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Feed the Zebras is a community-supported conservation effort created by Tomorrow’s Fruit Nursery in support of the Tennessee state butterfly, the Zebra Swallowtail.
Feed the Zebras
Help Save Tennessee’s Most Beautiful Pollinator—One Tree at a Time
At FeedtheZebras.com, we’re on a mission to protect one of Tennessee’s most iconic and enchanting native species: the Zebra Swallowtail butterfly. This striking black-and-white butterfly with elegant tails and flashes of red and blue is more than just a state symbol—it’s a vital part of our native ecosystem. Due to habitat loss and fragmentation, this species is struggling, but you can help it survive and thrive!
The Zebra Swallowtail depends on just one plant: theNorth American Pawpaw Tree (Asimina triloba). It’s the only host plant where this butterfly lays its eggs, and the only source of food for its caterpillars.
These pawpaw tree, North America’s largest fruit, once thrived along rivers and shaded forest floors across the Southeast, but many have been cleared for roads and developments. As development has erased native woodlands and pawpaw groves vanished, so too has this iconic pollinator. What we lose with it is more than just a beautiful species — we lose a piece of Tennessee’s identity and ecological balance.
With your help, that’s where Feed the Zebras hopes to make a difference!
Feed the Zebras is a community-powered conservation effort launched by Tomorrow’s Fruit Nursery in Memphis, TN to protect and expand native habitats for the Zebra Swallowtail by supplying pawpaw trees — free of charge — to community groups, schools, nature centers, and environmental organizations ready to plant them. Every dollar you give goes toward helping us grow and distribute pawpaw trees to help Zebras survive and thrive. Together, we hope to rebuild habitat and revive a struggling native species.
Be a part of the comeback story. Your donation will:
- Support the reforestation of native pawpaw groves
- Create vital habitats for the Zebra Swallowtail and other pollinators
- Empower schools, nature centers, and community groups to protect biodiversity
- Help preserve a beautiful native species for future generations
It’s more than a donation. It’s an investment in:
- Native pollinator conservation
- Biodiversity and climate resilience
- A Tennessee where the Zebra Swallowtail still belongs
Every tree planted is a step toward restoration and resilience.
Support something beautiful.
Donate now at FeedtheZebras.com and let’s feed some zebras—one pawpaw tree at a time.
