Botanical Name AC-AG 1

Agropyron donianum
(Elymus caninus donianum,
Elymus donianum, Elymus trachycaulus donianus,
Roegneria doniana, Agropyron caninum, Elymus caninus , Roegneria canina, Elytrigia canina, Brachypodium caninum, Triticum rupestre, Roegneria behmii, Goulardia canina, Triticum caninum, Agropyron biflorum, Triticum biflorum )

A loosely tufted perennial herb, intolerant of grazing, found in partially shaded sites in woodland, on river banks and roadside margins on free-draining, mainly base-rich, soils. It is also found in mountain areas in gullies, on cliffs and rock-ledges.

Native in all Europe, except Portugal and Turkey.

See other photos of
Elymus caninus
from freenatureimages.eu of the Saxifraga Foundation.

Many Photos of details of
Agropyron caninum with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Don's Twitch
(Bearded Couch-grass)

July-September

Plate 99

donsfflostwitch

Flowers

Agropyron pungens
(Agropyron campestre, Agropyron litorale, Agropyron pycnanthum, Elymus pungens,
Elymus pycnanthus, Elytrigia pungens, Elytrigia pycnantha, Elytrigia pycnanthes, Tricum pungens, Thinopyrum pycnanthum,
Elytrigia atherica)

donsffoltwitch

Foliage

The 3 small photos above were taken by Ron or Christine Foord

donsffortwitch

Form

Native on mountains in mid Perth and Sutherland in Great Britain.
Native in Iceland (var. stefansonii) and North America.

Details of
Agropyron donianum with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Sand Couch
(Sand Couch-Grass,
Sand Twitch)

Agropyron junceiforme (Elymus farctus ssp. boreali-atlanticus, Elytrigia juncea, Agropyron junceum, Elymus junceus,
Triticum farctum, Triticum junceum)

June-August

Plate 99

Illustrated

Grass Soft
Bromes 2 Family

A rhizomatous perennial herb growing on or just above the strandline in loose sand, sometimes also on shingle. It is well known as a sand stabiliser on dune systems, forming low hummocky fore-dunes on the seaward side of the main Ammophila arenaria dunes. Lowland.

It often forms small dunes in front of the main Marram dunes. Used as food plant by insects.

Native to coastal regions of all Europe except Iceland.

Many Photos of details of
Agropyron junceum with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Sea Couch
(Sea Couch-Grass,
Sea Twitch,
Tick Quackgrass)

July-September

Plate 99

Illustrated

seaffloscouch

Flowers

The 3 small photos above were taken by Ron or Christine Foord

Grass Soft
Bromes 2 Family

seaffolcouch

Foliage

A rhizomatous perennial herb, growing on the margins of brackish creeks, in saltmarshes, saltmarsh-sand dune transitions, and on shingle banks and sea walls.

In ungrazed situations it can form dense stands covering large areas to the almost total exclusion of other species.

seafforcouch

Form

Native in coasts of Western Europe and Mediterranean Europe.
Often hybridizes with Agropyron junceiforme (Sand Couch)

See other photos of
Agropyron litorale
from freenatureimages.eu of the Saxifraga Foundation.

Many Photos of details of
Agropyron pungens with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Common Couch
(Twitch,
Couch-Grass,
Couch,
Creeping Twitch)

Used within lifecycles of Butterfly Essex Skipper,
Butterfly Grayling,
Butterfly Hedge Brown,
Butterfly Ringlet,
Butterfly Speckled Wood,

Agropyron repens
(Elymus repens,
Elytrigia repens,
Elytrigia vaillantiana, Triticum repens,
Triticum vaillantianum)

June-September

Plate 99

Illustrated

The 2 small photos above were taken by Ron or Christine Foord

Agrostis canina ssp canina
(Agrostis vinealis )

commonffolcouch

Foliage

A rhizomatous herb, found in a wide range of fertile, disturbed habitats including waste ground, roadsides, railway banks, arable land and rough grassland; also in coastal areas on sand dunes, shingle, sea walls and the margins of saltmarshes.

It is a notorious weed of gardens and agricultural land..

Noxious weed in America

commonfforcouch

Form

Native in all Europe.
Used medicinally in the past.

Many Photos of details of
Agropyron repens with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Corn Cockle
(Common Corn-cockle,
Common Corncockle,
Cockle)

ccornflocockle1a

fcornflocockle1

Flower

Agrostemma githago (Lychnis githago, Githago segetum)

June-August

fcornfloscockle

Flowers

48 x 12
(120 x 30)

Pink Family

fcornfolcockle

Foliage

The 4 small photos above were taken by Ron or Christine Foord

Flora of China -
Agrostemma githago -
麦仙翁 mai xian weng
with its distribution in China. Weed of fields, wheat farmlands, roadside grasslands. Heilongjiang, Jilin, Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [native to the Mediterranean region, native or naturalized in N Asia and Europe; naturalized elsewhere].
This species is used medicinally. The stem, leaves, and seeds are poisonous.

