British

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vessca) Flowers and Berries

The Wild or Woodland Strawberry is similar, in appearance to the well known garden strawberry although still edible it is overall much smaller. In the UK they can often be found growing in many dry grassy places, from Woodland rides, Meadows and Gardens to Road side verges, often sending out long runners and colonising any available ground.

The leaves of the strawberry plant are made up of three oval leaflets, the small flowers have 5 white petals and a rich yellow centre and appear April to July.

Wild strawberry fruit or berries, may be found from June through to October, although small size they are stronger tasting and are often used commercially in jams and medicines.

Wild Strawberry Plant with Red Berries

Wild Strawberry Plant showing leaves and yellow and white flowers

Wild Strawberry Plant in Flower

Quick Info

Type: Perennial Herb
Also Known As: Woodland Strawberry
Where: Commonly found through-out Britain
Habitat: Often found on well drained – Meadows, Road side verges, woodland Clearings, Gardens and tracks.
When does it flower? April to July.
Fruiting: June through to October.
Height around: 20-30cm.
Larval Food Plant: Grizzled Skipper Butterfly (Pyrgus malvae)

Visit Thompson & Morgan to get Woodland Strawberry seeds

Welcome to Urban Butterfly Garden

Urban Gardens could play an important role in Butterfly Conservation

Gardens can play an important role in increasing the population and spread of some of our native and migrant butterfly species.

We are encouraged to use far less chemicals in the garden, and switch to more organic methods, like composting, and the use of natural fertilizers for our plants and vegetables, these changes can help to create a safer environment for us and our wildlife.

Orange-tip Butterflies may be seen in gardens from early Spring

These planted areas create what is known as a Green Corridor, allowing the movement of butterflies and other insects and wildlife through urban environments.

There are wildlife friendly plants and seed kits available to create a butterfly garden, and give things a great start.

Peacock Butterflies seen in Gardens Spring and Mid Summer

How…

Setting aside an area of the garden how ever big or small, for a selection of easy maintenance Flowers, or Shrubs, like Buddleia, Wild Marjoram (oregano), some Meadow Grasses maybe a few Nettles, will encourage butterflies and moths as well as other beneficial insects like Ladybirds and Hoverflies into the garden.

Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus)

Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album)

The Comma Butterfly is quite distinctive in appearance, its bright orange and brown colouring and unusual jagged wing shape make it quite easy to identify even from some distance.

Widespread across England and Wales, Comma Butterflies can often be seen in woodland clearings, on open rides, hedgerows and maybe even in the garden. They can be seen on the wing from early March to September, often in a sheltered sunny spot basking in the warm sunshine.

The males are often quite territorial and may be seen patrolling a section of hedgerow or woodland path sometimes quite boldly making their appearance known to other male Commas.

The Comma may also make an appearance on quite cool days with intermittent sunshine, sometimes resting hardly noticeable wings closed in the subdued sunlight, taking flight at even the slightest disturbance heading upward to find a safer perch.

Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album)

Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album) in garden on leaf

Upper-wings: are orange with dark brown markings. Under-wings are mottled browns with a small white comma shape marking, from which it gets its name.

Comma Quick Info

Family Group: Nymphalidae – Browns
Wingspan: approx 45mm
Caterpillars feed on: Stinging Nettle (urtica-dioica), Hops and Elm.
Adults Nectar on: Bramble flowers, Ripe Blackberries, Ragwort
Adults Nectar in the garden on: Buddleia (mostly-yellow or White!), Rudbeckia
Photographs: Top right – Left – June 2011.
Location: My garden, and out on a local walk.

Brown Hairstreak (Thecla betulae)

A small rare butterfly, the Brown Hairstreak spends most of its time fluttering round high in the tree tops of a chosen Ash tree, often referred to as the Master Tree.

Most active on warm sunny days, both the male and female Butterflies may occasionally come down lower to nectar on bramble or other flowers, although the female is the most likely the one to seen close up, as she flies around to find a suitable site to lay her eggs.

Upper-wings are brown with orange patches on the fore-wings, under-wings orange/brown with two white lines or streaks.

Brown Hairstreak Butterfly female with wings open

Brown Hairstreak – female with wings open © Urban Butterfly Garden 2010-2014

Population Status

The Brown Hairstreak is a priority species for conservation, due to continued habitat loss. The use of mechanical hedge cutting or flailing in late summer and Autumn damages hedgerows making them unsuitable for the female butterfly to lay her eggs, also cutting away previously laid eggs that will hatch in the following spring.

