“Butterflies and Their Host Plants” a Zoom presentation by the UT Arboretum Society

Nature creates biodiversity where different butterfly species seek a variety of host plants to lay their tiny eggs, and butterflies do love diversity! Common milkweed is the favored host plant for female monarch butterflies to lay their eggs, while female tiger swallowtails seek tulip poplar trees as their go-to host plant.

Join the UT Arboretum Society via Zoom on Thursday, August 6, 7 pm EDT as Michelle Campanis, education coordinator at the University of Tennessee Arboretum, and naturalist/author Stephen Lyn Bales give us a look at monarchs, zebra swallowtails, blue azures, gulf fritillaries, and painted ladies. We will discuss the host plants you can add to your home landscape to support these all-star pollinators.

The class is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link. To register, go to Programs – The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society.  If you are unable to watch at the scheduled time, the program will be recorded and sent to everyone who registers. Closed captions are available. For questions or registration issues, contact Michelle at mcampani@utk.edu.

This Thursday Nature Supper Club presentation is co-sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society (UTAS) and the American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) as part of their ongoing Citizen Science Birding Program.

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society (UTAS) is the arboretum’s volunteer organization and is celebrating its 61^st year in 2026. UTAS was formed in 1965 to support and enhance the University of Tennessee Arboretum. UTAS is the longest standing volunteer organization in the University of Tennessee system statewide.

The Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center celebrates its 62nd anniversary in 2026. It is one of the ten University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture AgResearch and Education Centers located throughout Tennessee. The Institute of Agriculture also provides instruction, research and public service through the UT Herbert College of Agriculture, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension offices, with locations in every county in the state.

Melanie Staten is a public relations consultant with her husband, Vince.

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