Pink A-G
Purple

An annual weed of cereal and other arable crops, tolerant of various soil types, with its distribution largely mirroring that of the crops in which it grew. Lowland.

Probably originally native of the Eastern Mediterranean region, but now a weed of crops throughout Europe.
The seeds are somewhat poisonous due to the presence of saponins, and if they contaminate flour in any quantity it may become dangerous to livestock and humans.

fcornforcockle

Form

corncocklelychnisgithagocorke Corn-Cockle Lychnis githago from Wild Flowers as They Grow- Photographed by H. Essenhigh Corke, text by G. Clark Nuttall. Published by Cassell and Company, Ltd in 7 separate books between 1911 and 1914:-

Its stiff, bare stems, covered with close, rough hairs, merge with the corn-stalks, and it is only the little magenta islands of the flowers amid the corn-heads that catch the eye.
By early July days it is amazing how much the plant has done from renewing itself from seed in the spring; its root is as thick as one's finger, and twice as hard as wood. A single stem rises frm it. 2 or 3 inches (5 or 7.5 cms) up are a pair of leaves - mean, narrow slips, several inches long and 0.5 inches (12mm) wide - with prominent midrib along their backs. the plant continually forks from the pocket formed by a leaf.
For a day, the flower attracts butterflies and bees to carry off this pollen from the flowers. During the few days of the plant's life the 5 petals close protectingly at night, but one morning they do not re-open, but wither and fall.

See other photos of
Agrostemma githago
from freenatureimages.eu of the Saxifraga Foundation.

A common but decreasing cornfield weed in arable fields. A softly hairy annual with a strong tap-root and an erect simple or sparingly branched flowering stem 3 feet high covered with appressed white hairs. Narrow lanceolate mid green leaves. Reddish-purple flowers in June-August followed by ovoid capsule with small black 0.1 inch seeds. Visited by butterflies and automatically self-pollinated. The seeds are said to be poisonous and also to affect deleteriously the physical properties of wheat flour.

Many Photos of details of
Agrostemma githago with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Brown Bent
(Rhode Island Bent, Velvet Bent Grass)

June-August

Plate 95

Illustrated

brownffol1bent

Foliage

brownffol2bent

Foliage

The 3 small photos above were taken by Ron or Christine Foord

A shortly rhizomatous perennial herb, mainly of dry or free-draining, acidic, sandy or peaty soils on heaths, in acidic grass-heath, in open woodland (especially Betula, Pinus and Quercus), in woodland clearings and on rides. On some lowland heaths A. vinealis may grow in damp situations, but unlike A. canina it avoids waterlogged soils.

It is a drought-resistant lawn grass.

Native to all Europe.

brownfforbent

Form

See other photos of
Agrostis canina
from freenatureimages.eu of the Saxifraga Foundation.

Many Photos of details of
Agrostis vinealis with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Flora of China -
Agrostis vinealis - 芒剪股颖 mang jian gu ying
with its distribution in China. Damp grassy places; 1500–1700 m. Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol [Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia; America, Europe].

Black Bent
(Redtop,
Black Bentgrass,
Common Bent-Grass)

Agrostis gigantea
(Agrostis alba,
Agrostis nigra)

July-August

Plate 95

Wild Flower
...Flower Shape and Landscape Uses

A sprawling, perennial herb, behaving as a rampant weed in cornfields and neglected arable land, particularly on lighter soils, where it spreads by seed and by rhizomes. In wetter habitats, where it is much rarer, it can persist in taller, closed vegetation by rhizomatous growth.

Native in grassy places. A common weed of arable land, especially on light soils, but also in damp woods. Generally distributed in lowland districts in the British Isles. Native in Europe(except the north), Central and Southern Russia, China, Japan and North America. Introduced in Australia and New Zealand.

See other photos of
Agrostis gigantea
from freenatureimages.eu of the Saxifraga Foundation.

Many Photos of details of
Agrostis gigantea with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Flora of China -
Agrostis gigantea - 巨序剪股颖 ju xu jian gu ying
with its distribution in China. Moist ground, rough grasslands, as a field weed. Anhui, Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Afghanistan, NW India, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia; N Africa, SW Asia, Europe].
This is a widespread and polymorphic species, introduced for pasture or adventive in Australia, North America, and elsewhere. The name Agrostis alba Linnaeus has sometimes been used for this species, but the correct application of that name is uncertain.

