Purple and Red Flowers

Dwarf thistle (cirsium acaule)

Thistles, including Dwarf Thistle, produce more pollen per flower head than almost any other wildflower.  They provide abundant pollen required for bees to rear their young. In particular, native thistles are known to host specialised pollen gathering bees. The spiky foliage of the Dwarf Thistle serves as a vital food source and larval host for several butterfly species, most  notably the Painted Lady.
Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa)

The bright pink-purple thistle-like blooms are among the top-rated nectar producers of UK plants. They attract large numbers of honeybees, bumblebees and hoverflies. The flowers are a primary food source for many butterfly species, including the Common Blue, Marbled White, Meadow Brown and various Fritillaries. When the blooms go to seed, birds like the Goldfinch feed on the spent flowerheads.

Mallow (Malva sylvestris)
Its flowers are a vital source of nectar for butterflies and moths as it flowers from May right through to October. The open, bowl-like structure of the Mallow blossom makes it incredibly easy for pollinators with long proboscises to access the nectar. Common Mallow is one of the preferred larval host plants for the Painted Lady butterfly and it also supports the larvae of various moths such as the rare Fiery Clearwing and the Marsh Mallow Moth.
Pasqueflower (pulsatilla vulgaris)
The Pasqueflower is now a very rare plant in the UK and is found in only a handful of nature reserves. We are really excited to now have one flowering on our Butterfly Bank and hope that it will be the first of many. It provides crucial early-spring nectar for bees, butterflies and other pollinators acting as a vital food source when few other plants are blooming. Because it blooms at Easter it is known as the “anemone of Passiontide”.
Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
The Common Poppy only produces pollen and no nectar. However, bees have been found to preferentially visit it to collect pollen even when there are abundant nectar sources nearby and it is thought that the pollen contains essential amino acids that bees require.
Red Campion (silene dioica)
From late Spring to early Autumn its long-tubed nectar-rich flowers provide essential energy for long-tongued bumblebees, hoverflies and butterflies. Many moths utilise Red Campion almost exclusively as a nectar source, for example, because its flowers feature long tubular structures that hold nectar deep inside, they are a perfect match for the Hummingbird Hawk moth’s exceptionally long proboscis. The Rivulet and Lychnis moths also rely heavily on this plant for nectar. The leaves and seeds offer vital sustenance for caterpillars, including those of the Campion and Marbled Coronet moths. 

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Because Red Clover flowers have deep tubular florets their nectar is uniquely accessible to long-tongued bumblebee species like the Garden Bumblebee and the Common Carder Bee. It also acts as a primary food source for rarer UK bumblebees, such as the Shrill Carder Bee and the Great Yellow Bumblebee. Red Clover blooms from May through October providing a vital food source during the late summer months.
Red Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria var. cochineal) 
A vibrant red-flowered variant of the more common Yellow Kidney Vetch. We hope the Small  Blue butterfly which uses kidney vetch as the sole foodplant for its caterpillars will also utilise this red variant. The rich, pea-like flowers are also an excellent source of pollen and nectar for bumblebees, solitary  bees and hoverflies. 

Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor)

Salad Burnet is a valuable  food source for the caterpillars of the Grizzled Skipper butterfly. Its distinctive reddish flowerheads  bloom from May through September attracting a variety of bees, butterflies and other pollinators and, unlike many wildflowers that die back in the colder months, Salad Burnet provides nutritious foliage through the winter and early spring, offering foraging animals a reliable food source.


Saw-Wort (Serriatula tinctoria)

Sawwort serves as a specialised larval food plant for a variety of moth caterpillars. These include the Chamomile Shark, the Wormwood, the Marbled Clover, the Clifden Nonpareil and the Small Rufus. It is a late-summer nectar source for pollinators as its spineless, thistle-like flowers bridge the gap between summer and autumn when many other wildflowers have finished flowering.

Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis  arvensis)

Once considered a weed of cornfields the Scarlet Pimpernel is now in decline due to intensive agricultural practices. It is sometimes also known as Shepherd’s Weatherglass as the flowers close when atmospheric pressure falls and bad weather approaches. It acts as a host plant for the caterpillars of the Small Copper and Scarce Copper butterflies and its nectar-rich flowers provide a valuable food source for bees and a variety of adult butterflies such as the migratory Painted Lady.

Sorrel (rumex acetosa)

Its reddish  flowers are borne on slender spikes and provide nectar and pollen for bees, insects and butterflies.  Its leaves are a vital food source for the caterpillars of the Small Copper butterfly and the Forester moth.

Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
Teasels are a powerhouse plant for local ecology.  The dense cone-shaped flowerheads bloom in rings of lilac and purple, offering a continuous and easily accessible source of nectar for bumblebees, butterflies and other pollinators.  The paired leaves grow together and clasp the prickly stem, forming small “cups” that collect water and dew. These act as essential watering holes for bees, other insects and small birds during dry summer months. Once the flowers fade, the plant leaves behind stiff, brown, prickly seed heads. These are a magnet for seed-eating birds like Goldfinches. The dried stems and seedheads persist through the coldest months, providing critical hollow shelter for overwintering insects and larvae, such as the Teasel Marble  Moth.

Vervain (Verbenia officinalis)

The tiny purple flowers which bloom continuously from mid-summer into autumn are highly attractive to bees, butterflies and moths. It is particularly valuable late in the season when other nectar sources are declining. The caterpillars of the Mullein moth feed on its foliage.

Wild Basil (Clinopodium vulgare)

An important late-season nectar source for bees, butterflies and moths. Due to its hairy, pungent leaves, deer generally avoid browsing on Wild Basil, allowing the plant to grow undisturbed in our meadows. 

Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)

Marjoram flowers are exceptionally high in nectar making them a go-to food source for honeybees, bumblebees, furrow bees and hoverflies. It is a vital caterpillar food plant and nectar source for around 20 species of lepidoptera. It is especially prized for supporting the rare Large Blue butterfly and various day-flying moths, including the striking Mint Moth and Burnished Blue. The Large Blue caterpillars rely on Marjoram flowerheads for food before they move on to feed on ants. 

Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)

In the UK butterflies that utilise Wild Pansy as a larval food plant are primarily members of the Fritillary family. These specific butterflies lay their eggs on or near the pansies so their caterpillars can feed on the leaves: Queen of Spain Fritillary (an extremely rare migrant to the UK), Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Dark Green Fritillary and High Brown Fritillary (highly localised and endangered in the uk).  Wild pansies bloom from Spring through Autumn supplying critical early-season sustenance to bumblebees and other pollinators just waking from hibernation.

Wild Thyme (Thymus polytrichus)
Wild thyme is a primary larval food plant for the caterpillars of several butterfly species, most notably the endangered Large Blue. Its densely-packed pink-to-purple flowers bloom from June to September, supplying nectar for pollinators and, because the plant is exceptionally drought tolerant, it may become increasingly beneficial in a warming climate.