Trees & Shrubs
Bird Cherry Prunus padus
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, hoverflies, beetles, bugs, moths, birds, mammals
Crab Apple Malus sylvestris
As above + butterflies and lichen (used in bird nests)
Holly Ilex aquifolium
Holly blue butterfly (food plant), birds nest site, food
Spindle Euonymus europaeus
Birds, small invertebrates
Hazel Corylus avellana
Lichen, mammals
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Lichen, honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, hoverflies, beetles, bugs, moths, birds and small mammals
Flowering Currant Ribes Sanguineum
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, hoverflies,
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, beetles, bugs, moths, birds, small mammals
Firethorn Pyracantha
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, beetles, bugs, moths, birds, small mammals
Pussy willow Salix caprea
Queen bumblebees and early solitary mining bees
Viburnum Viburnum
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, beetles, bugs, moths, birds, small mammals
Buddleia Buddleia
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, beetles, bugs, butterflies, moths, birds (food)
Hebe Hebe
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, beetles, bugs, moths (bat food)
Winter Honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima
Winter food
Dark Shady Corners and Shady Beds
Oregon grape Mahonia
Winter food – Bombus terrestris, winter active queens, early bees, flies and bugs
Lenten Rose Hellebore
Winter food – Bombus terrestris winter active queens, early bees, flies and bugs
Italian Lords and Ladies Arum maculatum
Flies, gnats, etc. (bird/invertebrate food), mammals
Siberian bugloss Brunnera
Early small bees, ground cover (woodlice, centipedes etc.)
Bugle Ajuga reptans
Small bees
Elephant Ear’s Bergenia
Early bee food + ground cover for reptiles/amphibians
Stinking Iris Iris foetidissima
Bombus pascuorum, leaf miners, small mammals
Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata
Orange-tip & Green-veined white butterflies (food plant)
Red Campion Silene dioica
Moths
Comfrey Symphytum officinale
All bees, inc. hairy-footed, ground cover (woodlice etc.) Comfrey
Long “Hay Meadow” Grass
Wild Carrot Daucus carota
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, beetles, bugs and sawflies
Birds-foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus
Bombus lapidarius + other bees
Clover Trifolium repens
Meadow cranesbill Geranium pratense
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, nitrogen fixing
Short Mown Grass
Primroses/Cowslips Primula
Beeflies, Hoverflies and small invertebrates
Violets
Beeflies and small bees, leaf galls
Crocus Crocus
Winter/early spring food
Herb Beds and Dry Sunny Beds
Lavender Lavandula, especially Lavanula x intermedia “Grosso”
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, beetles, bugs, butterflies
Marjoram Origanum vulgare
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, beetles, bugs, butterflies, moths esp. purple & gold, particularly valuable for early nectar for emerging queen bumblebees and the hairy footed flower bee
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, social/solitary wasps, beetles, bugs and sawflies & Ichneumons
Lamb’s Ears Stachys byzantina
Honey/bumble/solitary bees
Thyme Thymus polytrychus subsp. Britannicus
Hoverflies and honeybees
Fences and Walls
Honeysuckle Lonicera
Bumblebees esp. B. hortorum, moths (bat food), birds
Ivy Hedera
Just about everything, inc. Ivy bee, bat roost, etc. etc.
Clematis Clematis armandii –particularly winter flowering varieties
Winter food
Mixed Herbaceous Borders
Cat Mint Nepeta
Honey/bumble/solitary bees Nepeta racemose, Nepeta faasenii – Long tongued bees
Columbine Aquilegia
Honey/bumble/solitary bees
Perennial Cornflower Centaurea Montana
Honey/bumble/solitary bees/hoverflies
Giant Yellow Scabious Cephalaria gigantea
Honey/bumble/solitary bees
Spiked Speedwell Veronica spicata
Honey/bumble/solitary bees
Hardy Geraniums Geranium
Honey/bumble/solitary bees/hoverflies
Sedum Hylotelephium spectabile
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, wasps, hoverflies, butterflies
Red Scabious or pin cushion Scabiosa
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, wasps, hoverflies,
Globe Flower Trollius europaeus
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, wasps, hoverflies,
Tall Verbena Verbena bonariensis
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, wasps, hoverflies,
Beard tongue Penstemon
Honey/bumble/solitary bees
Giant Hyssop Agastache foeniculum Blackadder
Honey/bumble/solitary bees
Bellflowers Campanula
Honey/bumble/solitary bees esp. campanula bee, hoverflies
Aster Aster
Late season invertebrate food
Sneezeweeds Helenium
Late season invertebrate food
Allium Allium
All bees
Spotted Dead-nettle Lamium maculatum
All bees
Dahlia Bishop of LANDAFF and other single simple flowered varieties
Bumblebees
Lungwort Pulmonaria Blue Ensign or Trevi Fountain
Early bees, incl. hairy-footed bee
Foxglove Digitalis
Bumblebees
Phlomis Phlomis
Bees, ground cover, winter protection
Early-flowering Borage Borage
Early emerging queen bees, ground cover for woodlice, centipedes, molluscs etc.
Honeywort Cerinthe
Honey/bumble/solitary bees, birds esp. greenfinch
Red Valerian Centranthus ruber
Hummingbird hawkmoth, bees, butterflies
Teasel Dipsacus
Honey/bumblebees, solitary wasps, birds esp. goldfinch
Wild celery Angelica
Bees, solitary wasps, hover flies and beetles
Love in the Mist Nigella
Bumble and other bees
Forget-me-not Myosotis
Small bees and hoverflies
Bush Vetch Vicia sepium
Carder bees
Plume thistle – Circium rivulare Atropurpureum,
Male bumblebees
Vipers bugloss Echium vulgare
All types of bees
GreenChew 