UKButterflies Larval Foodplants website page lists the larval foodplants used by British butterflies. The name of each foodplant links to a Google search. An indication of whether the foodplant is a primary or secondary food source is also given.

Please note that the Butterfly you see for only a short time has grown up on plants as an egg, caterpillar and chrysalis for up to 11 months, before becoming a butterfly. If the plants that they live on during that time are removed, or sprayed with herbicide, then you will not see the butterfly.

Topic - Wildlife on Plant Photo Gallery.

Some UK native butterflies eat material from UK Native Wildflowers and live on them as eggs, caterpillars (Large Skipper eats False Brome grass - Brachypodium sylvaticum - for 11 months from July to May as a Caterpillar before becoming a Chrysalis within 3 weeks in May) chrysalis or butterflies ALL YEAR ROUND.
Please leave a small area in your garden for wildflowers to grow without disturbance throughout the year for the benefit of butterflies, moths and other wildlife who are dependant on them.
Butterfly
Usage of Plants
by Egg, Caterpillar, Chrysalis and Butterfly

Topic -
Plant Photo Galleries for Wildflowers

There are 180 families in the Wildflowers of the UK and they have been split up into 22 Galleries to allow space for up to 100 plants per gallery.

Each plant named in each of the Wildflower Family Pages may have a link to:-

its Plant Description Page in its Common Name in one of those Wildflower Plant Galleries and will have links
to external sites to purchase the plant or seed in its Botanical Name,
to see photos in its Flowering Months and
to read habitat details in its Habitat Column.

you know which family it belongs to, use
WILD FLOWER FAMILY PAGE MENU
(o)Adder's Tongue
Amaranth
the remainder of this Family list is in the extreme left hand table.

You know its Botanical Name, use
...Brown Botanical Names (see complete botanical name alphabetical link list in the previous table)

You know its Common Name, use
...Cream Common Names (see complete common name alphabetical link list in the previous table)
or use the
Colour Wheel Gallery .

If you know its name, use
Wild Flower Plant Index a-h,
Wild Flower Plant Index i-p or
Wild Flower Plant Index q-z

Which wild flowers are there, with their flower shape and wildflower plant, use

Each of the 17 Flower Colour Comparison Pages compares the wildflowers with that flower colour in the top section using the thumbnails of the ones that I have. This is followed by a list of all the Wildflowers of the UK that have that same flower colour. Then, in the right hand table is the list of Wildflowers of the UK with that habitat as shown below:-

White A-D
and
Habitats of Saltmarshes, Beaches, Rocks and Cliff Tops

White E-P
and
Other Habitats

White Q-Z
and
Number of Petals

Cream
and
Coastal Sandy Shores and Dunes

Yellow A-G
and
Pollinator

Yellow H-Z
and
Poisonous Plants

Orange
and
Habitat of Hedgerows and Road Verges

Red
and
Habitat of Pinewoods

Pink A-G
and
Habitats of Lakes, Canals and Rivers

Pink H-Z
and
Habitats of Marshes, Fens and Bogs

Mauve
and
Habitat of Grassland - Acid, Neutral or Chalk

Purple
and
Habitats of Old Buildings and Walls

Blue
and
Flower Legend

Green
and
Habitat of Broad-leaved Woods

Brown
and
Food for Butterfly / Moth

Multi-Coloured
and
Habitats of Heaths and Moors

Shrub and Small Tree
and
Habitats of River Banks and Other Freshwater Margins

Seed 1
and
Scented Flower, Foliage or Root

Seed 2
and
Story of Their Common Names

Non-Flower Plants and
Non-Flowering Plant Use

Introduction
and
Edible Plant Parts

Site Map
and
Use of Plant

The links for the above are at the top of the previous table.

You know which habitat it lives in,
use
Wild Flowers on
Acid Soil Habitat Table,
on Calcareous
(Chalk) Soil,
on Marine Soil,
on Neutral Soil,
is a Fern,
is a Grass,
is a Rush, or
is a Sedge

Wild Flower Family Page

The families within "The Pocket Guide to Wild Flowers" by David McClintock & R.S.R. Fitter, Published in 1956 are not in Common Name alphabetical order and neither are the common names of the plants detailed within each family. These families within that book will have their details described as shown in each row of the Botanical Names Gallery and the Common Name Gallery starting from page 1 in February 2017 until all the families have been completed on page 307 in June 2022.

