Botanical Name PO-PU 65

foxlipflos1

Flowers

12 x 24
(30 x 60)

Primrose Family

foxlipfol1

Foliage

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

A perennial herb of woods dominated by Acer campestre, Corylus, Fraxinus and Quercus robur on damp chalky boulder-clay soils, especially where seasonal flooding occurs; rarely in wet Alnus woods, damp meadows and ancient hedgerows.

Native in most of Europe, except in Ireland, Iceland, Norway and Turkey.

foxlipfor1

Form

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Primula elatior with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Birds's-eye Primrose
(Birdeye Primrose,
Bird-eye Primrose)

fbirdseyeflo1primrose

Flower -
Rosy lilac with yellow throat in May-June followed by 0.25 inch diameter cylindrical fruit

Primula farinosa
(Primula laurentiana,
Primula farinosa)

May-June

fbirdseyeflos1primrose

Flowers

6 x 6
(15 x 15)

Primrose Family

fbirdseyefol1primrose

Foliage

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

Mauve
Pink A-G

A short-lived perennial herb typical of wet, usually spring-fed, calcareous flushes. It is often found on hummocks in springs, and on seeping banks where slippage has opened up the turf, most commonly on open marl. A few sites remain in unimproved, grazed, damp pasture. It perennates as resting-buds and reproduces by seed.

Native in much of Europe, except in Portugal, Ireland, Belgium, Holand, Iceland, Norway, Albania, Greece and Turkey

fbirdseyefor1primrose

Form

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Primula farinosa with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Cowslip
(Cowslip Primrose)

Used within lifecycle of Butterfly Duke of Burgundy Fritillary,

fcowslipflo1

Flower -
Deep Yellow with orange at the base in April-May followed by ovoid 0.4 inch long fruits in August-September

Primula veris

fcowslipflos1

Flowers

6 x 9
(15 x 23)

Primrose Family

fcowslipfol1

Foliage

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

A perennial herb of well-drained, herb-rich grasslands on mesic to calcareous soils; less commonly on seasonally flooded soils, in scrub or woodland rides and edges, and on calcareous cliffs.

Native in all Europe, except in Ireland, Iceland, Albania and Turkey.
The flowers can be used to make home-made wine; an important medicinal plant in the past.

fcowslipfor1

Form

cowslipprimulaveriscorke Cowslip Primula veris 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:-

Quite early in the springtime the Cowslip begins to produce its leaves; at first each is just 2 tight coils rolled backwards and lying side by side; these slowly unroll, and a leaf, similar to that of a primrose but shorter and rounder, appears. All the eaves of a plant lie almost flat to the ground, rosette-wise, and in the centre of the rosette there rises a long stalk, on the tip of which, held straight up, are a number of palest greem crinkled baga. The bags open one by one, disclosing golden contents, and as they do so they droop over to one side. There are 2 kinds of flowers in the cowslip - thrum-eyed with the high stamen ring, and pin-eyed with the long column. The bee in visiting both types cross-fertilises the flowers. The flowers possess plenty of honey.

"Plant pot-grown specimens in autumn or early spring. Set the plants 9-12 (23-30) apart in sun or part shad, in spring flowering meadows, grassy banks or borders in any alkaline soil.

A vital early source of nectar for insects, particularly the spring brood of white butterflies. It is also a caterpillar food plant for the Duke of Burgundy fritillary which lays its eggs on the plant in late spring. " from The Wildlife Garden Month-by-Month by Jackie Bennett. Published by David & Charles in 1993 (ISBN 0 7153 0033 4).

