I was puttering in the garden today, harvesting some dill for use when we make our pickles, and noticed a rather large 'infestation' of caterpillars on the dill plants (I'm guessing a couple of hundred). They are all different sizes, although they pretty much all looked to be the same. I figured I'd do some research before I sprayed Bt & I'm glad I did, as they turned out to be Black Swallowtail caterpillars. From what I found thus far, they only eat plants in the parsnip family, so I decided I'd leave them alone, as we already have plenty of dill for our purposes and butterflies are great pollinators!!!

It's funny how every year something 'new' shows up at the ranch, sometimes it good & sometime its bad, however its always interesting to learn something new... Heck, we even got out first Red-Shoulder Hawk nest in a tree in our hay-trap (maybe 100' from our vegetable garden) & we've been out here 20 yrs!!!

Sam, that's awesome!! I am not a fan of dill but seeing as the swallowtails like them maybe I will plant a few.

We have Rue at the lake and they seem to like it also. We hardly ever water it and, the caterpillars are all over it. Grows back just fine. Love the photo!

Sandi, what kind of Rue, I just looked and there are dozens of different types, and will it survive zone 3a??

I'm not sure, I brought it home from the master Gardener greenhouse years ago when we were cleaning it out for winter. It didn't do well here, so I took it to the lake. I'll see if I can find a photo later. It thrives on neglect and hot sun. It's sort of a bluish green.

I like the sound of it, summertime we have hot sun and if I plant it outside the fence it will probably get neglected, therefore it should thrive.

This was taken in early June

Does it get blooms or is it just foliage, I don't care either way seeing as it is for the swallowtails, just maybe help with finding the right cultivar. Do you mind if I save your photo for future reference?

I'm not sure about the blooms. It seems it does in fall, but I could be wrong. We're usually not up there much after football season begins.
And of course, save the pic. It isn't a very good one, though. 'Right in the blazing sun!

I used to buy Rue at nurseries and inevitably they'd die within a couple of years. Then I got several in trade from a butterfly person in South Texas and have had Rue since then. I'm leary of pruning it much, however...I lost the last one I pruned quite a bit. Fortunately I had two more bushes and I have had volunteers come up from time to time. Large rues like mine can bloom almost year-round and it's an excellent nectar plant...not to mention a butterfly host plant for both Black Swallowtail and Giant Swallowtail. These are Red Admirals nectaring on a Rue bush.

Linda your Rue looks different that Sandi's, what cultivar do you have?

I'm afraid about all that I know about my rue is that a woman that lives in far South Texas sent the original plants to me quite a few years ago as a trade.

I have had rue for a year and have never seen blooms like that. Wow! I found cats on my fennel.

About a month ago I watched a very small black swallowtail lay two eggs on the Prairie Parsley, and since the butterflies have been so scarce lately I decided to bring the eggs in and raise them.
They are now two beautiful chrisallys and I am looking forward to them eclosing and setting them free.
I have found a few more since then and i am raising them all.

I guess I will just have to check out the nursery and see which type of Rue they sell for our zone.

Josephine, that's great!

Good idea, Josephine! I found some Pipevine Swallowtail eggs on a patch of wild pipevine in a nearby town and I egg-napped some to raise here. Along the road road, a wild milkweed showed a few tiny holes today, but didn't find any little caterpillars...maybe the spiders on the plants got the caterpillars. I've actually seen a total of only one Monarch so far.

It's raining at the lake and on its way here. We have cloudless sulfurs and red admirals all over the front yard. DH asked me where the go when it rains. I told him they must hide under the bushes or under the eaves. I really don't know, do you?

I find those huge moths in my little cabinet on the porch sometimes in summer.

I found this guy in my garden. I'm hoping he survives this cold.

Cameron, I hope it survives too, very nice photo.