I have a fennel and dill plant for the swallowtails. It's disheartening to see wasps and birds gobble up the little cats though - the leaves are so ferny it's hard for the little guys to hide. I've had asclepias tuberosa for about 7 years and never have had monarchs lay eggs on it, but the milkweed Asclepias curassavica is covered every year with several batches of Monarchs. I've always bought small transplants - I'm not usually patient enough for seeds. Dill and fennel can usually be found in 2-4" pots, but shop early - they go fast.

I agree with Deb. Dill doesn't like our heat. I've had best luck with it in a pot all by itself. I love it when the swallowtail cats get really active and appear to march around the edge of the pot. Yes, I confess, I'll lean a stick on the edge so they can easily waltz down to the ground. But they are fun to watch!

My parsley lasts much longer and they seem to like it just as much. Fennel has been around for several year now...it's coming back as we speak

I'm much further south than you, but I planted my fennel plants (bronze and green-4 inch pots) in the fall and it's been gorgeous the past 2 months. I'm hoping they'll carry on through the summer and hungry catepillars. I'm going to buy more plants next fall. Through all the heavy frosts we had this winter, they've carried on and look terrific.

I haven't been in this location for a full year yet, but my herb/butterfly/hummingbird garden is in a much better location than at our last house. I'm hoping my stellar fennel performance is a preview of what's to come! (If only my chives would get half as big as my fennels!)

Bobbi

I gave up on dill. I have bronze and green fennel. Some of the green fennel tends to make seeds (after blooming) when it gets hot, which can interfere with its host plant duties a bit. The bronze fennel usually just goes on being bronze fennel. Both kinds can go from year to year. Parsley is good also, but can do the seed-making also, usually in the second year.

I'm in the dfw area and my dill does great. It seeds everywhere and we get alot plants and the swallowtails are always on them.

Yep - I grow dill in the winter, early spring. Also, it does not transplant well for me, so I always grow it from seed. My butterfly weed always blooms the first year, so I'd go ahead and try it.

If you have somewhere for a vine you can plant a passion vine. I have to keep digging up the new shoots that come up all over the place, but the butterflies feast on the nectare, lay their eggs and the cattapillers eat the vines and become new butterflies - all without leaving the host plant. Zinnas are awsome for attracting all the butterflies you can name.

I'm going to try dill. It's one of my favorite herbs. I've never grown fennel before but I will try it this year. I am realizing that Texas covers so many zones and soil types that, unless someone that lives in your area posts, you just have to try and see what will do well where you live.