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Primula veris with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Primrose
(Wild Primrose,
Common Primrose, English Primrose,
Acaulis Primroses - Primula acaulis - have the same shape and habit as Primula vulgaris)

fprimroseflo1

Flower -
Pale yellow, rarely pink, with a deep yellow eye and honey-guides, over 1 inch across, on long shaggy stalks in December-May followed by ripe seeds in March-August

Primroses
Used within lifecycles of Butterfly Duke of Burgundy Fritillary,
Butterfly Pearl-bordered Fritillary,
Butterfly Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary,

Primula vulgaris
(Primula acaulis)

March-May, and sporadically in winter

fprimroseflos1

Flowers

fprimrosefol1

Foliage

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

6 x 9
(15 x 23)

Primrose Family

An evergreen, or sometimes aestivating, perennial herb typical of sites shaded from hot sun, found in woodland, on N.-facing banks, in hedgerows, coastal slopes and shaded montane cliffs. Reproduction is by seed, which is usually dispersed by ants.

fprimrosefor1

Form

Native in most of Europe, except in Belgium, Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Poland.
An important medicinal plant in the past.

"Naturally found on damp, heavy soils in woods, coppices and hedgebanks.

Plant seedlings 9 (23) apart in autumn or early spring in sun or part shade, in woodland, under hedges or shrubs, by ponds or streams or in a damp, spring-flowering meadow. Grow in moist, fertile soil and mulch ground around plants in spring, if necessary, to retain moisture.

Useful source of nectar for spring butterflies, particularly the 'whites'. " from The Wildlife Garden Month-by-Month by Jackie Bennett. Published by David & Charles in 1993 (ISBN 0 7153 0033 4).

primroseprimulaacaulissalisbury Illustration of Primula acaulis from Flowers of the Woods by E.J. Salisbury - Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published by Penguin Books Limited in 1946.

Primula vulgaris from Wild Flowers as They Grow- Photographed by H. Essenhigh Corke, text by G. Clark Nuttall. Published by Cassell and Company, Ltd in 1912:-

The delicate tint of its blossoms is unique among flowers, and has given us a colour name for a special tone of yellow. The Primrose, like the lesser celandine, has to prepare for its early appearance by making special provision beforehand, so each summer it not only meets its immediate needs, but lays up a store of nutriment in its thick rootstock. All the winter this store lies hidden, but when spring comes the plant awakes and calls upon it, producing there-from leaves and flowers.
The unfolding of the Primrose leaf is really a pretty operation. The baby leaf consists simply of a stout midrib, with 2 little crinkled coils laid tightly along it and hidden away on its back. With the quickening warmth of the sun these gradually uncoil, and, as they do so, the face of the leaf broadens until the mature, wrinkled, veined leaf is before us. The face of the leaf shows nothing of the process of uncoiling; we must turn the leaf over to discover it.
The most curious fact about the Primrose is that 2 different kinds of flower characterise it, one or other being found on a plant, never both; one kind being known as pin-eyed and the other as thrum-eyed (details about these in the book). Only a pin-eyed flower can fertilise a thrum-eyed one, and vice-versa. Darwin believed that moths were the chief agents in the cross-fertilisation of the Primrose, and the pale unclosing flowers certainly gleam out with considerable distinctness in the dusk.

A universal favourite native UK plant.
The roots are stated to be a strong and safe emetic.

Cut-leaved Self-Heal
(Cutleaf Selfheal)

Prunella laciniata

June-August

Thyme Family

A rhizomatous perennial herb found naturalised in dry calcareous soils in grassland and on roadsides, waste ground and along woodland rides. Lowland.

Native in most of Europe, except in Northern Europe, Ireland and Holland.

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Prunella laciniata with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Common Self-Heal
(Self-Heal,
Common Selfheal,
Heal-all)

selfffloheal

Flower

selffflosheal

Flowers

Prunella vulgaris

June onwards

selfffolheal

Foliage

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

Thyme 2 Family

selffforheal

Form

A patch-forming perennial herb of neutral and calcareous grassland, growing in clearings in woods, in meadows, pastures and lawns, on roadsides and waste ground, typically associated with moist, fertile soils. It forms clonal patches in short-grazed turf and spreads by the detachment of daughter ramets. 0-755 m (Knock Fell, Westmorland), and 845 m on Great Dun Fell (Westmorland).

Native in all Europe.
Reported to heal many disorders, such as fevers, wounds, etc.

selfhealprunellavulgariscorke

Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris) 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.

