Butterfly Friendly Plants Available from North Wales Branch


Perennial, biennial and some annual plants suitable for wild or formal gardens

(for a full botanical name list click here; Botanical ) to order online; www.7wells.co.uk

NCCPG National Collection of Eupatorium(visit by appointment in August and September)


Giant purple Hemp Agrimony - Eupatorium maculata atropurpurea


Eupatorium lingustrinum - scented, tender, good for patio pots


Purging Buckthorn as hedging; larval food for Brimstone


Bird's Foot Trefoil - favourite food for blue butterflies and bees.


Kidney Vetch - larval food for Small Blue, also nectar for Common Blue


Bowles Mauve perennial wallflower


Hebe 'Midsummer Beauty' and Sedum spectabile


   

For Damp Areas;

 

Bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)-foodplant for Common Blue larvae, and other species, also their favourite nectar plant. (Local provenance)
Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus) - one of only 2 foodplants of Brimstone Larvae

Cowslip - foodplant for the Duke of Burgundy's Fritillary

Devil's bit scabious (Succisa pratensis)-foodplant for Marsh Fritillary larvae

*Fleabane, similar to old-fashioned marigolds, but much greater attractant for butterflies and bees (provenance - Somerset)

 *Hemp Agrimony, Giant Purple(Eupatorium maculata atropurpurea)- 5 to 6-foot high herbaceous plant.
*Hemp Agrimony, wild (Eupatorium cannabium) (Local provenance)
Hemp Agrimony, scented patio plant; (Eupatorium lingustrinum)-scented, 2-foot high shrub of great nectar attraction.(Slightly tender)
Lady's Smock or Cuckoo Flower(Cardamine pratensis)-foodplant for Orange Tip and Green-veined White larvae. (Local provenance) Also a few of the double-flowered form available.
*Michaelmas Daisy, 'Frikartii Munch' and a New England tall variety "Barr's Pink"
* Mint, water,(Mentha aquatica), great for ponds, not so invasive as land type.
Primrose, wild foodplant for the Duke of Burgundy's Fritillary

Sheep's Sorrel (Rumex acetosella)- foodplant for Small Copper larvae.
Willows (Salix) Goat Willow -larval foodplant for many species of moth, plus early spring nectar.
Several different-coloured stem willows for basket-making - the flowers are great early spring nectar for all species.
Willow for purification beds - (Salix vimnalis) Flowers give good early nectar; fast growing consumes many pollutants, incl. Sewage. Later harvest of long rods for burning or crafts.

For Dry Areas;

 

*Aubretia

Bird's Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)- larval foodplant for Common Blue, Dingy Skipper and several moths. Also v. important for Bumble Bees.(Local provenance)

Bird's Foot Trefoil, Greater (Lotus uglinosus)- favourite nectar plant for Blues and Skippers
*Bramble, the wild Blackberry - much tastier than cultivated varieties and the flowers are important nectar for several species that don't usually come to garden flowers.(Local provenance)

Buckthorn, Purging (Rhamnus catharticus) - one of only 2 foodplants of Brimstone Larvae (Local provenance)

*Buddleia davidii, "Royal Red" , "Beijing" (later flowering) plus purple and white varieties, and B.weyeriana  "Sungold"(yellow,long flowers).
*Candytuft

Chives

Clover, Red/white Important for Bumble bees as well as butterflies.
Cranesbill, wild blue (hardy geranium) (Geranium pratense)
 *Dame's Violet/Sweet Rocket (foodplant for Orange Tip larvae)

Evening Primrose (Oenothera sp.)- nectar for moths.)
Feverfew, golden leaved and double flowered

*Forget-me-not
*Hebe; "Midsummer Beauty", "Great Orme" and "Mrs. Winder"
Holly, Ivy (foodplants for Holly Blue larvae)

*Honesty - (Lunaria annua)foodplant and favourite nectar for Orange Tip
Honeysuckle, wild (local provenance)
* Ice Plant (Sedum spectabile)

Kidney vetch - larval foodplant for Small Blue, also great nectar for
Common Blue, etc.
*Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) (Local provenance)
*Lavender 'Munstead'

Lucerne - foodplant for Clouded Yellow larvae, and favourite nectar for many species.

