Waterford Wildlife

Wednesday, 25th April 2012

Plants for a butterfly garden Butterflies in your garden add an aesthetic dimension to its beauty. Plants that attract butterflies are as attractive as any other flowering plants. They serve a useful purpose insofar as they help species to survive either the long migration south to Africa such as the Red Admiral and Painted Lady or to sustain others such as the Small Tortoiseshell and the Peacock during the winter hibernation. The following might get you started.

Top Ten

Aubretia Aubreytia deltoidea spring

Buddleia Buddleia spp. summer-autumn

Honesty Lunaria spp. spring-summer

Ice Plant Sedcum spectabile autumn

Lavender Lavandula spp summer

Michaelmas Daisy Aster novae belgii autumn

Sweet Rocket Hesperis matronalis spring-summer

Tobacco Plant Nicotiana alata summer-autumn

Valerian Centranthus spp. summer

Yellow Alyssum Alyssum saxtile spring

These are cultivated flowers. If you have a wild patch in the garden, consider putting in some wild flowers like Ragworth, Knapweed, Groundsel (also good for birds),Bladder Campion, Scabious and even Nettle.

keep them where you want them. A wet spot (near a pool perhaps) might support some Lady’s Smock that flowers in the Spring and attracts the striking Orange Tip butterfly.

Top 10 alternatives

Alyssum Alyssum maritimum summer-autumn

Golden Rod Solidago canadensis summer-autumn

Honeysuckle Lonicera spp. summer

Hebe Hebe speciosa summer

Lilac Syringa vulgaris summer

Polyanthus Primula polyanthus spring

Sweet William Dianthus barbatus spring-summer

Thrift Armeria maritima summer

Verbana Verbena spp. summer

Wallflower Cheiranthus sheiri spring

All are attractive plants in themselves but they need control to keep them where you want them. A wet spot (near a pool perhaps) might support some Lady’s Smock that flowers in the Spring and attracts the striking Orange Tip butterfly.