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Prunella vulgaris with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Wild Cherry
(Gean,
Cherry with
Wild Cherry,
Morello Cherry and
Bird Cherry,
Sweet Cherry)

is Edible,
Used within lifecycle of Butterfly Large Tortoiseshell,

wildcherryfflo1

Flower

wildcherryfflo2

Flower

Prunus avium
(Cerasius avium)

wildcherryfflos

Flowers

Most of these photos were taken by Ron or Christine Foord

720 x 240-300
(1800 x 600-800)

Rose 4 Family

wildcherryffol1

Foliage

The natural habitats of this small to medium-sized tree include deciduous woodland and hedges on fertile soils, but it is widely planted as an ornamental or fruit tree in parks and gardens. It spreads by fruit and suckers. 0-400 m (N. of Garrigill, Cumberland).

Native in all Europe, except in Iceland and Albania.
The edble fruit is used for conserves, alcoholic beverages, and liquers. The wood is used by cabinet- and instrument-makers.

Read about Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) in Wild Flowers as They Grow- Photographed by H. Essenhigh Corke, text by G. Clark Nuttall. Published by Cassell and Company, Ltd, Seventh Series, in 1914.

wildcherryprunusaviumpolunin

"The wild cherry forms a spreading tree which is only really suited to the largest gardens. It has crimson colour leaves in the autumn as well as flowers and fruit. Plant young trees, 36-80 (100-120) high, between late autumn and early spring, when the ground is workable, in woodland or as an individual specimen tree. Plant at least 1080 (2700) away from the nearest building in fertile, well-drained soil.

Wild cherry depends on bees and hoverflies working the flowers for its pollination. The flowers also attract several species of butterfly, particularly peacocks. It supports a range of native beetles and the fruit is popular with birds. It is not advisable to park cars under it, when the birds are eating." from The Wildlife Garden Month-by-Month by Jackie Bennett. Published by David & Charles in 1993 (ISBN 0 7153 0033 4).

Photo from Flowers of Europe A Field Guide by Oleg Polunin. Published by Oxford University Press in 1969.

wildcherryffor

Form

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Prunus avium with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Morello Cherry
(Sour Cherry,
Dwarf Cherry,
Maraschino Cherry)

Prunus cerasus

May

Rose 3 Family

A shrub or small tree of hedgerows, copses and wood-borders. It spreads by fruit or suckers, and can sometimes form dense thickets. Lowland. It grows on acid soils, and is often confused with Wild Cherry.

Native of Asia: introduced to most of Europe.

"If space is limited there is a native dwarf cherry (Prunus cerasus) which will serve the wildlife equally well (instead of Prunus avium or Prunus padus). As a shrub it grows no higher than 180 (500) and can be incorporated in hedges or a shrub border. It bears pinkish-white flowers and has acid-tasting red berries." from The Wildlife Garden Month-by-Month by Jackie Bennett. Published by David & Charles in 1993 (ISBN 0 7153 0033 4).

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Prunus cerasus with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Cherry Plum
(Myrobalan Plum)

is Edible,

cherryfflo1plum

Flower

Prunus cerasifera

March

cherryfflo2plum

Flowers

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

Rose 1 Family

cherryffolplum

Juvenile Foliage

A shrub or small tree of roadsides, hedges, woods and copses and ornamental plantings. It rarely if ever suckers, and only occasionally sets fruit. Lowland.

cherryfforplum

Form

Native of South-Eastern Europe; often planted for hedges and naturalized from cultivation in Central Europe.

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Prunus cerasifera with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Plum
(Wild Plum,
Damson,
European Plum,
Bullace Plum,
Damson Plum)

wildfflo1plumdamson

Flower

These photos were taken by Ron or Christine Foord

Prunus domestica
(Prunus insititia)

wildfflosplumdamson

Flowers

wildffruplumdamson

Damson Fruit

Rose 4 Family

wildffol2plumdamson

Juvenile Foliage

wildffol1plumdamson

Foliage

A shrub or tree, naturalised in hedges, wood-borders, scrub and waste places. The wild plum is variable being plums, greengages, bullaces, or damsons gone wild. It differs in its dull, sometimes thorny, trigs, downy when young, becoming grey or brown later; larger dull leaves; larger flowers appearing later; and often egg-shaped fruits of various colours.

