Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Sunday - September 02, 2012
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Butterfly Gardens
Title: Type of non-native parsley for swallowtails from Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
What is the best type of parsley for Yellow Swallowtails? Lost a caterpillar when it ran out of food from a parsley plant. I can't remember what kind of parsley. It would not feed on Rue, cilantro or dill.ANSWER:
I am afraid you have reached the wrong number, in a couple of ways. In the first place, we answer questions about plants native to North America and the area where those plants grow natively. The second place is really the same answer because parsley is native to the Meditteranean area. We understand there are both curly and flatleaf parsleys, but that is about the extent of our information.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is interested in butterflies, and there is a butterfly garden at the Center. The butterflies that live in those gardens will be eating native plants, because that's all we grow at the Center. No parsley. We would like to help you, however, and here are two articles that can give you some leads and information on what butterflies eat.
Joyful Butterfly What do Butterflies Eat?
How-To Article Butterfly Gardening
More Butterfly Gardens Questions
Questions about milkweed seeds
March 28, 2013 - Dear folks, I am trying to locate Nan Hampton from Los Fresnos, Texas who asked about Asclepias texana seeds and other Asclepias seeds on Dec. 10, 2008. I would like to know if she found any and has...
view the full question and answer
Fall seeding of Butterfly Weed in Virginia
July 20, 2007 - Just ordered seeds from you - Butterfly Weed - and I plan to hopefully scatter the seeds early Oct. in an area along a tree line here in No. VA where the sun bakes the soil as it is exposed to hot wes...
view the full question and answer
Food for butterflies in Austin
April 21, 2013 - Mr. Smarty Plants, my kids and I are raising Painted Lady butterflies from caterpillars but it's still too cold to release them (oddly cool spring we're having!) If they mate and lay eggs, what loc...
view the full question and answer
Propagation of Asclepias tuberosa
June 18, 2012 - Re: Asclepias tuberosa, "butterfly weed" bush -- I have a bed in a mix of Shoal Creek well-drained caliche, soil, and some enrichment of mulch that gets almost full sun and low water. After 4 yrs a...
view the full question and answer
Deadheading flowers on hybrid Black Knight butterfly bush
July 17, 2008 - I have two Black Knight Butterfly bushes in my landscape. Should I deadhead the flowers on this bush? Also, should I prune this back, if so, when, how much? I live near Kansas City, Missouri.
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
