, like most people love butterflies....so last Summer was sad with hardly any butterflies in my garden. I thought that I had everything
needed but daftly I had the nectar plants sorted but not necessarily the plants for the dear old caterpillars.
...So here is a little list of the plants that the caterpillars like...Its not too late to plant some.
Painted Lady -Likes Mallows, Thistles and goosefoots
|
|
Painted lady caterpillar
|
Green veined White and Orange Tip - Like - Ladies smock and garlic mustard
|
|
)rang Tip
|
Common Blue - Likes Birds foot trefoil...I know it as egg and bacon.
Holly Blue - Holly and Ivy
|
|
Holly Blue
|
|
|
Red Admiral
|
|
|
Red Admiral - Photo Jim Black
|
|
|
Peacock
|
|
|
Peacock caterpillar
|
Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoishell and Comma - Sunny clumps of nettles, left until mid summer before cutting down.
|
|
Small Tortoishell
|
Brimstone - Like Alser Buckthorn and purging blackthorn
Comma - Likes Currants, Elm, hop and willows
Small Copper - Likes Docks and sorrells.
I'm going to leave some patches of cleavers for the painted ladies and a small patch of nettles. ....and try to make sure that the nettles by my
workshop are left longer before cutting. It's not easy to leave docks ,nettles and cleavers but it will be worth it to see lots of butterflies back into my garden.
