In spring, zebras feed on nectars from early flowers on trees and shrubs such as blueberry, redbud and dogwood. Adrienne Frank, coordinator of the Butterfly Circles in the Williamsburg area, said they really like short tubular flowers such as lantana. Zebras, Eurytides marcellus, are difficult to photograph as their wings vibrate constantly while feeding on the nectar of flowers. Males and females appear identical, the only definitive difference being the egg-laying activity of the female and its smaller size.” Zebras that emerge in the spring are smaller with shorter tails than those that are mature in the fall. “When the wings close, a bright red stripe is visible in the middle of the hindwing. “The hindwings have two deep blue spots at the base and a red spot closer to the body,” she said. You will know a zebra swallowtail as soon as you spot it because nothing else looks like this big butterfly with triangular wings with vertical black and white stripes, and long, sword-like tails, according to Hamilton. The powdered seeds have been used to treat lice in children, and researchers have found that both the leaves and seeds have chemicals that kill insects. The fruits can cause allergic reactions or act as a laxative. Pawpaw fruits were prized by Native Americans and early settlers who made cordage and rope from the tree’s fiber, Hamilton continued. Pawpaw is the only host plant for this black-and-white-striped butterfly.” In fall, zebra swallowtails are seen hovering over the leaves, laying their eggs. “The large, lance-shaped leaves produce a foul odor when crushed and so do the twigs when they are damaged, which discourages deer. “Seedlings of pawpaw are often prolific in woods where deer have browsed on other plants,” Hamilton said. Pawpaw has a long taproot and reproduces by root suckers. Easy to grow, pawpaw prefers acidic, fertile soils, well-drained with average water. The native plant can be part of a rain garden or placed in a shrub border or the edge of woods with average water. It grows in moist soils in forests, often as a smaller understory tree. Pawpaw is native to every county in Virginia and throughout the eastern United States, she adds.

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