The ones in my area prefer dill. I can’t grow enough of it. I also grow parsley, fennel, and rue but the females almost always lay eggs on the dill. I have 35 chrysalis in containers right now. I absolutely adore these little critters.
Oh, wow! You have had your hands full! I’m so excited that you have 35 bundles of possibility to look forward to emerging!!! Isn’t it funny about their egg laying preferences?!? I’ve stopped growing parsley because they rarely used it and since I hate the scent of dill I only let it grow when it has the temerity to reseed. This year, I had an Eastern black swallowtail lay eggs on what I think is mock Bishop’s weed. That was a surprise! I would, of course, never have known it, except that I just happened to be standing there when it happened! Butterflies are endlessly entertaining little creatures! I’m so glad to be on this adventure with you!!!
Thanks so much for this video. It exactly answered my question! A while ago a black swallowtail was fluttering around my herb planter; I saw her laying eggs on the dill, then fluttering away, then back again and again. When the eggs hatched that little bit of dill couldn't support all those tiny caterpillars, then noticed they were moving over to the parsley. The anoles were noticing too, so I put in a support and draped tulle fabric over the whole planter to protect them from the lizards and predatory wasps. So, I wanted to know how to give them supports for when they become chrysalises. Thank goodness, you talked about the sticks, perfect!! One is becoming a chrysalis on my basil plant, but now I'm off to gather sticks! I raise Monarchs and have white peacocks fluttering about all day, but Black Swallowtails are new to me. Again, thank you!
About the organic parsley: Organic farmers do often use pesticides -- from natural sources. That means even organic parsley isn't 100% safe for caterpillars. So it's super important to grow yourself a good supply of your own pesticide-free parsley. I did once run out of parsley and bought some conventionally-grown parsley. I washed it really well and the caterpillars were fine, but I think I was lucky that time.
Oh, Teresa, I know! I can’t remember if I said it in this video, but one time I bought regular parsley and some of my caterpillars vomited and died. It was a tragedy and I was heartbroken over it!!! I never have enough fennel growing. They seem to love that better than anything else; although, this year I am going to experiment with buying organic carrots from the store and planting them and letting them grow and go to seed. I think carrot flowers are so lovely!
Hey, Kylee! I never got positive confirmation, but my guess would be that I didn’t buy organic parsley and the pesticides on the regular parsley adversely affected them. Lesson learned! ONLY use organic parsley or homegrown fennel, parsley, or dill.
Have you made any other videos regarding butterfly’s. I’m interested in learning more and raising them. It may be too late in the season here in NC. Do you have any idea on the time of year to start and perhaps stop feeding these beautiful butterflies. Thanks for the video and hopefully you have another one.
Hey, Carol! Yes! I have a couple more videos that are all about butterflies! That’s so cool that you are going to start gardening for butterflies!!! I would recommend that you plant larval host plants and nectar plants in the spring and that would attract butterflies to come to your garden. I don’t know much about your seasons, but I know that if you plant it, they will come!
They do like flat leaf parsley! It seems like every year they favor one or the other more. Just when I think, “Ah-ha! The fennel is a surefire way to attract them!” They will favor the dill more or the parsley more. Now I have to plant all of them to make sure I get them to come around. LOL!
Oh, wow, Tina! I’ve never seen a caterpillar on my rue! That’s super cool! Is it a small caterpillar? It might not be liking the rue. You could try feeding it some organic parsley or fennel and see if it likes that more. I found some very small Eastern black swallowtail caterpillars on a mystery plant in my yard and they didn’t seem to like it, so I fed them my fennel and they ate that voraciously!
Hello, I just found your video and it is great. thank you!! But one question? I had read somewhere that a caterpillar cannot change plant food. once he starts eating a plant, he cannot switch to another type. I don't know where I read that but maybe it is true IDK. I am in Mobile and have many host plants for caterpillars. But I have always wanted to grow some indoors, so maybe my next project.
I find Eastern black swallowtail caterpillars on my fennel often and then feed them organic curled leaf parsley from Publix since I rarely have enough fennel. Buying organic is especially important, but switching food has never been an issue. Good luck with raising butterflies!!! I can’t wait to find out how it goes!!!