Native to all Europe, except in Iceland.
Widely cultivated for its fruits which are eaten fresh or dried, used for conserves or fermented and distilled for liqueurs. The wood is hard and compact and is used by turners and cabinet-makers. The seeds give a bitter oil.

wildffrusplumdamson1

Damson Fruit

wildfforplumdamson

Form

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Prunus domestica with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Bird Cherry
(Bird-Cherry,
European Bird Cherry)

birdfflocherry

Flower

birdfflos1cherry

Flowers

Prunus padus

May

birdffol1cherry

Mature stems with red Juvenile stems.

The above small photos and the lower 2 in the 5th column were taken by Ron or Christine Foord

600 x 180-240
(1500 x 500-600)

Rose 1 Family

birdffol4cherry

Foliage stem structure

birdffol2cherry

Foliage

A deciduous shrub or small tree of moist woodland and scrub, streamsides and shaded rocky places; also in fen-carr in East Anglia. It occurs on a wide variety of soil types, but is most frequent on damp calcareous or base-rich substrates, and avoids very dry or very acidic conditions. It spreads by fruit and suckers, often forming thickets. 0-650 m (Dove Crag, Westmorland).

Native in most of Europe, except in Iceland, Albania, Greece and Turkey.

birdffol3cherry

Juvenile Foliage

birdcherryprunuspaduspolunin

"Its fruit, although bitter to human taste, is eaten by birds. A common native of woods and hedgerows.

Plant young trees, 36-80 (100-200) high, between autumn and early spring, when the weather allows in any well drained soil in woodland or shrub borders.

Heavily scented racemes of blossom invite a number of flying insects. The fruit is quickly picked off by the birds, particularly blackbirds.

" from The Wildlife Garden Month-by-Month by Jackie Bennett. Published by David & Charles in 1993 (ISBN 0 7153 0033 4).

Photo from Flowers of Europe A Field Guide by Oleg Polunin. Published by Oxford University Press in 1969.

birdfforcherry

Form

birdfflos3cherry

Flowers

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Prunus padus with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Blackthorn
(Sloe)

Used within lifecycle of Butterfly Black Hairstreak,
Used within lifecycle of Butterfly Brown Hairstreak,

blackthornfflo1

Flower

blackthornfflo2

Flower

Prunus spinosa

Form from Rochester. Photos by BritishFlora

blackthornffru1

Unripe Sloe Fruit in June

blackthornffru3

Ripe Sloe Fruit in September

Most of these photos were taken by Ron or Christine Foord

Rose 1 Family

blackthornffol1

Juvenile Foliage in April

blackthornffol2

Foliage

blackthornffol3

Old Foliage in September

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Prunus spinosa with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

A deciduous shrub or small tree of open woodlands, scrub, hedgerows, screes and cliff-slopes; a prostrate form also occurs on shingle beaches. It grows on a wide variety of soils. It reproduces by seed, and spreads vegetatively by suckers, often forming dense thickets. In many areas, native populations have been augmented by deliberate planting in hedgerows and copses. 0-500 m (Cross Fell, Cumberland). It often forms impenetrable thickets, especially on sea-cliffs.

Native in all Europe, except in Iceland.
The fruits are inedible and extremely astringent, but they can be fermented with the broken nuts to make a liqueur. The wood is hard and is used for walking sticks and tool handles.

blackthornffor2

Form in June. Note the dwarf growth due to lack of soil and water.

blackthornffor3

Form in April as impenetrable thicket.

blackthornprunusspinosacorke Blackthorn from Wild Flowers as They Grow- Photographed by H. Essenhigh Corke, text by G. Clark Nuttall. Published by Cassell and Company, Ltd in 1912:-

