Where Silk Meets Petal

Note from the Photographer

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) is native to the eastern United States and holds the distinction of being the first American butterfly ever depicted by a European explorer and artist John White sketched one on Roanoke Island, Virginia, as far back as 1587. Scientifically known as Papilio glaucus, it is easily recognized by its striking yellow wings adorned with bold black tiger stripes, with a wingspan reaching up to 5.5 inches. Females come in two forms a yellow morph resembling the male, and a rarer dark black morph with vivid blue iridescence on the hindwings. It serves as the official state butterfly of Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, and South Carolina and is a beloved, familiar sight across Maryland gardens and woodlands.