Plants for Bees and Butterflies
How to Garden for Pollinators
Pollinators are essential to the health and productivity of your garden. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects help fertilise plants by transferring pollen, allowing them to produce seeds, fruits, and flowers. By choosing plants and features that attract and support these important creatures, you can create a beautiful, biodiverse space. In this blog, we will explore how you can make your garden more pollinator-friendly.
Contents
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The Importance of Pollinators
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Trees for Bees: Apple, Cherry Hawthorn
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Native Wildflowers: Foxglove, Geranium Scabiosa
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Let a Corner Go Wild: Stinging Nettles Bug Hotel
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Flowers Attractive to Humans and Pollinators: Lavender, Marigolds Oxeye Daisy
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Conclusion
The Importance of Pollinators
Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and birds, are responsible for fertilising over 75% of flowering plants and around 35% of global food crops (Potts et al., 2016). Without them, many plants, especially those that produce fruit, would struggle to reproduce. By incorporating plants that provide nectar, pollen, and shelter for these creatures, you’re not just enhancing your garden, you’re supporting the health of the wider ecosystem.
Gardening for pollinators benefits the environment, encourages biodiversity, and can even lead to better fruiting in your own plants. Let’s dive into how specific plants and features can help attract and support these wonderful creatures.
Trees for Bees: Apple, Cherry & Hawthorn
Trees are essential for pollinators, especially bees. These towering plants often provide an abundant and early food source for bees and other insects in spring when fewer flowers are in bloom. Fruit trees, with their vibrant blossoms, offer bees a rich nectar supply, which in turn helps these trees thrive. Let’s take a closer look at three great tree options for attracting pollinators.
Apple Trees
Apple trees are not only loved by humans for their delicious fruit, but they’re also a favourite of bees. Their early spring blossoms are rich in nectar, making them one of the first significant food sources for pollinators after the winter months. The white or pink flowers attract a variety of bees, helping to ensure a healthy fruit crop.
Cherry Trees
Cherry trees are another great tree for attracting bees and other pollinators. Their blossoms, typically white or soft pink, offer an abundance of accessible nectar early in the year when other sources are scarce, making them a big favourite of species like the bumble bee: Bombus terrestris. Because of their hard work, your cherry tree will be pollinated and can produce beautiful, sweet cherries for you to enjoy, along with various birds and mammals.
Hawthorn Trees
Hawthorn trees bloom a little later in the spring, offering another vital nectar source for bees. Their small, white flowers are densely packed with pollen and nectar, making them irresistible to our winged friends. Hawthorn trees also provide shelter and nesting sites for birds and other wildlife, creating a diverse, thriving ecosystem in your garden.
Native UK Wildflowers: Foxglove, Geranium Scabiosa
Native wildflowers are a fantastic way to create a vibrant, pollinator-friendly space. These plants are naturally adapted to a UK climate, and their flowers are designed to attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Let’s look at some native wildflowers that can enhance your garden’s biodiversity.
Foxglove
The foxglove is a striking wildflower that can be found in many British gardens. The tall spires of tubular flowers are packed with nectar, which makes them an irresistible food source for bees. Their bold, purple blooms provide a significant food source from Spring to late summer and they also add dramatic height and colour to your garden.
They are particularly beneficial to larger bees like many Bumblebee species, as the tiny hairs inside the tubular flowers help support the weight of these heavier bees.
Geranium
Geraniums are excellent for attracting bees and butterflies to your garden. These native flowers bloom throughout the summer, providing a continuous source of nectar. Their rounded, brightly coloured blooms are a favourite among pollinators and can thrive in a range of conditions, making them a low-maintenance addition to any pollinator-friendly garden.
Scabiosa
Scabiosa, also known as pincushion flower, is a beautiful, rounded flower that attracts a variety of pollinators. Its unique shape and rich nectar make it a favourite for bees and butterflies. Scabiosa thrives in sunny spots and blooms throughout the summer, ensuring a steady food supply for pollinators.
Let a Corner Go Wild: Stinging Nettles & Bug Hotel
Sometimes, the best way to attract pollinators is by embracing a more natural approach. Letting a corner of your garden grow wild can provide essential habitats for pollinators. Stinging nettles, often seen as a nuisance, are actually crucial for butterfly larvae. Similarly, bug hotels can provide shelter for solitary bees, ladybirds, and other beneficial insects.
Stinging Nettles
Stinging nettles are a must-have in any pollinator garden. While their sting may deter gardeners, they’re an essential plant for certain butterfly species, including the Red Admiral and Peacock. These butterflies lay their eggs on nettles, and their larvae feed on the leaves (RHS). By allowing a patch of nettles to grow in your garden, you support the entire life cycle of these beautiful insects.
Bug Hotel
A bug hotel is a simple but effective way to support pollinators in your garden. These structures provide solitary bees and other insects with places to nest, rest, and lay eggs. Whether bought or homemade, bug hotels are an excellent addition to any pollinator-friendly garden, creating additional shelter and increasing biodiversity.
Flowers Attractive to Humans and Pollinators: Lavender, Marigolds & Oxeye Daisy
Flowers that appeal to both humans and pollinators can make a garden both beautiful and environmentally beneficial. Plants like lavender, marigolds, and oxeye daisies not only provide aesthetic value but also serve as a food source for a variety of pollinators. These flowers have vibrant colours and enticing fragrances, drawing in bees, butterflies, and other insects, while adding a splash of colour to your garden.
Lavender
Lavender is a classic favourite for gardens and pollinators alike. Its fragrant purple spikes not only make it a popular choice for humans but also a top nectar source for bees and butterflies. Lavender blooms for a long period, from late spring into summer, ensuring a steady supply of nectar. Bees are especially attracted to the flowers' rich scent, making it an essential addition to any pollinator-friendly garden.
Marigolds
Marigolds are known for their bright, cheerful blooms, and they’re great for attracting pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and other insects are drawn to marigold flowers for their abundance of nectar. Marigolds are particularly beneficial in vegetable gardens, as they help draw pollinators to crops, reducing the need for artificial pollination.
Oxeye Daisy
Oxeye daisies, with their simple white petals and yellow centres, are another excellent choice for attracting pollinators. These perennial flowers are rich in nectar and attract a wide range of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. Oxeye daisies are particularly great for attracting insects that visit a variety of flower types, helping to support a diverse pollinator population.
Conclusion
Gardening for pollinators is an easy and enjoyable way to make a positive impact on the environment. By planting trees like apple, cherry, and hawthorn, choosing native wildflowers such as foxglove and geranium, allowing a corner to grow wild, and incorporating flowers like lavender, marigolds, and oxeye daisies, you can create a space that supports the vital role pollinators play in our ecosystem.