that information for, among others, this source: http://home.earthlink.net/~drkilmer/Plantlist.html

Check under salix discolor (toward the middle) and amelanchier (toward the end). Butterflies of the Washington D.C. region.

Thanks,
Steve

IMHO, I would get a Wild Cherry (prunus serotina) as Misssherry suggested, as well as a black willow (salix nigra). Those appear to be the most commonly used plants by the Red Spotted Purple and Viceroys. I've heard of other butterflies using them, but they are the ones that have a myriad of host plants, like the Tiger Swallowtails, for instance.

Others have reported having RSPs on another type of cherry, but I don't recall at the time what it was. Also, I think that Judy in Kentucky uses one of the Arctic Willows as a host for her Viceroys and RSPs (Judy, are you out there?). But, they do like the cooler climates.

There are a lot of the big sphinx and silk moths that use the trees and shrubs you've mentioned, too, but not sure whether you'll get butterflies on them.

Susan

I think that information is wrong, Steve, as is much of the info you might read about butterflies and host plants.
For caterpillars, you'd be much better off with p. serotina and s. nigra.
MissSherry

Hi,

Although Prunus serotina and Salix nigra are DEFINITE hosts of the above butterflies, they will get too large for my yard.

This site (wikipedia) states that Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana L.) is the host of the Red Spotted Purple. I remember freqently sighting Red Spotted Purples on a set of trees which (having black, not red berries) I thought to be Chokecherries - maybe they were wild black cherry.

Check out this link: http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:C0Yv9f1X3mUJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limenitis_arthemis+prunus+virginiana+red+spotted+purple&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&ie=UTF-8

If you put the link in the area below, it makes it easier to view. Also doesn't makes the GW page too wide. :-)

randy

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Steve, I'm growing my Wild Cherry in a huge black pot. When it gets too big, I'll put another seedling in a pot to grow, to keep the cycle going. I'm doing the same with willow. I know Judy, in her book, states that she has several host "trees" that she just keeps pruned to a manageable size in her yard in Kentucky. Otherwise, you'd never find the eggs and cats because a lot of them lay eggs in the tops of trees on new growth.

Susan

Well, maybe chokecherry IS used up your way, Steve, and it's just not listed in my books. Have you already planted it? If you have, let us if you get any takers, also let us know if you get any eggs/cats on your serviceberry.
MissSherry

In 2006 I found a few Eastern Tiger Swallowtails on my serviceberries. I haven't seen any this year. This is in Memphis, TN.

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Tim

I know that there is a gal who does some butterfly-related classes (she advertises at some of the garden shows) who uses pussy willow when raising Tiger swallowtails. This is why I posted my answer. Personally I haven't used it.

Tiger swallowtails use the most varied host plants of any butterfly that I can think of - by that, I mean they use plants/trees from a variety of families. I released a black female yesterday that I found on and raised on ptelea trifoliata in the citrus family, but I've got several more in cages that I found on and raised on prunus serotina in the rose family. Serviceberry is related to apple, also in the rose family. And those are just two of the many plant families they use - they're more "moth like" in their eating habits of any butterfly I know of.
MissSherry

The Northern Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana var. virginiana) tree is native to my region of New Jersey. However, I have never seen this tree in natural occurance at all - it must be rare for my region, and only listed for the sake of a few rare discoveries. It is a known host of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

Do you think that Eastern Tiger Swallowtails will be drawn to the two Sweetbay Magnolia trees that I planted, once mature and large. Will the scent likely trigger an attractive response? I think that scent/chemical signal may be more important to butterflies and moths, more then sight and memory. Yet, the local Tiger Swallowtails may not be genetically related to populations that have speciated in association with Sweetbays.

I hope so - the scent of the flowers is extremely strong.

Steve

njbiology, unless you frequent swamps, i doubt youd see a sweetbay. I dont think its rare there, but they do favor areas that us humans seldom willingly go.

I just noticed this tree on my walk the other day in the woods-I saw a White Admiral sitting on one leaf. I thought she had left some presents she was fluttering around like the Monarch's do when they lay eggs but, I couldn't find anything after she left-unless they are just to small to see.
As I was walking out I noticed it was everywhere! They have leaves that are different than the others so I noticed them. I'll be checking them alot more closely next time I go for a walk..

Aggie

I meant to say it was the Serviceberry I was talking about, sorry I didn't put that in my last post!

I also saw Pussywillow and a shrub type Willow I can not remember the name of at the nursery the other day for prices that were pretty reasonable I thought-under 15 dollars for a large size container.
Maybe I'll have to pick one up and see how it does next season.
Aggie

Sweetbay/magnolia virginiana grows all over my property, and there are some big ones about ?60'-75' tall still left in the bottom of the (wet) hollow - I lost quite a few of the big ones in the hurricane.
I've never found a cat of any type on them - I wouldn't be able to see any on the big ones, since their lowest branches are high up on the trees, but I also haven't found any on the young ones with branches I can see and reach.
I think I remember reading that the south Florida tigers that use sweetbay are genetically different - they don't have a black female form. I may be remembering wrong, though, and considering how many different plants tigers lay their eggs on, you may find a tiger on yours, Steve.
MissSherry

Can anyone tell me how to start a pussy willow and how to take care of it.Is it started from seed or just how do you get one started.. If anyone has any info I'd like to here about it. thanks to all for any info. cinjo

I've heard that you can take a cutting from a pussy willow, stick it in water, and get it going that way. Of course, I've never done this myself...

In my limited experience, willows seem to be very easy to root from cuttings. I grow several shrub willows that supposedly are used by the Western Tigers but so far I have only gotten Cerisy's Sphinx moths and Underwing moths on them. I have a Rogue Willow, S. lasiolepus, which I got from Forest Farm Nursery in Oregon. I forget the name of the other one I have but they carry an impressive variety of willows and other plants and trees. I am still hoping to get some Tigers on the willows and will let you know if I do. Murray