While doing a small landscape installation, I went to visit my friend Renata to pick out butterfly attracting plants for the new landscape. She and I were walking around the nursery and I noticed some herbs tucked away to one side.
When I was getting closer to the group of Herbs, I spotted a parsley plant full of Caterpillars. I was amazed at how many and at how beautiful they were. Bright yellow, black and light green in color.
At a first glance, I was thinking Monarch’s….then realized….
Black Swallowtails!!!! …….WOW!!!!
Scientific name-papilio polyxenes asterius stoll
I asked Renata what she was planning on doing with this parsley, She was so kind and offered to give it to me. That was great since the following day, I was speaking to a group of ladies at a church garden club. It made for a great show and tell item.
The next morning the caterpillars had devoured most of the parsley plant. Incredible!
Here are a list of host plants specifically for Black Swallowtail caterpillars and a list of Nectar providing plants for the butterflies.
Host Plants: Parsley, Dill, Fennel, Queen Anns Lace, Rue
Nectar Plants: Dianthus, Day Lilies, Zinnias, Milk Weed, Pentas, Porter Weed, Asters, Phlox, Red Clover, Thistle and Verbena just to name a few 
“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued,
is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly,
may alight upon you”- Nathaniel Hawthorne