The information in the above book is back-referenced to the respective page in "Flora of the British Isles" by A.R. Clapham of University of Sheffield,
T.G. Tutin of University College, Leicester and
E.F. Warburg of University of Oxford printed by Cambridge at the University Press in 1952 for each plant in all the families.

The following article about flash-flooding caused by concreting over front gardens by Janice Turner in her Notebook was published by The Times on Thursday July 1 2021:-

"Walking down a pretty street I'd always admired for its front gardens with wooden gates and well-tended flower beds, I noticed men at work laying concrete slabs. With a power point being installed too, it was clear the garden was being paved to charge an electric car.
In London, with an ultra low emission zone extended to the suburbs from October, many people are busy switching vehicles. With fears that even hybrids will soon be verboten, most have bought electric. But this creates a problem: running cables from house o pavement is an illegal trip hazard and, as yet, not enough lamposts have been adapted into charging stations.
So how many front gardens will be concreted over to create private power sources? A 2015 study by the Royal Horticultural Society noted that 1 in 4 front gardens had been paved, mainly to avoid parking fees. The result was more flash-flooding, higher urban temperatures and less biodiversity and opportunity for birds to feed. Plus it makes neighbourhoods ugly and monochrome. Now more gardens will be dug up, this time because the owners aspire to be green."

"Mon, 27 Nov 06
Britain is now building the smallest homes in Europe, it seems. A recent think-tank report shows most of Europe builds houses of an average 100 sq m, while here in the UK fresh data from Wolsey Securities shows the national average plot size decreased a further 0.2% last month to 968 sq ft. (89.9 sq m.)" from Home.co.uk.
A new house is approximately 31 x 31 feet, which would fit into my front garden.

"The length of a compact car is about 14.5 to 15 feet and measures about 5.5 to almost 6 feet wide." from reference.
Allowing 2 feet around the car for access, then the drive becomes 19 feet x 10 feet (570 x 300 cms). 2 inches (5cm) of rain falling onto this 5.70 x 3.00 concrete drive is 0.855 cubic metres of water. Modern contractors only dig a 1 cubic metre sump for this 2 inch (5cm) depth of rainwater per occasion over their new drives. If the drive is larger, then the sump will fill up and overflow onto the public road. If the subsoil is clay, then no matter it's size, it will become full of rainwater and new rain will overfill it. The only way it will reduce the stored water is for it to be absorbed into the clay. Clay can absorb 40% of its volume before it turns from a solid to a liquid. So what happens is the clay expands and the house gets subsidence. Then, the excess rainwater goes into the storm drains and that is what causes the flash-flooding mentioned in The Times article. Remember that the rainwater falling on the roof also goes into this stormdrain.
"Many storm drainage systems drain untreated storm water into rivers or streams." from wikipedia.

The rainwater that used to fall on that plot and soak into the ground, now mostly goes into a storm drain, then a river and then the sea, so we lose that rainwater for it to be used as a supply of water to the household. So, the more you cover the ground with concrete motorways, roads, houses, and other buildings the less water will be going into reservoirs to be used for humans as shown by my Drinking Water depri-vation in Medway article.

Raw Sewage is discharged into rivers (more than 200,00 times in 2019) and the sea (2,900 occasions onto English and Welsh beaches in a year) across the UK and Ireland. The Environment Agency published full data on raw sewage discharges last year, showing a 37% year-on-year increase: 3.1m hours of human effluent flows, pumped via storm drains into English waters in some 400,000 occasions.
Because you do not keep your own rainwater on your own property, then it either overflows your soakaway and goes into the road and down a storm drain or the water is directed into your downpipe from your roof and then into the same stormdrain. This then overloads the system. Also, if you keep on building, but do not provide the necessary upgrade to the sewage system, then that causes the same problem. You should not go anywhere near the beach or any river in Great Britain.

"The oxygen you breathe to keep you alive has mostly been produced by plants. A 25 feet x 25 feet lawn can produce enough oxygen for you to keep breathing each year.
A car driven 60 miles will consume the same amount of oxygen that a mature beech tree produces in 1 year, creating more Carbon Dioxide. Increasing Carbon Dioxide increases the heat in the atmosphere and creates Climate Change. The increase in temperature will raise sea level to drown many acres of coastal areas around the world within the next 30 years, including my house.

Green Solution: Use Cedadrive Stabilisation system instead of concrete slabs for drive area. Fill it with Heicom Tree Sand, water it, sow wildflower meadow mixture Barflora Flower Meadow and retop with same sand. Then in the autumn, mow it once and have something that provides you with oxygen as well as hard standing for your car.
This Cedadrive could occupy the whole of your front garden and thus keep all the rainwater that falls on it as well.
If you put the same system on your back garden, then maintenance time is minimal, small children and pets can play on it, and you can have table/chairs and barbecue being supported by it.

