WILDLIFE-LOVING PLANTS FOR YOUR GARDEN

GREAT MULLEIN

Verbascum thapsus This spectacular biennial grows tall with woolly silvery leaves and yellow flowers. Impressive under frost, it is used by wrens and robins as a look-out post to check for predators.

PURPLE CONEFLOWER

Echinacea purpurea An excellent bee and butterfly plant, as echinacea’s petals fade, its raised cone remains. This disintegrates gracefully in winter as finches pull apart the head to feed on its seeds.

STAR OF PERSIA

Allium christophii All alliums look exciting under snow or frost when their starburst structure is revealed. A good bee plant, Allium christophii has huge lilac flowers followed by giant seed heads.

SILVER GHOST

Eryngium giganteum Dramatically spiky, this silver-grey sea holly is one of the very best insect plants. On frosty mornings, every spiny bract of its sculptural seed head is outlined in ice crystals.