Joel’s Holly Blue Butterfly Pack – WYG Special

For a little more information on each of Joel’s recommended species:

Tansy

Aromatic, golden yellow button like flowers. Relied upon by the beautiful Tansy Beetle shown in the gallery, great work is being carried out by the charity Buglife and its volunteers to ensure this very rare beetle is not lost forever due to habitat destruction. A perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Aster or Daisy family, also known as Bitter Buttons or Golden Buttons, amongst other colloquial names.  Great late nectar plant for many bees and butterflies, other insects too of course as the flowering period is August and September.  You will certainly encourage Holly Blue butterflies when planting this as it is a fantastic nectar source for them.  Loved by moths too, as shown in the gallery with the beautiful Jersey Tiger moth.

Tansy

Meadow Buttercup

The tallest and most graceful of all the butter-cups. Glossy yellow flowers, superb growing in association with Ragged Robin. Common names include meadow buttercup, tall buttercup, common buttercup and giant buttercup. The Victorians believed that the buttercup represented ingratitude and childishness. Perhaps this stems from the playground game of holding a buttercup flower beneath the chin to see if it casts a reflection – if it does, the owner of the chin is said to like butter.

Meadow Buttercup

Purple Loosestrife

A lovely plant with bright red/purple spikes.  Good in a moist border or bog garden. Other names of Purple loosestrife include Spiked loosestrife and purple lythrum, They can grow up to 1-2 meters tall forming Clonal colonies, can be found in ditches, wet meadows, marshes and along side lakes and ponds. They are pollinated by long-tongues insects including bees and butterflies. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens, and is particularly associated with damp, poorly drained locations such as marshes, bogs and watersides. However, it will tolerate drier conditions. The leaves will make a beige/grey dye while the flowers make greyish/violet.

Purple Loosestrife

Marjoram

Aromatic perennial with masses of dark purple buds turning to paler flowers, a good butterfly plant. This small white or purple-flowered perennial is commonly called oregano. It is a widely used herb in Greek and Italian cuisine and is often used in tomato dishes, salads and with grilled meats, together with basil.

Wild Marjoram

Hemp Agrimony

A tall stately plant with masses of white-pink flowers, an excellent butterfly plant attracting large numbers in late summer. Also known as Holy Rope and Raspberries and Cream, Hemp-agrimony is a tall, perennial plant found in damp grassland, marshes, fens and wet woodlands and along riverbanks. The frothy, pinkish flower clusters appear from July to September and are very attractive to all kinds of insects.

Hemp Agrimony

Common Valerian

Very pale pink umbel like flowers. Prefers Damp. Valerian has been used as a medicinal herb since at least the time of ancient Greece and Rome, crude extract of valerian root may have sedative and anxiolytic effects, and is commonly sold in dietary supplement capsules to promote sleep. Other names used for this plant include garden valerian (to distinguish it from other valeriana species), garden heliotrope (although not related to heliotropium), setwall and all-heal.

Common Valerian

Red Valerian

An absolute magnet for many species of insects.  This is a perfect plant if you want to attract Hummingbird Hawkmoths to your garden.  Did you know that Hummingbird Hawkmoths visit the same flowers at the same time, like clockwork, every day?

Plant this and let us know if you see some and whether they’re good time-keepers!  Highly attractive to bees and butterflies this plant is perfect for a hot sunny spot and has the benefit of repeat flowering.

Red Valerian