Autumn Nectar

[A_T]

Just wondered about people's experiences of flowers for butterflies in Autumn. I find Sedum to be successful and flowering ivy probably the favourite. I've read in a number of places that Michaelmas Daisies are attractive but I've never seen a butterfly on mine. What do others find?

[Susie]

Ivy is probably best but I've not managed to get mine to flower yet so that's a bit of a fail for me. My favourite is vebena bonariensis followed by late flowering buddlieas such as sungold.

I've also found fruit quite successful. I used to get a lot of speckled woods on the pears at my old house and now get red admirals to the grapes on the grape vine here.

[Michaeljf]

We have Michaelmas daisies down the bottom of our garden that are flowering this time of year - they do add a lovely splash of colour to the garden and we do get butterflies on them though it really depends on whether they 'find them' or not, and also on the weather conditions.

I agree with Susie about Verbena - it atrracts both butterflies and bees and also lasts for ages - sometimes about three months in total 'in flower' - real 'value'. Although we don't have a fruit tree I know our relatives do and the Nymphalids really do love the fallen fruit at this time of year.

You'll have to be careful about which Sedum you get if you do plant them - there are several species that look good but will never attract butterflies (sorry, I can't remember which ones are good for the butterflies!).

Some of the mint and water mint plants are also quite good at this time of year but probably depend on the type of soil you have. As mentioned, the Ivy is great for butterflies, bees and flies at this time of year but presumably will take time to be established.

Michael

[ChrisC]

as others have said, Bowles mauve, verbena bonariensis, michaelmas daises have all attracted whites, not many nymphalids stopping though. but plenty on the ivy in the forest carpark. never had much luck with sedum spectabile in either of the gardens i've had.

Chris

[David M]

Asters are good as well as Sedum (Ice Plant).

You may wish to keep a few winter flowering pansies in your pots too just in case any Red Admirals wake up on a sunny day in Dec/Jan when it's 11C.

[Wurzel]

I find "Poachers Choice" by Badger Beer is a grand autumn tipple...oops sorry wrong type of nectar!

Wurzel

[millerd]

...a grand autumn tipple...Wurzel

Seconded!

Dave

PS. When I was a kid, the Michaelmas Daisies in my London garden were always overbrimming with Small Tortoiseshells, Red Admirals and Peacocks.

[A_T]

I should add Red Valerian has been very popular this year - and is still in flower now.

[Dave McCormick]

I should add Red Valerian has been very popular this year - and is still in flower now.

I have lived near a wall that is covered in it for about 17 years, and butterflies (and moths) seem to like it a lot, notice it every year right to end of November, its not a long wall but once I saw 25 small tortoiseshell, 10 peacocks and several red admiral around the flowers, all at once (about 30 flowers of red Valerian) great source of nectar at most times of year, even seen silver Y and hummingbird hawk-moths at the flowers as well as Painted Ladies, Large/Small/GV Whites, Large yellow underwing, common rustic agg, silver-ground carpet, garden carpet, Dark Sword-Grass and Lesser Broad Bordered and lesser yellow underwing to name a few.

[Lynn]

Just got around to replying - sorry its a bit late.
Sedum spectabile - I have found this to be always successful in attracting butterflies.

Michaelmas Daisies. Again these are good. I have a large clump of what seems like a wild one & I had a tropical butterfly on it in October. How bizarre was that! Maybe clump size is important so group 3 or 5 plants together if you have the space. I have always wanted to visit Old Court Nurseries at Colwall, Malvern, as they specialise in Michaelmas Daisies - has anyone been there? See web site http://www.autumnasters.co.uk/ I like to choose varieties by visiting nurseries and seeing what flowers the butterflies are choosing themselves.

Ivy always seem to attract Red Admirals both in gardens & wild situations. If you have not got ivy a quick way of getting the arborescent growth that is needed to produce flowers is to grow the plant up a post a metre high. You could try this in a pot too.
I still had a few flowers on Buddleias in October. This late flowering is achieved by cutting off dead flowers through the summer.

I regularly see butterflies on over ripe fruit, plums, pears and apples all get used, particularly Red Admirals & Commas, but occasionally Speckled Wood.

I think it is great to be able to carry on seeing butterflies in Autumn - my last Red Admiral was yesterday