Caterpillars on the Parsley

Black swallowtail larvae on parsley

This evening I found eight little caterpillars on one parsley plant that I am growing in a mixed container out on the patio, and fifteen more on another plant out in the veggie garden. They are fascinating-looking little guys, mostly black with white stripes. Even though I hate to lose the parsley, I'm leaving them alone to enjoy their meal. I hope that at least some of them make it to adulthood, as they are the larval stage of a really lovely butterfly, the black swallowtail.

Favorite Flowers: Purple Coneflower

Allergy Index Scale:  5
Perennial, zone 3
Full sun, 2-3 feet tall

One of the perennial flowers that most reliably handles the hot Kansas summers without pampering is the purple coneflower, or echinacea.  This native plant can handle the extremes of both winter and summer and keep going.

Originally their flowers were a rosy pink color, but they are also available now in white, yellow, orange, and red. They bloom in the summer and early fall. If you deadhead them during the summer, they will keep blooming for many weeks.  Leaving the seedheads at the end of season provides seeds that are attractive to native birds such as goldfinches.