*Marigold, French

*Marjoram,wild (Origanum vulgaris), Golden marjoram, Marjoram "Herrenhausen" 

Michaelmas Daisy "Barr's Pink" and Frickartii Munch

*Mint, apple

Nottingham Catchfly - especially good for moths

*Privet,Golden and Native Privet,

Red Campion (Silene dioica) (Local provenance)
Rock rose, wild (Helianthemum)-foodplant for Brown Argus,Silver-studded Blue
Rose Bay Willow Herb (Epilobium angustifolium) foodplant for Small Elephant Hawkmoth (Local prov.) A very limited number of the White form also available.

*Scabious,Small
*Scabious, Field (Knautia arvensis)
Strawberry,Wild- foodplant for Grizzled Skipper (local provenance)
Strawberry, Barren(Potentila sterilis) - foodplant for Grizzled Skipper (local provenance)

Sweet William
Teasel- good nectar for butterflies, then favourite seed heads for Goldfinches(Local prov.)

Tormentil - food plant for a number of species. (local provenance)
 *Valerian, Red

Vetch, tufted (Local provenance)

Violet, dog (Viola riviniana) - larval food plant for several rare Fritillaries (Local provenance)

Viper's Bugloss 'Blue Bedder' -excellent for Bees too

*Wall Flower, Perennial Wallflowers; "Bowles Mauve" and Erysimum pulchellium variegata -variegated leaved with pink-mauve flowers all spring and summer.
Yarrow, wild (local provenance)


[* -Butterfly Conservation's Top 20 butterfly nectar plants in M.Vickery's book "Gardening for Butterflies", for this and other butterfly gardening books go to; Publications]
Plant prices vary from £1.00 to £3.00 depending on size available;  profits go to North Wales Branch of Butterfly Conservation, to help us to save local wild butterflies and moths.

Seeds of some of the listed plants (50p.per packet), plus native meadow grasses (local provenance) also available; click here; seedlist. Since we do not run a commercial nursery, some of these plants and/or seeds may be unavailable at certain times of the year.

Plants, seeds order direct at www.7wells.co.uk for enquiries contact ; info@northwalesbutterflies.org.uk or telephone; 01352 711198 

  Larval Foodplants available from us;                                                                                  

Barren Strawberry (Potentilla sterilis) (Grizzled Skipper)

Bird's Foot Trefoil (Common Blue, Dingy Skipper and many others)

Alder Buckthorn (Brimstone - acid, damp habitats)
Purging Buckthorn (Brimstone - lime/ neutral dry habitats)

Cowslip (Duke of Burgundy's Fritillary)

*Dame's Violet/Sweet Rocket (Orange Tip)

Dog Violet (Viola riviniana)(Fritillaries)

Goat Willow (many moth species)

Great Mullein (Mullein moth)

Kidney Vetch (Small Blue)
Lucerne - (Clouded Yellow)
Rose Bay Willow Herb (Epilobium angustifolium) foodplant for Small Elephant Hawkmoth (Local prov.)(plus limited amounts of the white-flowered variety.)

Devil's Bit Scabious ( Succisa pratensis) (Marsh Fritillary)

Lady's Smock (Orange Tip, Green-veined White)

Sheep's Sorrel (Rumex acetosella)(Small Copper)
Wild rock rose (Helianthemum)-(Brown Argus,Silver-studded Blue)
Native meadow grasses, including Yorkshire Fog, Cocksfoot, Annual meadow grass, Timothy and Sweet Vernal Grass.

If there is a special plant you are looking for, please ask and we will try to find it for you.


   
 
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