Technically, BAMONA says they use host plants in the Prunus family. But I've never seen them on Cherry Laurel. I have tons of them, too. Not in my yard, but in the neighborhood. In fact, we even have one in the flight cage although my boss has a sign in the pot that says "Black Cherry". But I can totally tell the two apart and what we have is a Cherry Laurel. We've captured Tiger Swallowtails in the garden before and put them in the flight cage and they've never laid eggs on it. My field guide says that south of Ocala they exclusively use Sweetbay Magnolia. That doesn't explain why one laid eggs on my Black Cherry, but it did. Granted, the caterpillars didn't survive but the point is the butterfly chose the Black Cherry (I didn't have a Sweetbay back then). I say unless you see it with your own eyes, or those of people you trust, don't believe it. I've read many books on butterflies that say one thing and then I see the opposite thing happen. I can't believe I'm the exception to the rule that many times. I also think the Red-Spotted Purples have a monopoly on the Black Cherry trees in this area.
The Tigers probably fly over and see that the tree is already occupied.
