Garden of Aaron: Too Many Cats on the Fennel?

Friday, September 16, 2016

Too Many Cats on the Fennel?

I counted 19 caterpillars - eastern black swallowtails, I think - on the bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum'). You can see 13 or 14 of them in the photo below if you look carefully...

Here's a close-up to make things easier...

How many caterpillars can survive on a single fennel plant? I worry about whether these cats will have enough to eat, but since I only have the one fennel plant growing in my garden (I direct sowed a packet of seeds and only one plant grew to maturity), I don't think I have any options to relocate any of the cats.

Hopefully they'll all make it to maturity and will be able to pupate successfully! So far, there's still plenty of foliage, but there are also lots of hungry caterpillars!

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Barbara Dyer · 445 weeks ago

I am envious. Last year I had so many I was afraid the fennel would not survive. It has prospered this year, but I haven't seen a single caterpillar.

1 reply · active 445 weeks ago

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gardenofaaron 20p · 445 weeks ago

Hm. That's odd. Well, perhaps if some of these cats become butterflies they (or their descendants) can fly over to your garden and start the next generation on your fennel! :)

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gardeninacity 45p · 445 weeks ago

You can never have too many cats on the fennel. Great pics.

1 reply · active 445 weeks ago

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Aaron Dalton 90p · 445 weeks ago

Well, it would only be too many if they ran out of leaves before they were ready to pupate! But I think they're nearly full grown now and there still seems to be plenty of foliage (as of this morning), so hopefully this batch of cats will be A-OK! :)

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laurafott 25p · 445 weeks ago

If you want more fennel, it germinates really easily in seed trays. Then you could set out several plants! I had an over-abundance of swallowtail caterpillars last year, but still had too many seedlings this year. Would you like a few? I probably have more starts than I can use and you are welcome to them!

1 reply · active 445 weeks ago

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Aaron Dalton 90p · 445 weeks ago

Aw, that's so sweet of you, Laura.

I'm definitely hoping/planning to grow more fennel next year. And maybe some rue too.

I'll email you about your kind offer.

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schmittscience6 44p · 445 weeks ago

That's awesome!! Plant some curly parsley or rue next year to give them more to much on. :)

1 reply · active 445 weeks ago

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Aaron Dalton 90p · 445 weeks ago

Thanks Tammy! I may try both next year. I love parsley (though I've heard it can wimp out in the Tennessee heat) and I've heard rue is an awesome reliable butterfly host plant. Gotta try it!

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deborahelliott 55p · 445 weeks ago

I recently purchased a fennel plant that was almost completely stripped of foliage. Not for the plant, but because of the two caterpillars and two cocoons it contained. The two caterpillars disappeared, but the two cocoons successfully produced two black swallowtails. I have had rue in the past, and it was almost completely covered with these caterpillars. It was an amazing sight.

1 reply · active 445 weeks ago

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Aaron Dalton 90p · 445 weeks ago

Only a true gardener and nature-lover would buy a plant for its coccoons! :)

(The two caterpillars that disappeared might not have been eaten. I've read that swallowtail cats will wander off when they're getting ready to pupate.)

I've thought about planting rue, but I'm a bit nervous after reading of gardeners who've experienced major photo sensitization after working around the plant. Probably I'll just try to add more fennel - plus some dill - to the garden next year!

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Beth @ PlantPostings · 445 weeks ago

Wonderful! I planted dill for this reason, but I think the slugs ate most of it. I'm not sure how much they eat, but it looks like they're pretty far along, so they should be OK. I raised Monarchs this year, and they eat so much at the end before they form their chrysalides. I would think you'd see some Swallowtail chrysalides in your garden soon! Congrats! Great photos!

1 reply · active 445 weeks ago

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Aaron Dalton 90p · 445 weeks ago

I'll keep a daily watch and if things look dicey I can run to the grocery store and try to find some emergency fennel, dill or parsley.

I've got a few (maybe 4) monarch cats on the swamp milkweed. They seem pretty big too. I'm not worried whether they'll find enough to eat since there's only a few monarch cats and lots (maybe two dozen) milkweed plants.

I'm hoping to add dill to the garden next year - both for swallowtail cats and for myself. I love dill in potato salad! :) But I've heard it doesn't do quite as well in the Tennessee heat as bronze fennel does...

Thanks for the congrats :)

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Jenny · 445 weeks ago

I'm sure that a few will fall prey to a stray bird who flies by. Next year you will have to plant more than one plant just to make sure you have enough food for all. Hope they all make it.

1 reply · active 445 weeks ago

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Aaron Dalton 90p · 445 weeks ago

You know, I would have thought that a bird would have gotten some of the cats by now. But I think there are still about 19 each day.

I tried planting multiple fennel plants (scattered seed) but only got the one plant that made it to maturity.

But you're right -- I do hope to grow more fennel next year in the garden. If this plant survives the caterpillar assault (which I presume it will) and regrows foliage, perhaps it will even flower and reseed? That would be awesome. (Or if it doesn't self-sow this year, maybe next year? I think bronze fennel plants are supposed to be short-lived perennials...)

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Indie · 445 weeks ago

How great to have so many caterpillars!! I had that problem one year, and I ended up having to go buy some parsley plants to feed all of them. A good problem to have!

1 reply · active 445 weeks ago

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Aaron Dalton 90p · 445 weeks ago

You're right! It is a great 'problem'.

As of yesterday and today, there are 'only' about 8 swallowtail cats on the fennel. I'm hoping the others had enough to eat and wandered off someplace to pupate. (Though I suppose some of them could have been snatched by a hungry bird....)

There are still some fresh leaves on the fennel. The plant is trying to put out new foliage. If things get dire, I'm not above going to the store and trying to buy a parsley or dill plant for the cats! :)

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