Attract bees and butterflies to garden with ‘superplant’ bursting with nectar-rich flowers
Bees and butterflies play a crucial role in our ecosystem, supporting the growth of plants, fruit and vegetables, and one "striking and versatile" wildflower could help attract them to your garden
Gardeners can attract bees and butterflies into their outdoor spaces with a nectar-rich "superplant" beloved by wildlife. As spring continues to unfold, green-fingered readers will be heading outdoors to tend to their gardens—made all the more rewarding when wildlife appears to enjoy the results.
Pollinators like bees and butterflies play a crucial role in our ecosystem, supporting the growth of plants, fruit and vegetables. They're also synonymous with summer and a joy to watch as they flit from flower to flower. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has named a "striking and versatile" wildflower that can help tempt these valuable insects into your own garden, calling it a "top plant we can all grow to support biodiversity".
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In a recent piece about the so-called "superplant", Olivia Drake, the society's science and horticulture editor, writes: "You may already know you can turn the leaves into a free liquid feed, but did you know comfrey is also amazing for wildlife?
"Providing an early spring wildlife boost with nectar-rich flowers, comfrey (Symphytum) is the RHS Wildlife Wonder April Plant of the Month, meaning our wildlife experts have highlighted it as a top plant we can all grow to support biodiversity as part of our Bringing Nature Home campaign."
Indeed, Olivia points out that comfrey's bell-shaped flowers are perfect for long-tongued and hairy‑footed flower bees, while also supporting nest-building bees, hoverflies and butterflies.
Meanwhile, the much-loved bumblebee has been known to engage in a practice called "nectar robbing", where it chews holes in the side of the flower to reach the nectar—a method used by shorter-tongued species.
As for butterflies, later in the spring, you may be able to spot black and yellow caterpillars on the plant; these will eventually turn into the colourful scarlet tiger moth.
Olivia advised people to plant comfrey in a sunny or partially shaded area in moist soil. She recommended adding mulch made from leaf mould or homemade compost, allowing the roots to "explore on their own".
She noted: "Allow the plants to bloom through April, then cut them back to stimulate fresh new leafy growth." Olivia said some varieties will expand rapidly, so it might be worth choosing an area where you can allow it to grow freely or be prepared to control it.
It comes after gardening expert Peter Dowdall, known as The Irish Gardener, said in an exclusive interview that people were making a "common mistake" this spring.
He said: "If this is being published in the next week or two, then another common mistake people make at the moment is, particularly with the improvement in the weather, we are in a mad rush to see colour in the garden.
"Run down to the garden centre, get lots and lots of summer bedding plants and put them out straight away. That's a big mistake."
You can learn more about the RHS' Bringing Nature Home campaign by visiting the website.
