Caterpillars of the black and anise swallowtail make their home on and eat the leaves from the parsley family, which includes fennel, angelica, dill, and chervil. The American painted lady thrives on borage. As adults, butterflies sip nectar rather than eat foliage. Most butterfly species use flower nectar as their primary food source. The small, fast-flying skippers are drawn to sage, thyme, hyssop, borage, and lavender.
Peppermint attracts the pearly crescentspot.
Hummingbirds also benefit from certain herbs. Researchers at the San Diego Zoo have found that hummingbirds on a diet that includes commercial sugar concoctions of red-dyed nectar tend to produce eggs with more durable shells and fewer deformed offspring. Herbs that provide natural nectar to this small, exquisite bird include bee balm, Mexican bush sage, and pineapple sage. In their book The Forgotten Pollinators, Stephen Buchmann and Gary Paul Nabhan reveal how bees are drastically declining because of increased pesticide use and loss of natural habitat. Many plants would be unable to reproduce without bees, which are the most important pollinators of flowers.