Painted Lady What is it about Buddleja that attracts butterflies? It must be something in the nectar. The forecast gives a thunderstorm warning, again, but it's bright and sunny. with intermittent cloud. A large, sprawling Buddleja is alive with butterflies and bees. There are numerous whites, as always Green Veined Whites predominate this year. There are several Red Admiral and Peacock butterflies. A single Comma and perhaps several Painted Ladies. It's hard to know if I'm counting the same one twice.
I've never seen Painted Lady and Comma in this spot before so it gives hope that this summer will prove a much better year for butterflies than last. The Ghyll was disturbed in 2022 when a sustainable urban drainage system was introduced and JCBs gouged out topsoil and its flora. Garlic Mustard, favoured by Orange Tip butterflies, was destroyed and neither plant nor butterflies have returned. A mass of thistles is in flower on the eastern slope but, so far, butterflies seem not to be attracted to them. So the Buddleja bush is a delight. All those butterflies and a squawking from tall conifers tells that Sparrowhawk have bred and their fledglings are learning to fly.
Buddleja, the butterfly bush but why? What attracts so many pollinators to Buddleja? The shrub was introduced from Tibet into Europe by a plant collector in 1869 and originates in Africa and Asia. It's named after the Reverend Adam Buddle, a 17th century botanist.
It could be the structure of the inflorescence and ease of access to nectar, and the pungent scent of the flowers. A quest for butterflies involves learning the flowers they favour. There needs a coincidence of emergence, butterflies hatching when their nectaring plant flowers. Bramble is a good nectar-source so I'm alert to when it flowers and how hot weather hastens both flowering and how quickly flowers are spent. Flowers release their nectar to pollinators depending on temperature, at that varies across flower species. I wonder if the chemical composition of nectar varies significantly.
It could be the structure of the inflorescence and ease of access to nectar, and the pungent scent of the flowers. A quest for butterflies involves learning the flowers they favour. There needs a coincidence of emergence, butterflies hatching when their nectaring plant flowers. Bramble is a good nectar-source so I'm alert to when it flowers and how hot weather hastens both flowering and how quickly flowers are spent. Flowers release their nectar to pollinators depending on temperature, at that varies across flower species. I wonder if the chemical composition of nectar varies significantly.
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