A week ago I noticed that I had a few uninvited guests on my pot of parsley. They looked an awful lot like the various larval stages of Black Swallowtail butterflies (Papilio polyxenes), which are known to have a mighty taste for parsley. They come every August, invited or not.
Here we are a week later. Where has the parsley gone? Where have the cute little caterpillars gone? I’ve looked for chrysalis, but so far I’ve not found any.
I guess I should wait awhile before planting another batch of parsley…at least until I begin to see Black Swallowtails flitting about.
A Walk in the Garden 
Gardening is not just about plants. I love this.
LikeLike
Thanks. There’s a lot going on in the garden; one just has to look closely.
LikeLike
I hope they find more!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like some really exciting visitors John, I hope you get to see the adults.
LikeLiked by 1 person
After dining the least they can do is return to flit about the garden, showing off, adding beauty.
LikeLike
We shall see. We shall see. I hope so.
LikeLike
Parsley has been one of my favorite offerings this season in some containers – I am still clipping it every time I am preparing a meal – and what a surprise it would be to see those on them, and a not so nice surprise to see all the parsley gone – but I know how important it is to share our bounties with the good guys!
LikeLike
Sometimes it’s hard to call them “good,” but in this case the loss is easily repaired.
LikeLike
Yes, definitely swallowtails, ours feed on fennel but I’ve never seen very much damage as they tend to only be in ones or twos, I’d say grow lots more parsley even if it is only for them.
LikeLike
Thanks, Christina. As of this afternoon I am seeing new growth in the parsley pot. Time will tell.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful little guys ! Thanks for the tip that the Black Swallowtail caterpillars like parsley !
LikeLike
They also are big on dill.
LikeLike
Yes, and they enjoy the swallowtail caterpillars enjoy the Fennel in our garden. A big pot of our Parsley went to Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars. We spotted the Black Swallowtails for the first time last week, and I’m hoping they lay eggs in the garden. Would love to have more of them 😉 Time to plant more Parsley! Best wishes, WG
LikeLike