It's a small tree, often understory, with 3 leaflets on each leaf, small yellow-green flowers, fragrant, seeds are in roundish, flat, paperlike wings, in clusters or individually. Host plant to the Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail (the local favorite host plant in my area), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Giant Swallowtail. I might add that locally, the ETS prefers black cherry or Texas Ash trees.

Linda, my hop tree from you is thriving dispite my breaking it shortly after planting. I also have a E. Black Cherry but it's very small. One day I may see some caterpillars though. I get frequent visits from TSTs; male, female, even dark form.

Glad it's doing well, Sheila! Not seeing much butterfly activity lately...they're mostly gone. But last week I saw this Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail nectaring as if it could never get enough! I have one GF chrysallis that I hope will emerge shortly...they are very scarce this summer.

The two tailed is beautiful. I haven't had those here.

Yes the frits overwinter so much and I think our freezes took them out. They are so prolific though and where there are some they will rebound hopefully.

Hey Girl, I like your picture, which kind of butterfly are you?

A very hot one today!! LOL!

Is that Petelea Trifoliata? If so, i've got one growing in my front yard -- it's been there about a year now, surviving last year's ridiculously hot summer and our crazy winter. The folks at my semi-local native nursery recommended it to me.

Yes Mary it is still very small though. It is one of the host plants that theTiger ST (in your picture)uses.

Thanks, Sheila -

I call that little guy "the GA butterfly" cause it's our state butterfly. So much easier for me to remember than "Eastern Tiger Swallowtail" when I was first taking their pics. I forget why my nursery recommended Hoppy to me, other than it being a native that they thought would do well in my yard, and what I call the "unusual factor," but he's thriving, I think. Can't say he's grown much since planting him a year or so ago, but he's still alive, and in my world, that equals thriving.

And yes, I call him "Hoppy" -- it's easier to talk to my plants if they have names.

All butterflies that use it as a host plant are big and beautiful.
A Giant Swallowtail:

I lost a big 4 year old Rue plant this year, due to the heat, maybe the GST will start using the hop tree as it gets larger.