Brown Hairstreak on Blackthorn © Urban Butterfly Garden 2010-2014

Quick Info

Family Group: Blues (Lycaenidae).
Habitat: Found along the edges or in open areas of woodland or hedgerows in areas where Blackthorn or sloe is found growing in abundance.
When: July to October.
Where: Localised mainly in Southern and Central England.
Size: Around 40mm.
Larval Food Plant: Only Blackthorn (prunus spinosa) and other prunus species.
Adult Nectar Plant: Aphid Honey dew found on Ash trees, Bramble
Photographed: 8th September 2012, Chambers Farm Wood, Lincolnshire

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

about

A tall perennial or biennial plant with flat-topped clusters of small bright yellow flowers on long straight leafy stems.

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) provides a nectar for many species of bees, flies, moths and butterflies, some species are totally dependant upon it as a food source, making it a vital part of our natural native flora.

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars on Ragwort Plant.

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

Plant Information

Name: Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
Where: Very Common through-out Britain
Habitat: Grassy meadows, Road side verges, Embankments, Waste ground, and many other open areas.
When does it flower?: June to November.
Height up to: 1 m.
Larval Food Plant: Cinnabar moth (dependent)
Butterfly Nectar Plant for: Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Peacock, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Green-veined White, Small White, Marble-white, Large White, Small Skipper, Large Skipper, Comma, Holly Blue, Small Copper.
Photographed: top 7th August, left 20th July (Macro).

Skippers – Hesperiidae

Choose a Family Group

Swallowtail
Papilionidae

Whites
Pierinae

Skippers
Hesperiidae

Browns
Nymphalidae

Blues
Lycaenidae

Skippers Family Group – Hesperiidae
Hesperiidae are a family of butterflies more commonly known as Skippers, their small size, wing and body shape, give them an appearance more like a moth than a butterfly. In Britain there are 8 resident species of skipper.
Chequered Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon)	Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)	Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)	Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)
Large Skipper (Ochlodes venata)	Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon)	Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)	Silver Spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)

© Urban Butterfly Garden 2010-2013

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

Possibly the most striking and well known of all British Butterflies, the Peacock with its red velvet colours and bright distinctive eye-spots, can often be seen in gardens, mid to late summer often attracted by plants and shrubs like Rudbekia and Buddleia.

As well as being a garden visitor, Peacock butterflies can be found in a broad range of habitats from woodland clearings to urban parks and waste ground, where they may be seen around plants and shrubs like, Blackthorn, Bramble Flowers and Hemp Agrimony or just bathing in warm sunshine.

Peacock Butterfly nectaring on Hemp Agrimony in woodland showing under-wings

Peacock Butterfly showing dark brown and black under-wings

Quick Info

Family Group: Nymphalidae – Browns
Subgroup: Nymphalinae.
Wingspan: Around 60mm.
Habitat: Gardens, Open woodland clearings, Urban parks, Waste ground, and others
Adult Nectar Plant: Blackthorn, Bramble, Buddleia, Common Ragwort, Hemp Agrimony, Rudbekia, Teasels, and others.
Caterpillars feed on: only Common Nettles (Urtica dioica).
Photographs: Top – Peacock butterfly 15/8/10, – Left – Peacock showing dark Under-Wings 24th July- bottom right – Peacock in Spring 9th April

Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io) showing eye spots on wings

The Peacock Butterfly hibernates through the winter months, in places like old tree trunks out buildings and wood stacks, emerging around March – April although on occasions they may be seen earlier.

The Upper-Wings are red-brown velvet coloured with bold and distinctive eye-spots especially on the hind-wings, the eye-spots, on tips are less bold.

The Under-Wings are dark brown or black.

Peacock in Spring on Blackthorn Blossom

Wild Marjoram for a Wildflower or Butterfly Garden

about

Wild Marjoram or Oregano is an attractive aromatic herb, with clusters of purple/pink flowers that appear June to September. The leaves are oval shaped and in pairs on upright stems they can grow up to 40 cm high.

Wild Marjoram (Origarnum vulgare) may be found growing in meadows, along woodland rides, roadside verges and other sunny places mainly on dry calcareous soils in Southern Britain.

