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UK Butterfly Garden
UK Butterfly Garden
Grow a garden for butterflies.
Butterflies are one of the world’s most loved insects, often lighting up your garden.
If you would like to encourage butterflies into your garden, then it is a good idea to provide food plants for the caterpillars and flowers for the adult butterflies. Many caterpillars feed on specific host plants. You can help butterfly conservation by planting some of these plants in your home garden.
Butterflies start life as tiny eggs, many of which are laid on the undersides of leaves or tree branches. It is important not to throw away fallen winter leaves as you may also be throwing away butterfly eggs or pupa, also known as a chrysalis. Leaves can be used in gardens as mulch which will eventually become rich compost. Also, alternate the trimming of trees and hedges to every second year as you could throw caterpillars away on the cut branches and leaves.
The golden rule for a butterfly-friendly garden is avoiding herbicides and pesticides. Using these will often kill butterflies at both the larval and adult stages.
Different butterflies forage for nectar at different heights. It is good to have a range of butterfly food and nectar plants in your garden from tall shrubs, which bring height at the back of the borders, and smaller spreading plants which can also be placed in pots. It is also a good idea to research how big each host plant gets before planting them in smaller gardens.
Here is a list of some UK butterflies and their host plants. Consider adding some of these host plants to your butterfly-friendly garden. The more gardens and verges adopt these plants the more gardens will link habitats and become wildlife corridors.
Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
Host plants: Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) & Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), & Dame's-violet (Hesperis matronalis).
Native to: Widespread across the UK, Europe, and Asia
Habitat: Forest edges, woodlands, and meadows. They can also be found around country lanes, hedgerows, riverbanks and gardens.
Adonis blue (Polyommatus bellargus)
Adonis blue (Polyommatus bellargus)
Host plants: Horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis comosa). The caterpillars live with ants, who protect them in return for the sugary substance they produce.
Native to: Southern England, and Europe
Habitat: Flower-rich grasslands.
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
Host plants: Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Native to: Central and Southern UK, and Europe
Habitat: Multiple habitats. Often found along roadside verges and hedgerows.
Common blue (Polyommatus icarus)
Common blue (Polyommatus icarus)
Host plants: Common Bird's-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
Native to: Widespread across the UK, and Europe
Habitat: Grasslands, meadows, coastal dunes, woodland clearings, and many man-made habitats.
European Comma (Polygonia c-album)
European Comma (Polygonia c-album)
Host plants: Stinging nettles
Native to: Widespread across the UK, and Europe
Habitat: Woodland & gardens
Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)
Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)
Host plants: Common Rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium), Common Bird's-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Gorse (Ulex europeaus), Broom (Cytisus scoparius), and Dyer's Greenweed (Genista tinctoria) are used on heathland and other habitats. Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) in Scotland.
Native to: Widespread across the UK, and Europe
Habitat: Multiple habits but strongly associated with scrub and shrubs, including hedges
Duke of burgundy (Hamearis lucina)
Duke of burgundy (Hamearis lucina)
Host plants: Primrose (Primula vulgaris) and Cowslip (P. veris)
Native to: Southern England, and Europe
Habitat: Grassland & woodland clearings
Marbled white (Melanargia galathea)
Marbled white (Melanargia galathea)
Host plants: Red fescue (Festuca rubra)
Native to: Central and Southern UK, and Europe
Habitat: Unimproved grassland, road verges, and railway embankments.
Eurasian Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
Eurasian Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
Host plants: Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana) and Marsh Violet (Viola palustris)
Native to: Widespread across the UK (except Ireland), and Europe
Habitat: Wet grassland
Large blue (Phengaris arion)
Large blue (Phengaris arion)
Host plants: Flower-heads of Wild Thyme (Thymus polytrichus) & red ant larvae.
Native to: Southwest England, Europe, and Asia
Habitat: Coastal grassland or limestone grassland.
Mountain argus (Aricia Artaxerxes)
Mountain argus (Aricia Artaxerxes)
Host plants: Common rock rose (Helianthemum chamaecistus). They also possess ant-attracting organs on the abdomen and are sometimes attended by ants.
Native to: Northern England, and Europe
Habitat: Alpine and arctic species found in a variety of habitats
Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io)
Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io)
Host plants: Common nettle (Urtica dioica)
Native to: Widespread across the UK, Europe & Asia
Habitat: Multiple habitats including gardens
Purple Emperor (Apatura iris)
Purple Emperor (Apatura iris)
Host plants: Goat Willow (Salix caprea)
Native to: South East England, Europe & Asia
Habitat: Broadleaved woodlands
Specked wood (Pararge aegeria)
Specked wood (Pararge aegeria)
Host plants: False-brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) & Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus)
Native to: Widespread across the UK and Europe
Habitat: Forests, meadow steppe, woods, and glades. It can also be found in urban areas alongside hedges, in wooded urban parks, and gardens.
Old world Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
Old world Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
Host plants: Milk-parsley (Peucedanum palustre)
Native to: Southeast England (Norfolk), Europe, and Asia
Habitat: Open fens and marshes
Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)
Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)
Host plants: Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana)
Native to: Central and Southern UK, and Europe
Habitat: Wooded hedgerows/woodlands with sunny rides
Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus)
Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus)
Host plants: Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur), Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea) and Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris)
Native to: Widespread across the UK and Europe
Habitat: Woodlands, hedgerows, parks, and other urban areas.
Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
Host plants: Common Nettle (Urtica dioica) and Small Nettle (U. urens) are used.
Native to: Widespread across the UK, Europe and Asia
Habitat: Multiple habitats including gardens
Silver studded blue (Plebejus argus)
Silver studded blue (Plebejus argus)
Host plants: Heather (Calluna vulgaris), Bell Heather (Erica cinerea), Cross-leaved Heath (E. tetralix), gorses (Ulex spp). Larvae usually spend the day in the nests of the ants.
Native to: Southern UK, and Europe
Habitat: Heathland, mossland, and limestone grassland. Rabbits help keep vegetation short through grazing which is conducive to habitation.
Small copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
Small copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
Host plants: Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) and Sheep's Sorrel (R. acetosella)
Native to: Widespread across the UK, Europe and Asia
Habitat: Multiple habitats including gardens.
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