8.9 Butterfly and wildlife gardens

If your wildlife site has plenty of wildflowers, it will attract butterflies and other wildlife like bats, hedgehogs and birds naturally. There are several plant species you can introduce which will bring a wider range of butterflies and other insects to your green space and add to its interest and charm. By planting flowers to attract butterflies you will be making an important contribution to butterfly conservation. Since 1850 six species have become extinct in Britain and others are declining.

Find out which plants butterflies and their caterpillars eat. You should also be aware of which species you might be able to entice from neighbouring districts. For example, females of the Vanessid family, which includes some of our most beautiful butterflies such as the red admiral, the peacock, and the small tortoiseshell, lay their eggs exclusively on nettle leaves. Common plant species such as bird’s foot trefoil, cuckoo flower, thistles, and brambles are the respective main food plants of the common blue, the orange tip, the painted lady, and the meadow brown butterfly.

Design your butterfly garden so it is sunny and sheltered. Beside a wall or in a secluded corner where there is no wind but plenty of sunshine. A south facing wall is ideal. To ensure your butterfly-enticing plants get plenty of light, place larger species such as buddleia at the back and smaller ones such as thyme and lobelia at the front. Make certain you have a good show of flowers throughout the butterfly season by knowing which species will be in bloom. Springtime plants include primroses, violets, wallflowers, flax, allysum, and bramble. Summer species are buddleia, lavender, marjoram, cornflower, teasel, and thyme. In autumn, Canadian goldenrod, michealmas daisy, orpine, and ice-plant are at their best. Some of these species will be available from Landlife (see section 8.2.1 for address).

A useful publication on Wildlife Gardening is:

Further information about butterfly gardening and butterfly conservation can be obtained from:

BH20 5YA