Plants used by the Butterflies follow the Plants used by the Egg, Caterpillar and Chrysalis as stated in
A Butterfly Book for the Pocket by Edmund Sandars.
Published by Oxford University Press London: Humphrey Milford in 1939.

and

The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland New Revised Edition by Jeremy Thomas & Richard Lewington.
Published by Bloomsbury Natural Hstory in 2016. ISBN 978 0 95649 026 1.

Plant Name

Butterfly Name

Egg/ Caterpillar/ Chrysalis/ Butterfly

Plant Usage

Plant Usage Months

Alder Buckthorn

Brimstone

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg under leaf.

Eats leaves.
---

10 days in May-June
28 days.
12 days.

Aspen

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.
Hangs suspended from stem.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.
30 days in May
9 days in June.

Black Medic

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats buds and flowers.

Base of food plant.

-
-
Spend winter at the base of the food plant. They resume feeding in March.
2 weeks

Chalk-Hill Blue

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg at base of plant.
Eats leaves.
---

Late August-April
April-June
1 Month

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats buds and flowers.

Base of food plant.

-
-
Spend winter at the base of the food plant. They resume feeding in March.
2 weeks

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg laid on underside of leaflets or bracts.
Eats leaves.
---

7 days in June.

32 days in June-July.
July-May.

Bitter Vetch

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg laid on underside of leaflets or bracts.
Eats leaves.
---

7 days in June.

32 days in June-July.
July-May.

Borage

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg laid under the leaf or on top of the flower.
Eats leaves, then before pupating it eats the bloom and leaves of the pansies.
---

7 days in August.

23 days in August-September.

3 weeks in September

Bramble

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk.
Eats flower bud.
---

7 days.

28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.

Buckthorn

Buckthorn -
Alder Buckthorn and Common Buckthorn

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk.
Eats flower bud.
---

7 days.

28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.

Brimstone

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg under leaf.

Eats leaves.
---

10 days in May-June.

28 days.
12 days.

Burdocks

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

2 weeks
7-11days
7-11 days

Cabbages - ELarge White eats all cruciferous plants, such as cabbages, mustard, turnips, radishes, cresses, nasturtiums, wild mignonette and dyer's weed

Large White

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

40-100 eggs on both surfaces of leaf.

Eats leaves.
---

May-June and August-Early September. 4.5-17 days.
30-32 days
14 days for May-June eggs, or overwinter till April

Cabbages

Small White

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of leaf.

Eats leaves.
---

May-June and August. 7 days.
28 days
21 days for May-June eggs, or overwinter till March

Cabbages:-
Charlock,
Cuckoo Flower (Lady's Smock),
Hedge-Mustard,
Garlic-Mustard,
Yellow Rocket (Common Winter-Cress),
Watercress

Green-veined White

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of leaf.

Eats leaves.
---

July or August; hatches in 3 days.
16 days.
14 days in July or for caterpillars of August, they overwinter till May.

Cabbages:-
Charlock,
Creeping Yellow-cress,
Cuckoo Flower (Lady's Smock),
Dame's Violet,
Hedge-Mustard,
Horseradish,
Garlic-Mustard,
Lady's Smock,
Large Bittercress,
Rock-cress (Common Winter-Cress),
Yellow Rocket (Common Winter-Cress),
Watercress ,
Wild Turnip

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg laid in the tight buds and flowers.
Eats leaves, buds, flowers and especially the seed pods.
---

May-June 7 days.

June-July 24 days.

August-May

Cherry with
Wild Cherry,
Morello Cherry and
Bird Cherry

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.
Hangs suspended from stem.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.
30 days in May.
9 days in June.

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats buds and flowers.

Base of food plant.

-
-
Spend winter at the base of the food plant. They resume feeding in March.
2 weeks.

Pale Clouded Yellow

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.

10 days in May-June.
July-August.
17 days in August-September.

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.

6 days in May-June.
30 days.
18 days in July-August.

Cocksfoot is a grass

Large Skipper

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

11 Months
3 weeks from May

Cow-wheat

(Common CowWheat, Field CowWheat)

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until end of August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats young leaves until June.
---

Hatches after 16 days in June.
June-April

25 days in June.

Currants
(Red Currant,
Black Currant and Gooseberry)

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

Devilsbit Scabious

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until late August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until May.
---

Hatches after 20 days in July.
July-May.

15 days in May.

