Caterpillar Crunch Throughout the gardens there are numerous plants that will provide food for caterpillars, which are the larval stage of butterflies. Three common plants that are easy to grow are Parsley and Golden Alexanders (carrot family plants) for black swallowtails, and Butterfly Weed (a popular milkweed) for monarchs. Growing these plants will give you the chance to witness the complete life cycle of a butterfly.
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea)
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Photo by Sherri Doust