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Writer's pictureJennifer McDonald

Plant of the Month: Dollarweed Redemption!


Dollarweed. Photo by Mary Townsley




by Mary Townsley

 

Dollarweed, Hydrocotyle umbellata, also called pennywort, is a perennial weed that loves moist soil. While you may despair seeing this weed through your lawn and flowerbeds, particularly when our summers are rainy, consider that dollarweed might have redeeming features.  Really?  Yes . . . swallowtail caterpillars find it tasty!  Typically, we think of fennel and parsley as perennial herbs that support the caterpillar phase of the swallowtail butterfly life cycle. However, when fennel or parsley are not plentiful or the caterpillar population has decimated those plants, swallowtail caterpillars will happily munch on dollarweed.  Why are they attracted to this weed?  It turns out that dollarweed is an umbellifer - a member of the carrot family - just like fennel and parsley.

 

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