Dog Violet with
Common Dog Violet,
Heath Dog Violet and
Wood Dog Violet

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Egg,
Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on oak or pine tree trunk
Hibernates in a crevice in the bark of the tree trunk.
Moves out of tree to eat Dog Violet leaves.
On rock or twig.

15 days in July.
August-March.

March-May.

Late June-July

Dog Violet with
Common Dog Violet,
Heath Dog Violet and
Wood Dog Violet

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf or stem.

Feeds on leaves until July. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats young leaves until May.
---

Hatches after 15 days in May-June.
July-May.

9 days in June.

Dog Violet with
Common Dog Violet,
Heath Dog Violet and
Wood Dog Violet

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf or stem.

Feeds on leaves until July. Hibernates in dead leaves until March. Eats young leaves until April.
---

Hatches after 10 days in May-June.
June-April

April-June.

Dogwood

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk.
Eats flower bud.
---

7 days.

28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.

Elm and Wych Elm

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.
Hangs suspended from stem.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.
30 days in May.
9 days in June.

False Brome is a grass (Wood Brome, Wood False-brome and Slender False-brome)

Large Skipper

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

...
11 Months
3 weeks from May

Foxglove

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until late August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until May.
---

Hatches after 20 days in July.
July-May

15 days in May.

Fyfield Pea

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg laid on underside of leaflets or bracts.
Eats leaves.
---

7 days in June.

32 days in June-July.
July-May.

Garden Pansy

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf or stem.
Feeds on leaves until July. Hibernates in dead leaves until March. Eats young leaves until April.
---

Hatches after 10 days in May-June.
June-April

April-June.

Gorse

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk.
Eats flower bud.
---

7 days.

28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.

Heartsease

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg laid under the leaf or on top of the flower.
Eats leaves, then before pupating it eats the bloom and leaves of the pansies.
---

7 days in August.

23 days in August-September.

3 weeks in September

Hogs's Fennel

Swallowtail

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf. 5 or 6 eggs may be deposited by separate females on one leaf.
Eats leaves, and moves to stems of sedges or other fen plants before pupating.
---

14 days in July-August.

August-September.

September-May.

Holly

Honesty (Lunaria biennis)

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk.
Eats flower bud.
---

7 days.

28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg laid in the tight buds and flowers.
Eats leaves, buds, flowers and especially the seed pods.
---

May-June 7 days.

June-July 24 days.

August-May

Honeysuckle

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until late August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until May.
---

Hatches after 20 days in July.
July-May.

15 days in May.

Hop

Adonis Blue

Chalk-Hill Blue

Berger's Clouded Yellow

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

Horseshoe vetch

Egg,
Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.

---

1 egg at base of plant.
Eats leaves.
---

1 egg on leaf.

Eats leaves.

---

1 then
June-March or September to July
3 weeks.

Late August-April.
April-June
1 Month

8-10 days in Late May-June or Middle August-September
June-July or September to October
8-15 days

Ivy

Pale Clouded Yellow

Clouded Yellow

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk.
Eats flower bud.
---

7 days.

28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.

Kidney Vetch

Chalk-Hill Blue

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis
Butterfly

1 egg at base of plant.
Eats leaves.
---
Eats nectar.

Late August-April.
April-June
1 Month
20 days

Lucerne

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

10 days in May-June.
July-August.
17 days in August-September.

6 days in May-June.
30 days.
18 days in July-August.

Mallows

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

2 weeks
7-11days
7-11 days

Melilot

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.

6 days in May-June.
30 days.
18 days in July-August.

Mignonettes

Small White

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of leaf.

Eats leaves.
---

May-June and August. 7 days.
28 days
21 days for May-June eggs, or overwinter till March

Milk Parsley

Swallowtail

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf. 5 or 6 eggs may be deposited by separate females on one leaf.
Eats leaves, and moves to stems of sedges or other fen plants before pupating.
---

14 days in July-August.

August-September

September-May

Narrow-leaved Plantain (Ribwort Plantain)

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until end of August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats young leaves until June.
---

Hatches after 16 days in June.
June-April.

25 days in June.

Narrow-leaved Plantain (Ribwort Plantain)

Glanville Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until middle of August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until April-May.
---

Hatches after 16 days in June.
June-April.

25 days in April-May.

Nasturtium from Gardens

Small White

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of leaf.

Eats leaves.
---

May-June and August. 7 days.
28 days.
21 days for May-June eggs, or overwinter till March

Oak Tree

Egg,
Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on tree trunk
Hibernates in a crevice in the bark of the tree trunk.
Moves out of tree to eat Dog Violet leaves.
On rock or twig.

15 days in July.
August-March.

