The main focus of our campaign has been talk of bees, however butterflies and caterpillars are important pollinators and an integral part of the UK ecosystem. By having plants rich in nectar we’re also encouraging butterflies to pay a visit.

According to  the Butterfly Conservation, The State of Britain’s Butterflies, three-quarters of UK butterflies have shown a 10-year decrease in either their distribution or population levels, plus a brand new report on The State of Larger Moths shows a 22% decline of moths in the north of England. 

Different butterflies and moths tend to all have different preferences, but here are some easy choices if you’re just getting started inviting them into your garden.

Don’t be scared of the caterpillars, most don’t cause much damage, and they’re vital food for a number of creatures. And many people don’t think of moths as pollinators, but they are important, and they are beautiful – there’s more variety than you would ever think. 

Butterflies generally like anything on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list, I refer to this a lot, but it’s an easy guide to follow that is pretty well researched.

But they especially like larval food plants and plants where it is very easy to access the nectar – so wide and open flowers. Not all of these larval food plants are normal garden ‘stunners’ but if you want butterflies, they make excellent choices. 

This list includes plants from both of these lists.