For tradition, dating from most ancient days, insists that a Blackthorn branch in flower is a "death token" if carried into a house.
Its flowers have 5 sepals, 5 delicate white petals, and a whole multitude - 15-20 - of stamens, which are raised on a little wall round a central chamber, the stamens - finely fashioned and small anthered - lightly roofing it over. This chamber must be the paradise of small flies, for the inner surface of its circular wall literally oozes with honey, while other insects, such as the lesser kinds of bees (Andrena), do not disdain to lick it also. In the centre of the floor stands a single globular ovary, from whose top a long column rises crowned with a knob-like stigma; the stigma is about level with the anthers. After pollination, the flower fades, the various parts drop off, and the ovary is left alone. Its wall swells slowly during the summer months, and turns black, so that September sees the place of the starry white flowers taken by the well-known sloes. The tree, which protects its foliage by sharp spines from browsing animals, defends its fruit by acridity from too early depradations.

blackthornfflos2a

Flowers showing the Sepals under the Petals on the left in April

blackthornprunusspinosapolunin

Photo from Flowers of Europe A Field Guide by Oleg Polunin. Published by Oxford University Press in 1969.

blackthornffru2

Ripe Sloe Fruit in September

blackthornffor1

Form in April

Sea Meadow-Grass
(Strand-Salzschwadengras, Common Saltmarsh-grass,
Seaside Alkaligrass,
Common Saltmarsh Grass)

seafflomeadowgrass

Flower

Puccinellia maritima
(Glyceria maritima)

July-August

seafflosmeadowgrass

Flowers

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

Grass 3 Family and
Saltmarsh Grasses Family

A stoloniferous perennial herb of saltmarshes, often dominant over large areas in the lower and middle marsh, and in pans and depressions in the upper marsh; also locally on bare saline soils above the tidal limit, on sea walls and beside grazing marsh ditches. Rarely, it occurs in saline areas inland, and as a colonist by salt-treated roads.

Native in salt-marshes and muddy estuaries. Generally distributed around the coasts of the British Isles. Native in Western coasts of Europe; Sakhalin; North America and Greenland.

Sea Wall Biodiversity Handbook by Tim Gardiner, Rob Pilcher and Max Wade
Whilst this handbook has been written primarily to inform those involved in managing vegetated sea walls, it is also intended to have wider appeal to anyone with an interest in sea walls and coastal ecology. Photographs are used to illustrate pertinent points, e.g. to show what good sea wall management may look like, as well as of certain species where this is thought to be helpful. The latter has been deliberately restricted as the handbook is not intended to be seen as a field guide to the habitats or species that can occur on sea walls.

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Puccinellia maritima with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Reflexed Meadow-Grass
(European Alkali Grass, Gemeiner Salzschwaden, Reflexed Poa,
Reflexed Salt Grass, Reflexed Saltmarsh Grass,
Slender Alkali Grass, Weeping Alkali Grass,
Weeping Alkaligrass,
Northern Saltmarsh Grass)

Puccinellia distans
(Poa distans)

July-August

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Puccinellia distans with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Grass 3 Family and
Saltmarsh Grasses Family

A perennial herb growing on barish muddy ground near the sea, along the upper edges of saltmarshes, on sea walls and amongst coastal rocks; also in saline areas inland, and as a colonist by salt-treated roads. It favours compacted, poorly-drained, heavy soils.

Native in salt-marshes, muddy estuaries and occasionally on sandy ground inland. Generally distributed around the coasts of the British Isles, common in suitable habitats. Native in Europe and Siberia.

reflexedffor1meadowgrassbritishflora1

reflexedffor2meadowgrassbritishflora

Procumbent Meadow-Grass
(Stiff Saltmarsh-grass, British Alkaligrass)

Common Fleabane
(Pulicaria dysenterica)
See Botanical Name Extras 92

Puccinellia rupestris
(Glyceria rupestris)

June-September

Grass 3 Family and
Saltmarsh Grasses Family

An annual or biennial herb growing on bare saline soils above the tidal limit, behind sea walls, on tracks and in grazing marshes around cattle-trodden pools and depressions, and sometimes on firm muddy shingle and in rock crevices. P. rupestris occurs rarely inland by saline springs and salt-treated roads.

Native on muddy seashores. South coasts of England and Wales. Coasts of western Europe and Syria.