Planting Marjoram

Planting Wild Marjoram can make a great addition to any Wildflower or Butterfly Garden, the nectar rich blooms are attractive to many species of Butterfly, as well as Moths, Bees, Hoverflies and many other pollinating insects.

It is also a Caterpillar food plant for the rare British butterfly the Large Blue

Wild Marjoram Flower Head pink and white petals

Close-up of Wild Marjoram Flower Head

Wild Marjoram a wild flower with many small pink and white flowers in July

Wild Marjoram flowering in July

Plant Information

Name: Wild Marjoram (Origarnum vulgare)
Family: Lamiaceae, inc Mint, Deadnettle
Type: Perennial
Also Known As: Oregano, Pot Marjoram
Where: Common and widespread through-out Southern Britain.
Habitat: Often found in – Meadows, woodland rides, Roadside verges and Gardens.
When does it flower? June to September.
Height around: 40cm.
Nectar Plant: Small White (Pieris rapae), Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album), Brown Argus, Large Skipper, Small Skipper, and others, plus Moths and Bees
Caterpillar Food Plant: Large Blue Butterfly (Maculinea arion), Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata)
Photographed: 1st July 2012

Dingy Skipper Butterfly (Erynnis tages)

Small and fast flying, the Dingy Skipper Butterfly with it’s brown and cream mottled markings, is well camouflaged into the grassy surroundings. It can often take flight and blend in so well, at times can be difficult to spot.

Widely spread across the southern half of Britain, Dingy Skippers are most often found on open chalk or limestone grassland, and are on the wing from the last week of April into June.

Dingy Skipper Butterfly (Erynnis tages)

Quick Info

Family Group: Hesperiidae – Skippers.
Where: A Native Butterfly widely spread across England and Wales in small pockets.
Habitat: A meadow butterfly that also be found on old waste ground, Disused quarries, disused railway sidings and open grassy woodland rides.
When: Flying where found in largest numbers from May-June.
Adult nectar plant: Buttercups, Bird’s foot-trefoil, Dandelions, Speedwell, Plantains, Hawkweeds.
Size: Wingspan 24mm.
Larval Food Plant: Mainly Bird’s foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) but will also use Horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis comosa)
Photographed: Top and Left, Ketton Quarry, Rutland 25th May 13. Right, Cribbs Meadow, Leicestershire, 25th May 12.

Dingy Skipper Butterfly (Erynnis tages)

The Dingy Skipper often shares the same habitat and a similar flight period to the Grizzled skipper (Pyrgus malvae), although nether butterfly shares the same larval food plants.

Seen from a distance both butterflies may be mistaken for day flying moths such as Mother Shipton, (Callistege mi), which also shares similar flight times and habitat.

During sunny weather, Dingy Skipper Butterflies enjoy basking in warm sunshine, perching up on the old flower heads of Knapweed, or on tall dry grasses, if it is overcast or a cool breeze, they may choose a more sheltered position on the ground.

Dingy Skipper Butterfly (Erynnis tages) Cribbs Meadow on Buttercups

Dingy Skipper Butterfly (Erynnis tages) on Buttercups

Black Hairstreak (Strymondia Pruni)

about

A small brown butterfly, with a defined white line, black spotted markings, and an orange band edged with a white fringe, on the under-wings.

Habitat

Like all Hairstreak Butterflies the Black Hairstreak prefers a sunny position more often than not above head height. Occasionally though they may be seen descending to nectar on bramble or other seasonal blossom.

The upper wings are rarely seen except in flight.

The Black Hairstreak is quite similar in appearance to White-letter Hairstreak (Satyrium w-album)e

Black Hairstreak (Strymondia Pruni) on Bramble Flowers

Quick Info

Family Group: Lycaenidae (Blues).
Where: A narrow belt of mature woodland areas, between Oxford and Peterborough.
Habitat: Mature blackthorn thickets in sheltered woodland clearings and rides.
When: Flying in largest numbers from mid June to early July.
Size: Wingspan around 35mm.
Larval Food Plant: Leaf buds and mature leaves of Blackthorn (prunus spinosa)
Adult Nectar Plant: Bramble, Wild Privet, Dog Rose.
Population Status:
Photographed: 14th June 2011, Glapthorn Cow Pasture.

Older Entries

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Urban Gardens could play an important role in Butterfly Conservation

How…

Comma Quick Info

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Plant Information

Skippers Family Group – Hesperiidae

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Planting Marjoram

Plant Information

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Habitat

Quick Info