9 GARDEN PLANTS FOR MOTHS

1. NICOTINE PLANT Nicotiana alata Not all moths drink nectar, but night-scented flowers will attract those that do. Grow species with short tubes, such as

alata rather than N. sylvestris. 2. SWEET ROCKET Hesperis matronalis With a sweet yet spicy scent, this is a mid-height cottage garden favourite that self-seeds easily. Flowers vary between white, mauve and purple. 3. CATMINT Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’ This large catmint flowers from July to October and is a magnet for bees, hoverflies and day-flying moths, such as silver Y. 4. WHITE ROSEBAY WILLOWHERB Chamaenerion angustifolium ‘Album’ Though it is invasive, I grow white rosemary willowherb as a food plant for elephant hawk-moth caterpillars. Stately and serene, it has waving tall white plumes. 5. BUDDLEJA Buddleja davidii Also called the butterfly bush, buddleja produces an abundance of nectar-rich flowers that butterflies and moths find irresistible. 6. WALLFLOWER Erysimum cultivars Richly scented spring bedding, wallflowers provide early season nectar along with bluebells. Perennial wallflower ‘Bowles’ Mauve’ attracts hummingbird hawk-moths. 7. HONEYSUCKLE Lonicera Moths with long probosces can feed on nectar deep in the tubular flowers of honeysuckle. Leaves are food for caterpillars of the early grey and twenty-plume moth. 8. KNAPWEED Centaurea nigra Adult moths take nectar from both native and non-native plants but caterpillars need natives. Meadow flower knapweed is the larval food-plant of several species. 9. MARJORAM Origanum vulgare Purple and scented, marjoram flowers provide nectar for many insects, including moths. It’s the larval food-plant of the beautiful metallic-sheened burnished brass moth.