@@gulfcoastbutterflygardening thank you. I have been raising Gulf Fritillary on purple passion flower for a long time. I grow Dutchman's Pipe for Pipevine Swallowtails, Longtail skippers love my Lima bean row. I have citrus trees that draw Tiger Swallowtails, My go to food flowers are Tithonia, Firebush, and Pagoda. The thing I like best about Tithonia is that the nectary are so deep that once the butterflies start feeding they are reluctant to leave so you can get close for good watch. I am growing Parsley for the first time this year, so that may help. I will plant some fennel and dill this year.
@@williammikell2210 How wonderful!!! It sounds like you have a butterfly paradise over there!!! I have some dutchman’s pipe vine, and I hope it will grow back this year. I would LOVE to see some pipevine swallowtails in the garden. I haven’t had any yet. I’ve never grown tithonia! I will have to try it! - If you are able, plant a ton of fennel! Eastern black swallowtails seem to love it more than the curled leaf parsley, but here’s the weird thing, just when I think I know what they like, they will switch it up and just lay eggs on the parsley. They’re ornery like that! LOL!
The dill, fennel and parsley can’t tolerate the summer heat in my area. I’m trying Queen’s Anne lace and golden alexander this year. They do like rue but I can’t get rue to grow from seed and the plants get expensive. Nothing worse than having a bunch of cats and no more plants to feed them. Some sites say golden alexander, queens lace, and mock bishops are host plants and some say they aren’t. So, I’m hoping something works. I’ll let you know if I get cats on them. The golden Alexander’s are really pretty regardless.
@@Greeneggsandham123 When I was growing up out in the country the roads were lined with Queen Anne’s lace and we had clouds of butterflies! I love that flower! I haven’t tried to grow it. That will be so pretty!!! I’ve never seen golden Alexander flowers! I hope you will have lots of success!!!!!! Keep me up to date on it!
The ones in my area prefer dill. I can’t grow enough of it. I also grow parsley, fennel, and rue but the females almost always lay eggs on the dill. I have 35 chrysalis in containers right now. I absolutely adore these little critters.
Oh, wow! You have had your hands full! I’m so excited that you have 35 bundles of possibility to look forward to emerging!!! Isn’t it funny about their egg laying preferences?!? I’ve stopped growing parsley because they rarely used it and since I hate the scent of dill I only let it grow when it has the temerity to reseed. This year, I had an Eastern black swallowtail lay eggs on what I think is mock Bishop’s weed. That was a surprise! I would, of course, never have known it, except that I just happened to be standing there when it happened! Butterflies are endlessly entertaining little creatures! I’m so glad to be on this adventure with you!!!
Thanks so much for this video. It exactly answered my question! A while ago a black swallowtail was fluttering around my herb planter; I saw her laying eggs on the dill, then fluttering away, then back again and again. When the eggs hatched that little bit of dill couldn't support all those tiny caterpillars, then noticed they were moving over to the parsley. The anoles were noticing too, so I put in a support and draped tulle fabric over the whole planter to protect them from the lizards and predatory wasps. So, I wanted to know how to give them supports for when they become chrysalises. Thank goodness, you talked about the sticks, perfect!! One is becoming a chrysalis on my basil plant, but now I'm off to gather sticks! I raise Monarchs and have white peacocks fluttering about all day, but Black Swallowtails are new to me. Again, thank you!
Oh, yay!!! I’m so glad that you are getting to raise them and protect them!!! Isn’t it awesome to get to have a new butterfly adventure?!?!
About the organic parsley: Organic farmers do often use pesticides -- from natural sources. That means even organic parsley isn't 100% safe for caterpillars. So it's super important to grow yourself a good supply of your own pesticide-free parsley. I did once run out of parsley and bought some conventionally-grown parsley. I washed it really well and the caterpillars were fine, but I think I was lucky that time.
Oh, Teresa, I know! I can’t remember if I said it in this video, but one time I bought regular parsley and some of my caterpillars vomited and died. It was a tragedy and I was heartbroken over it!!! I never have enough fennel growing. They seem to love that better than anything else; although, this year I am going to experiment with buying organic carrots from the store and planting them and letting them grow and go to seed. I think carrot flowers are so lovely!
Did you ever find out what happened to your caterpillars that were dying?