March-May.

Late June-July

Mountain pansy,
Seaside Pansy,
Field Pansy and Cultivated Pansy.

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg laid under the leaf or on top of the flower.
Eats leaves of borage, sainfoin and heartsease, then before pupating it eats the bloom and leaves of the pansies.
---

7 days in August.

23 days in August-September

3 weeks in September

Pine Tree

Egg,
Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on tree trunk.
Hibernates in a crevice in the bark of the tree trunk.
Moves out of tree to eat Dog Violet leaves.
On rock or twig.

15 days in July.
August-March.

March-May.

Late June-July

Plantains

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until late August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until May.
---

Hatches after 20 days in July.
July-May

15 days in May.

Poplar

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.
Hangs suspended from stem.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.
30 days in May.
9 days in June.

Restharrow

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats buds and flowers.

Base of food plant.

-
-
Spend winter at the base of the food plant. They resume feeding in March.
2 weeks

Rock-rose

Brown Argus

Egg,
Caterpillar

1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.

Sainfoin

Common Sallow (Willows, Osiers)

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg laid under the leaf or on top of the flower.
Eats leaves, then before pupating it eats the bloom and leaves of the pansies.
---

7 days in August.

23 days in August-September

3 weeks in September

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.
Hangs suspended from stem

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.
30 days in May.
9 days in June.

Sea Plantain

Glanville Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until middle of August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until April-May.
---

Hatches after 16 days in June.
June-April

25 days in April-May.

Snowberry

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk.
Eats flower bud.
---

7 days.

28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.

Spindle-tree

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of a flower bud on its stalk.
Eats flower bud.
---

7 days.

28-42 days.
18 days. Early September to Late April for second generation.

Stinging Nettle

Comma

Painted Lady

Peacock

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Egg
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

Dense mass of 450-500 eggs on the under side of leaves over a 2 hour period.
Eats leaves, and moves to another plant before pupating.
---

2 weeks in June.
7-11 days.
7-11 days.

14 days in April-May.

28 days.

13days.

Storksbill

Brown Argus

Egg,
Caterpillar

1 egg under leaf.
Eats leaves.

Thistles

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

2 weeks
7-11days
7-11 days

Trefoils 1, 2, 3

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.

6 days in May-June.
30 days.
18 days in July-August.

Vetches

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Groups of eggs on upper side of leaf.
Eats buds and flowers.

Base of food plant.

-
-
Spend winter at the base of the food plant. They resume feeding in March.
2 weeks

Vetches

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg laid on underside of leaflets or bracts.
Eats leaves.
---

7 days in June.

32 days in June-July.
July-May.

Violets:-
Common Dog Violet,
Hairy Violet,
Heath Dog-violet
Pale Dog violet
Sweet Violet

Dark Green Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on underside of leaf or on stalk.
Hibernates where it hatches.
Eats leaves.

Base of food plant.

July-August for 17 days.

Spends winter on plant until end of March. Eats leaves until end of May.
4 weeks.

Violets:-
Common Dog Violet,
Hairy Violet,
Heath Dog-violet
Pale Dog violet
Sweet Violet

High Brown Fritillary

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on stem or stalk near plant base.
Feed on young leaves, stalks and stems
---

July to hatch in 8 months in March.
9 weeks ending in May.

4 weeks

Vipers Bugloss

Egg,
Caterpillar
Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf.
Eats leaves.
---

2 weeks.
7-11days.
7-11 days

Whitebeam
(White Beam)

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.
Hangs suspended from stem.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.
30 days in May.
9 days in June.

Wild Angelica

Swallowtail

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

1 egg on leaf. 5 or 6 eggs may be deposited by separate females on one leaf.
Eats leaves, and moves to stems of sedges or other fen plants before pupating.
---

14 days in July-August.

August-September.

September-May

Willow
(Bay Willow)

Egg,

Caterpillar
Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches encircling the branch of the food plant.
Feeds on leaves.
Hangs suspended from stem.

Hatches after 18-22 days in April.
30 days in May.
9 days in June.

Wood-Sage

Egg,

Caterpillar

Chrysalis

Eggs laid in batches on the under side of the leaves.
Feeds on leaves until late August. Hibernates on dead leaves until March. Eats leaves until May.
---

Hatches after 20 days in July.
July-May.

15 days in May.

Plants used by the Butterflies

Plant Name

Butterfly Name

Egg/ Caterpillar/ Chrysalis/ Butterfly

Plant Usage

Plant Usage Months

Asters
in gardens

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

Runner and Broad Beans in fields and gardens

Large White

Small White

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-June or July-September.

