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Originally Posted by Gaina  I just saw Cotham Marble's suggestion of Woodruff and I second that - it's growing in profusion down the side of our garage and the smell is gorgeous as well as being extremely pretty  . I have to say I've not seen any butterflies or moths on it though, so I am not sure what it attracts insect-wise. |
As far as daytime feeders are concerned I've only noticed a few types of small hoverfly (not sure about species), however many white flowered plants are specialist night time attracters and I would guess that applies to woodruff, although I've not tried to establish what the nightshift might consist of in my garden. The Natural England website records the Elephant Hawk moth as being associated though I've yet to see one:
Woodruff - Galium odoratum - Natural England
Woodruff is very useful in a planting scheme because although it works as very low ground cover, it does not grow so dense that other plants can't be grown through it, so one can create vertical layering. Woodruff is also, unlike a lot of shade tolerant flowering plants, pretty drought tolerant.
CM