Hi, everyone! I am brand-new to this forum, and this is my first post! :} I have grown rue for several years, but this is the first year I knew about the swallowtail butterflies. I've seen the critters before, but didn't realize what they were. I found out about it when I looked out the bedroom window one day while taking a break from working (I work at home) and saw my little bitty parsley plant absolutely COVERED with caterpillars!! I counted 24, and I'm sure I missed some. I totally freaked out!! But then I decided I needed to do some checking online because these were really pretty caterpillars! That's when I found out that those caters would become swallowtails and that they love parsley, rue and dill. That go-round, they never touched the rue, but totally devoured every single parsley leaf and some of the stems. When they had all abandonded it, I cut it back and within just a few days, new shoots were coming out!! A few weeks later, the caters started on the two little rue plants I have in the garden. We just moved here in May, and I brought a few plants with me from my other garden, so they got a really late start ... but the caters didn't care!!! They totally devoured the rue!! A couple days ago, I noticed they're starting on the baby dill plants in another garden (planted seed out there about a month ago to get a dill supply going)! Those rascals have a big appetite!! Next year I will be sure to have lots of extras of their favorites!!! I am SOOOO excited to have found you guys and hope to get to spend some time with you now and then!! regards, gramma drake :} moderator's note: split this post and it's responses into it's own topic
Gramma Drake, welcome to the forum! You pinpointed three of the best host plants for butterflies--parsley, dill, and rue. We have milkweed in our pasture for the Monarchs, and Greiggs Blue Mist (boneset) for the fritillaries. So many people plant butterfly gardens for nectar alone, forgetting that the butterflies need a place to lay eggs and let the caterpillars dine. You are certainly on the right track!
I love seeing the butterflies in the garden, I will be sure to incorporate those plants next year. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for the welcome!! I'm excited to have a place to come where like-minded people hang out! I just wish I had more time to play here!! What I'd really like to figure out is how to make a little money doing what I love, so I wouldn't have to spend soooooo many hours a day pounding away on this computer and could play in the dirt more and not have to feel guilty for doing it!! :} (Plus I really don't want to spend the next 20yrs working the kind of hours I work - would love to semi-retire someday!) Is there anybody here that actually profits from their hobby, or is that an inappropriate question to ask? I'm seriously thinking about planting our two-acre field in herbs and flowers and building a small greenhouse to try to get something going, but I have to be able to make it worthwhile in order to talk my hubby (bookkeeper!) into going for it! LOL gramma drake
