Fennel and swallowtail butterfly caterpillar

While cutting down old raspberry canes, I brushed up against the original fennel that we planted and also some of its grown-up seedlings.

We should probably never have planted any fennel. Apparently it can completely take over a patch of ground, and even if you think you’ve eradicated it, the seeds remain in the soil for years.

Since learning this, I’ve started systematically ‘discouraging’ all our fennel by cutting off its shoots, but I only seem to have succeeded in making for multi-stemmed, even more vigorous plants.

Caterpillar of the swallowtail butterfly

In reality, I have a big soft spot for fennel, not only because of its delicious aniseed smell which lingers on your hands when you pull it, but also because it is the food plant of the swallowtail butterfly.

I came across this very small swallowtail caterpillar about a fortnight ago and hoped I might find it again today, grown a little larger. Needless to say, I didn’t.