March-May or June-September

Aubretia in gardens

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November

Birch

Butterfly

Eats sap exuding from trunk.

April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation.

Chalk-Hill Blue

Wood White

Marsh Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

20 days.

May-June.

30 days in May-June.

Bitter Vetch

Holly Blue

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June

Bluebell

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation.

June.

June-August.

Bramble

Comma

Silver-washed Fritillary

High Brown Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October.

7 weeks in July-August.

June-August

Buddleias
in gardens

Comma

Peacock

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October.

July-May

Bugle

Wood White

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Heath Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June.

June.

June-August.

June-July.

Cabbage and cabbages in fields

Large White

Small White

Green-veined White

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-June or July-September.

March-May or June-September.

A Month during May-June or second flight in late July-August.

May-June for 18 days.

Charlock

Butterfly

Eats nectar

July-October

Adonis Blue

Chalk-Hill Blue

Painted Lady

Peacock

Large White

Small White

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

1 Month during Mid-May to Mid-June or during August-September

20 days in August.

July-October.

July-May.

April-June or July-September.

March-May or June-September

Pale Clouded Yellow

Clouded Yellow

Berger's Clouded Yellow

Queen of Spain Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November.

1 Month in May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November.

May-September.

Cow-wheat
(Common CowWheat, Field CowWheat)

Cuckoo Flower (Lady's Smock)

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June-July

Holly Blue

Marsh Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June

Dandelion

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation.

30 days in May-June.

Fleabanes

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

3 weeks between May and September

Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys - Birdseye Speedwell)

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June-July

Greater Knapweed

Comma

Peacock

Clouded Yellow

Brimstone

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October.

July-May.

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November.

12 months

Hawkbit

Butterfly

Eats nectar

30 days in May-June.

Heartsease

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-September

Hedge Parsley

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

May-June for 18 days.

Hemp agrimony

Adonis Blue

Chalk-Hill Blue

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October

Horseshoe vetch

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

1 Month.

20 days

Ivy

Painted Lady

Brimstone

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

Hibernates during winter months in its foliage.

July-October.

October-July

Lucerne

Painted Lady

Large White

Small White

Pale Clouded Yellow

Clouded Yellow

Berger's Clouded Yellow

Butterfly

Eats nectar

July-October.

April-June or July-September.

March-May or June-September

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November.

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November.

1 Month in May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November

Marigolds in gardens

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November

Marjoram

Adonis Blue

Chalk-Hill Blue

Common Blue

Clouded Yellow

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

1 Month during Mid-May to Mid-June or during August-September.

20 days in August.

3 weeks in May-September.

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November

Michaelmas Daisies
in gardens

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October

Mignonettes

Large White

Small White

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-June or July-September.

March-May or June-September

Narrow-leaved Plantain (Ribwort Plantain)

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June-July

Nasturtiums in gardens

Large White

Small White

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-June or July-September

March-May or June-September

Oak Tree

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats sap exuding from trunk.

April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation.

Primroses

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June.

June-August.

Ragged Robin

Wood White

Heath Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June.

June-July.

Scabious

Painted Lady

Peacock

Butterfly

Eats nectar

July-October.

July-May

Sedum

Peacock

Butterfly

Eats nectar

July-May

Teasels

Thistles -
Creeping Thistle, Dwarf Thistle, Marsh Thistle, Meadow Thistle, Melancholy Thistle, Milk Thistle,
Musk Thistle, Seaside Thistle, Scotch Thistle, Spear Thistle, Tuberous Thistle, Welted Thistle, Woolly Thistle

Butterfly

Eats nectar

7 weeks in July-August.

Comma

Painted Lady

Peacock

Swallowtail

Clouded Yellow

Brimstone

Silver-washed Fritillary

High Brown Fritillary

Dark Green Fritillary

Queen of Spain Fritillary

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October.

July-October.

July-May.

May-July.

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November.

12 months.

7 weeks in July-August

June-August.

July-August for 6 weeks.

May-September.

June-August.

Thymes

Adonis Blue

Chalk-Hill Blue

Glanville Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

3 weeks between May and September

Trefoils 1, 2, 3

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

1 Month during Mid-May to Mid-June or during August-September

20 days in August.

June-July

Vetches

Chalk-Hill Blue

Glanville Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

20 days in August.

June-July.

Violets

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June.

June-August.

Wood-Sage

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June-July

Apple/Pear/Cherry/Plum Fruit Tree Blossom in Spring

Peacock

Butterfly

Eats Nectar

April-May

Rotten Fruit

Peacock

Butterfly

Drinks juice

July-September

Tree sap and damaged ripe fruit, which are high in sugar