The Anise Swallowtail
can be in our gardens much of the year. Their most common butterfly
garden food source is
Anise, Foeniculum vulgare, but they will also feed on a wide variety of other plants in the
same family, Umbelliferae. Lomatium or snakeweed is the most common
native food for the Anise Swallowtail. The adults also will occasionally feed on
Citrus. This adult Anise Swallowtail is resting on a stalk of the
Slender Oat Grass, Avena barbata. The anise has a flavor that is
much like licorice and can be used in the kitchen. The base can be
blanched and the seeds eaten.
This
image is available in high resolution and is part of our photo
collection.
