Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly

I didn't get caterpillars last year on my parsley. That was what I planted it for so I didn't plant it again. I also have rue, bronze fennel and dill and I've found them on all three of those. Rue and fennel are both perennial and have pretty foliage so that's a plus. Dill dries up in the middle of summer for me so there isn't much left for the caterpillars when they start getting more plentiful in late summer.
I do think black swallowtails will use parsley but maybe if there's something else they prefer, they leave parsley alone. Did you have something else that they were using instead? Or maybe a neighbor did.

I had caterpillars only on the very tall bronze fennel that seeded itself all over my yard!

We didn't have nearly as many butterflies as past years. Don't know why unless it was weather related.

Caterpillars ate my fennel, but not the parsley. I have just one plant in a pot and I "found" it the other day. It is dark green and pretty. It has been taking care of itself.

I just talked with my sister who used to have a greenhouse and she thinks our parsley which is a biennial will winter over outside and come back one more year.....if it didn't bloom and set seed this year. Mine didn't. She also says you can harvest leaves almost all winter from it.

I just have the very curly one. Be interesting to see.
I will be harvesting the fennel seed soon. She also says she always adds some to her Italian pasta sauces. The bronze doesn't make bulbs. I think I will try some of the bulb type next year. I have never eaten it before.

glenda

I just harvested some bronze fennel fronds and seeds and some parsley to freeze for winter use.

I will have seeds galore of the fennel.

I have my parsley in pots outside, and it's came back for over 5 years. My daughter dug her up some starts this week, and it has long big white roots, like a Daikon radish. I didnt know that...

I had totally forgotten mine....I need to see how it is doing after our freeze.

I think I will leave my Rosemary Arp outside too. It is supposed to be hardy.

I don't have much luck with rosemary overwintering. I love its smell. My sister in CA had a hedge that was kind of bluish green; I didn't recognize it. I moved her yard ornament and hit it. It was rosemary.

gldno1,

Parsley should be fine most of the winter. Many people who use it for culinary reasons prefer Italian flat leaf parsley which is what I prefer over curly parsley. I find curly parsley leaves to be too thick and the leaves can be more bitter. Italian flat leaf has more flavor without the bitterness.

Violet, this was a gift from my sis from her seeds, so that is what I have. I will try to remember the flat leaf next year.