Hey, Kylee! I never got positive confirmation, but my guess would be that I didn’t buy organic parsley and the pesticides on the regular parsley adversely affected them. Lesson learned! ONLY use organic parsley or homegrown fennel, parsley, or dill.
Hermoso tu jardín, saludos desde Alabama 🌺😻😍💞🌺🌺
Thanks, Ana!!!
Have you made any other videos regarding butterfly’s. I’m interested in learning more and raising them. It may be too late in the season here in NC. Do you have any idea on the time of year to start and perhaps stop feeding these beautiful butterflies. Thanks for the video and hopefully you have another one.
Hey, Carol! Yes! I have a couple more videos that are all about butterflies! That’s so cool that you are going to start gardening for butterflies!!! I would recommend that you plant larval host plants and nectar plants in the spring and that would attract butterflies to come to your garden. I don’t know much about your seasons, but I know that if you plant it, they will come!
Do they like flat leaf parsley too?
They do like flat leaf parsley! It seems like every year they favor one or the other more. Just when I think, “Ah-ha! The fennel is a surefire way to attract them!” They will favor the dill more or the parsley more. Now I have to plant all of them to make sure I get them to come around. LOL!
@@gulfcoastbutterflygardening lol!
do they eat very slow, i just found one this year and he never seems to eat but he is in a different spot when i look at him, on my rue plant
Oh, wow, Tina! I’ve never seen a caterpillar on my rue! That’s super cool! Is it a small caterpillar? It might not be liking the rue. You could try feeding it some organic parsley or fennel and see if it likes that more. I found some very small Eastern black swallowtail caterpillars on a mystery plant in my yard and they didn’t seem to like it, so I fed them my fennel and they ate that voraciously!
he is eating now , the rue. must have been in a molt or something.@@gulfcoastbutterflygardening
Hello, I just found your video and it is great. thank you!! But one question? I had read somewhere that a caterpillar cannot change plant food. once he starts eating a plant, he cannot switch to another type. I don't know where I read that but maybe it is true IDK. I am in Mobile and have many host plants for caterpillars. But I have always wanted to grow some indoors, so maybe my next project.
I find Eastern black swallowtail caterpillars on my fennel often and then feed them organic curled leaf parsley from Publix since I rarely have enough fennel. Buying organic is especially important, but switching food has never been an issue. Good luck with raising butterflies!!! I can’t wait to find out how it goes!!!
@@gulfcoastbutterflygardening thank you. I have been raising Gulf Fritillary on purple passion flower for a long time. I grow Dutchman's Pipe for Pipevine Swallowtails, Longtail skippers love my Lima bean row. I have citrus trees that draw Tiger Swallowtails, My go to food flowers are Tithonia, Firebush, and Pagoda. The thing I like best about Tithonia is that the nectary are so deep that once the butterflies start feeding they are reluctant to leave so you can get close for good watch. I am growing Parsley for the first time this year, so that may help. I will plant some fennel and dill this year.
@@williammikell2210 How wonderful!!! It sounds like you have a butterfly paradise over there!!! I have some dutchman’s pipe vine, and I hope it will grow back this year. I would LOVE to see some pipevine swallowtails in the garden. I haven’t had any yet. I’ve never grown tithonia! I will have to try it! - If you are able, plant a ton of fennel! Eastern black swallowtails seem to love it more than the curled leaf parsley, but here’s the weird thing, just when I think I know what they like, they will switch it up and just lay eggs on the parsley. They’re ornery like that! LOL!
The dill, fennel and parsley can’t tolerate the summer heat in my area. I’m trying Queen’s Anne lace and golden alexander this year. They do like rue but I can’t get rue to grow from seed and the plants get expensive. Nothing worse than having a bunch of cats and no more plants to feed them. Some sites say golden alexander, queens lace, and mock bishops are host plants and some say they aren’t. So, I’m hoping something works. I’ll let you know if I get cats on them. The golden Alexander’s are really pretty regardless.
@@Greeneggsandham123 When I was growing up out in the country the roads were lined with Queen Anne’s lace and we had clouds of butterflies! I love that flower! I haven’t tried to grow it. That will be so pretty!!! I’ve never seen golden Alexander flowers! I hope you will have lots of success!!!!!! Keep me up to date on it!