I grow Fennel for the Black Swallowtail as the Dill does not grow well here.
Just get a Wild lime tree for the Giant Swallowtails

Hi wren....dill isn't a great host plant here either. But the fennel does well. I have green and bronze fennel. The bronze is the only one they have used so far, but then it grows to 7 foot tall every year! It was a big mistake to plant it near the edge of a bed, didn't research how tall it would get. At least it is down by the shop and not out front!

Look what I found this morning!!! A brand new Black Swallowtail!!

Ooh, pretty pic, Sandy! Does look fresh. I'm seeing nothing out there since my single Gulf Fritillary left. Drought has taken its toll here!

It had just came out of the chrysalis. I missed the other one, looks like it came out yesterday

Wonderful wren!! Nice pictures too!

Hey everyone...there is a microbadge for butterflies now!!

Yes, very pretty and a monarch too.

Josephine...If you have a suggestion for native plants badge tell Dave.

such nice pics of the swallowtail!

Sheila, wow on the fennel at 7ft tall! I didn't get around to planting any this year but will consider your info when planting next year!! LOL thank you! I did plant some dill and had a few visitors.

Great Christine! The Black Swallowtails will use a variety of things which is nice. If you are running out of one host plant of the BSTs, just switch smaller caterpillars over to plants that have more foliage they will eat them. The larger cats will not switch as easy and may just pupate early instead.

I saw a Black Swallowtail laying eggs on a fennel earlier and also saw a Gold Bar flying around the Dutchman's pipe vine

I have Black swallowtail cats now, 2 different age groups



I also have lots of bees and wasp hanging around a thyme plant

WTG Wren! glad you have spotted some cats.

I have to many of them went out and tried to find more fennel as my other new plants are way to small and young to use yet.
Could only find parsley nee to try moving some of the younger ones over to these new plants

Also found this little moth will trying to get a picture of a bee

I did it I get a bee with all part in focus.

Good shots Wren.

Thanks

I had left the door to the large shed open today and went back to close it. But something was flying around...at first I thought it was a bird, but then I realized it was a large dark butterfly. It flew out and went toward my front yard. I lost sight of it there. I have some butterfly chrysallises in the shed, but this wasn't from them. A butterfly like that is a big deal these days!