© Getty Images / Sandra Standbridge

Planting to support butterfly and moth caterpillars

The Wildlife Trusts recommend ways to plant to best support butterflies and moths and their caterpillars.

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Molly Blair

Published: June 29, 2023 at 2:31 pm

We all know how important butterflies and moths are for pollinating plants and gardeners are often keen to provide as many plants as possible to attract them. Caterpillars on the other hand are often more unwelcome visitors to the garden as they can strip plants and eat crops. However, the more caterpillars you can support in your garden, the more moths and butterflies there will be too.

Although a whole range of flowers provide nectar for butterflies, most species only have a short list of 'host' plants that will provide food for their caterpillars. Experts at The Wildlife Trusts have provided us with their top larval plants and tips on how to plant a butterfly garden.

Read our piece on the top ten garden butterflies to look out for.

Best plants for butterfly and moth larvae

Here we have recommendations for the best plants to support butterfly and moth larvae as recommended by The Wildlife Trusts. Alongside these plants, it is also a good idea to include an open area for wildflowers and grasses that will attract egg-laying females. An area with low soil fertility is ideal for this.

Lady's smock (Cardamine pratensis)

Cardamine pratensis, lady's smock — © Richard Bloom

Supports orange-tip butterfly

Bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus )on Bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus). — © Getty Images / Sandra Standbridge

Supports common blue butterfly

Common sorrel (Rumex acetosa)

Limited depth of field image of wildflowers and grasses, including sorrel, an umbellifer and sea thrift. There is a field of yellow flowers in the blurred background. Taken by the coast path near Lundy Bay, which is part of Port Quin Bay, North Cornwall. They are growing in the top of a Cornish hedge. — Wildflowers and grasses, including sorrel. - © Getty Images / Al Hedderly

Supports small copper butterfly

Fescue grass (Festuca sp.)

The meadow grass tall fescue (Festuca partensis) in spring. The beautiful wallpaper of Red fescue (Festuca rubra)The meadow grass tall fescue (Festuca partensis) in spring. The beautiful wallpaper of The meadow grass tall fescue (Festuca partensis) in spring. The beautiful wallpaper of Red fescue (Festuca rubra)The meadow grass tall fescue (Festuca partensis) in spring. The beautiful wallpaper of — © Getty Images / Irina Pislari

Supports meadow brown butterfly

Holly (Ilex aquifolium)

Ilex aquifolium 'Pendula' — © Jason Ingram

Supports holly blue butterfly

Read our piece on Ilex: holly bushes to grow for berries and evergreen leaves

Ivy (Hedera helix)

Solid ivy on the ground in summer — © Getty Images

Supports holly blue butterfly

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Close-up of nasturtiums in the garden. — © Getty Images / Jenny Dettrick

Supports large white, small white and green-veined whit butterflies

Yorkshire fog grass (Holcus lanatus)

Holcus lanatus or yorkshire fog or tufted or meadow soft grass field in sunshine — © Getty Images / skymoon13

Supports marbled white, speckled wood and small skipper butterflies

Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica)

Stinging Nettles, Common Nettle, Urtica dioica, East Blean Woodlands, Kent UK, Kent Wildlife Trust, herbaceous perennial flowering plant, plant has many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on its leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation when contacted by humans and other animals, butterfly foodplant, peacock, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, comma, butterflies — © Getty Images / Robert Pickett

Supports comma, peacock, red admiral and small tortoiseshell butterflies

Planning a butterfly garden

Plant large clumps of larval food plants together.
Aim for year-round flower interest, with early and late sources of nectar.
Only use peat-free compost to help prevent damage to rare habitats.
Delay cutting back in the autumn and tidy borders in later winter instead.
Don't use pesticides.

For more tips on attracting butterflies to the garden, visit wildlifetrusts.org

content producer

Molly is a content producer at Gardens Illustrated. She writes for the magazine and website and creates social content, has an RHS Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture and gardens on her rooftop plot in Bristol.