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Puccinellia rupestris with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Small Fleabane

Pulicaria vulgaris

August-September

Daisy Family

An annual of damp, winter-flooded hollows in somewhat acidic, unimproved grassland on New Forest `lawns`, on commons and village greens, and on rutted tracks. Extant sites are usually pony-grazed, this disturbance creating the open conditions needed for seedling survival.

Native and widespread in Europe, except in the north.

Joseph and Mary

(Narrow-leaved Lungwort)

josephfflo1andmary

Flower

Pulmonaria longifolia

April-May

josephfflo2andmary

Flower

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

Borage Family

josephffolandmary

Foliage

A perennial herb of lightly shaded habitats, mostly on base-rich clay soils, in coppiced woodland, wood-pasture and Pteridium aquilinum heathland; it also grows in hedge banks and marl-pits. Though it seeds freely and reproduces vegetatively, even vigorous colonies seldom spread into apparently suitable contiguous ground.

josephfforandmary

Form

Native in Central Europe, Portugal, Spain, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Yugoslavia and Romania.

Common Lungwort
(Lungwort,
Bloody-butcher,
Boys-and-girls)

Blue Wildflower,
is Edible,

commonfflolungwort

Flower

Native in most of Europe, except in Portugal, Ireland and Iceland.

Pulmonaria officinalis

Flowers in small terminal clusters, pink, often turning bluer; calyx with short broad teeth, in Mar-May.

Hairy and tufted. White blotches on green lance-shaped leaves.

commonffloslungwort

Flowers

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

Gallery of Photos/Illustrations, Common Name and Synonym of
Pulmonaria officinalis with
its distribution in USA and Canada from
Flora of USA and Canada.

Borage Family

commonffollungwort

Foliage

Culture - Soil, ordinary. Position - partially shaded rock gardens or borders. Plant this hardy herbaceous herb with its ornamental foliage in Oct-Nov, or Mar-Apr. Lift and replant in fresh soil every 4 or 5 years.

Propagation - By seeds sown 0.0625 inches (1.5 mm) deep in ordinary soil in shady position outdoors, March or April; division of roots, October or March

Blue
Pink A-G
Purple

A perennial herb, naturalised in woodlands and scrub, on banks and rough ground, and also occurring on rubbish tips and waste ground.

See illustrations on Pages 124, 142 and 154 in Wild Flowers by Colour by Marjorie Blamey. Published in 2005 by A&C Black.

commonfforlungwort

Form

Pulmonaria officinalis 'Sissinghurst White' form Sissinghurst Castle Garden , taken by Chris Garnons-Williams on 21 April 2013

commonlungwortpulmonariasissinghurstwhitegarnonswilliams

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.

Wild Flower Gallery
with its
flower colour comparison page,
space,
Site Map page in its flower colour
NOTE Gallery:-
...Blue Note
...Brown Note
...Cream Note
...Green Note
...Mauve Note
...Multi-Cols Note
...Orange Note
...Pink A-G Note
...Pink H-Z Note
...Purple Note
...Red Note
...White A-D Note
...White E-P Note
...White Q-Z Note
...Yellow A-G Note
...Yellow H-Z Note
...Shrub/Tree Note

Each of the above 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

You can find the wild flower in one of the 23 Wild Flower Galleries or the Colour Wheel
Gallery

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

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

you know which family it belongs to, use
Wild Flower Family Pages menu below

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 the next column starting from page 1 in February 2017 until all the families have been completed on page 307.

This may take a few months of my time before I get to the Adder's Tongue Family on page 307.

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)

followed by

No. of Plants of that Family

that have a row with their details in their flower colour in this central data table;

and then

the relevant entries in the Habitat Index Pages and other characteristics in other Index Pages in the Page Menu / Index Table on the left
(with over-flow in another table below the flower colour in the central data table and then onto
continuation pages)

within this gallery

Buttercup 45

Crucifer (Cabbage/Mustard) 1

Crucifer (Cabbage/Mustard) 2

Melon (Gourd/Cucumber)

Peaflower Vetches/Peas

Peony 1

Poppy 9

Total 65

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