Our Recommendations for Wildlife Friendly Plants

Below are some recommendations for planting to attract different sorts of wildlife.

Early season nectar plants

    * Aubretia (Aubretia)
    * Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)
    * Grape hyacinth (Muscari botryoides)
    * Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp)
    * Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
    * Sweet violet (Viola odorata)
    * Wallflower (Erysimum cheiri)
    * Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)
    * Wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa)
    * Yellow alyssum (Alyssum saxitile)

Mid season nectar plants

    * Buddleia (Buddleja davidii)
    * Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
    * Lady's bedstraw (Galium verum)
    * Lavender (Lavendula spp)
    * Mallow (Lavatera spp)
    * Purple toadflax (Linaria purpurea)
    * Rock cress (Arabis caucasica)
    * Sea holly (Eryngium maritimum)
    * Verbena (Verbena bonariensis)

Late season nectar plants

    * Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
    * French marigold (Tagetes spp)
    * Golden rod (Solidago candensis)
    * Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp)
    * Ice plant (Sedum spectabile)
    * Ivy (Hedera helix)
    * Meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale)
    * Michaelmas daisies (Aster novi-belgii)
    * Perennial sunflower (Helianthus spp)
    * Red valerian (Centranthus rubra)

Evening nectar plants

    * Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)
    * Greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea)
    * Night scented stock (Matthiola longipetala)
    * Tobacco plant (Nicotiana spp)
    * White campion (Silene latifolia)

Herbs

Herbs are great for attracting a variety of insects in the garden, such as day-flying moths and hoverflies.

    * Angelica (Angelica spp)
    * Borage (Borago officinalis)
    * Catmint (Nepeta spp)
    * Chives (Allium shoenoprasam)
    * Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
    * Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
    * Mint (Mentha spp)
    * Rosemary (Rosmarimus officinalis)
    * Thyme (Thymus spp)
    * Wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare)

Butterfly and moth larval food plants

We love to see butterflies, but we would not have them without their caterpillars. So why not try planting some of the following to help them out

    * Alder buckthorn - brimstone butterfly
    * Birds foot trefoil - for dingy skipper butterflies and burnet moths
    * Common nettle - for red admiral, comma, peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies
    * Cuckoo flower - for green-veined white butterfly
    * Garlic mustard - Orange tip butterfly
    * Grasses - speckled wood butterfly
    * Holly and ivy - holly blue butterfly
    * Rosebay willowherb - elephant hawkmoth
    * Thistles - painted lady butterfly