Environment - Wildlife Gardening
In addition to the annual Green Butterfly Award Scheme, the Forum has been responsible for the Attractive Garden Scheme, which encouraged the planting
of native wildflowers to attract butterflies, bees and other insects, and is looking for other ways in which to raise awareness of the fantastic wildlife of
Aberdeenshire.
Wildflowers for Wildlife
For starters - many of us enjoy seeing native wildlife in our gardens and AEF would actively like to encourage it. An easy way to do so is to plant up an area of your garden with
native plant species. The list below details some flowering plants, native to the north east of Scotland, which would be attractive to wildlife and gardeners alike.
| SPECIES |
FLOWERING |
COLOUR |
SIZE |
POSITION |
ATTRACTS |
| Avens, Water (Geum rivale) |
May - July |
Pink / Purple |
Medium |
Ideal for shade. Does not need wet ground. |
Bees |
| Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) |
June - August |
Yellow |
Small |
Naturally grows in grassland. |
Breeding butterflies (Common Blue) and bees |
| Campion, Red (Silene dioica) |
May - September |
Red |
Tall |
Shade, but will tolerate sun. |
Butterflies |
| Campion, Sea (Silene maritima) |
June - August |
White |
Small |
Ideal for rockeries. Doesn't need to grow by the sea. |
Bees |
| Cowslip (Primula veris) |
April - June |
Yellow |
Small |
Meadows |
Bees and butterflies |
| Cranesbill, Bloody (Geranium sanguineum) |
June - September |
Red |
Medium |
Sun and partial shade. |
Insects |
| Lesser Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) |
July - September |
Reddish purple |
Tall |
Sun - normally found in grassland. |
Bees and butterflies especially Red Admiral. Birds may take the seed |
| Lady's Smock (Cardamine pratensis) |
April - July |
Pink / Lilac |
Medium |
Normally found in damp situations. |
Bees and Orange Tip Butterflies. |
| Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) |
June - August |
White |
Tall |
Sun - normally found in grassland. |
Bees and butterflies |
| Primrose (Primula vulgaris) |
March - May |
Yellow |
Small |
Shade, especially under hedges or trees. |
Bees |
| Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) |
May - June |
Red |
Medium |
Ideal for damp ground, but will tolerate drier positions. |
Butterflies |
| Scabious, Field (Knautia arvensis) |
July - September |
Blue / Mauve |
Medium |
Sun |
Butterflies. |
| Thrift (Armeria maritima) |
April - September |
Pink |
Small |
Likes rockeries, but will grow anywhere |
Bees and butterflies |
| Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum) |
June - August |
Yellow |
Medium |
Sun |
Bees |
| Violet, Common Dog (Viola riviniana) |
April - June |
Violet |
Small |
Will tolerate shade, but also grows in sun |
Larval foodplant for Fritillary Butterflies |
| Wild Thyme (Thymus praecox) |
May - August |
Purple |
Small |
Sun |
Butterflies and other insects |
