www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I don't want to 'teach my granny to suck eggs', but if any of the newcomers out there are having trouble finding butterflies at the moment, look for Sallow bushes that are in bloom and there they will be. The distinctive 'pussy-willow' catkins are easy to spot.

Try examining them at night with a torch, too. On a mild night, there should be lots of moths.

Happy hunting.

Adrian Riley

That is why I have planted a dozen Sallow in my garden-purple emperor country near Chiddingfold woods.
P.J.U.

Absolutely nothing on my sallows except bees of all shapes and sizes.

Likewise I have not had a butterfly on my sallow but it is a magnet for bees and moths so definitely garden worthy.

I have about 7 willows in my garden (Grey sallow, goat willow, common osier and hybrid osier) and moths don't seem to come to the catkins (or never seen any when I have looked) might just be unlucky or might be that they are in the side of the garden that gets less moths than the other side with the wildflower patch and no trees.

On a recent trip to Woodhouse Copse (IOW) the flowering sallows were well attended (2 - 3 butterflies per tree) by Commas and Peacocks, but alas no Large Tortoiseshells.
Neil

The sallows seem strangely quiet both for butterflies and bumblebees so far this year.

The sallow's on good form out here!



Like Adrian, I find this tree a natural butterfly magnet, with all the hibernators regularly attracted (except brimstone, maybe - I can't remember if I've seen brimstone at sallow).

Guy

Grrrr! Guy is really rubbing our UK noses in it, with that Scarce Swallowtail, plus all the Large Tortoiseshells and Camberwell Beauties on his own thread! I think Marek is being severely outdone and no longer deserves the "annoying" epithet to himself.

Mike

Sorry Mike.

I should have chosen this piccie to illustrate it:



Sallow is a good spring butterfly magnet, whatever butterflies happen to fly near you in spring...

Guy

I have an old mature Sallow in my back garden and have never seen a butterfly on it although it does 'buzz' with bees.

I wonder, do butterflies prefer smaller bushes where the nectar is not so high up? The lowest available on my tree is about 10 feet up going to about 25 feet.
Cheers,

Neil F.

I saw four butterflies, three Peacock and one Red Admiral on Sallow this afteroon and they were all on the the top, well over ten foot high.

Nick.

padfield wrote: I should have chosen this piccie to illustrate it:

I'm pleased to have recovered from my severe bout of envy now that both Large Tortoiseshell and Camberwell Beauty have been reported from UK!

I should have said that I thought it was a splendid photo of the Scarce Swallowtail; in my opinion better than the SmTort you chose to pacify me.

Mike

Late as usual to the debate...
In March, with the high temperatures and lack of other nectar sources around, I found that examining each bush in flower did reap dividends, in that there always seemed to be a Peacock or Comma hanging around..... N

If your Pussy Willow ( Salix Species ) does not attract many Bees, Butterflies or Moths, maybe because they are female trees. The bright yellow Catkins are the male trees and it's they which have a greater attraction than the grey or silver female Catkins.