Just one plant/shrub/tree for Bees Butterflies and Moths

[nightshade]

If you only had room for one Tree/shrub/plant to attract pollinating insects into your vegatable garden what would it be?
It would have to flower through the growing season or the best part of it and
supply all the pollinating insects requirements.
I have a friend who having two operations on his eyes was then made redundant and finds gardening (which he has never done before) is keeping him sane. The garden is very small.

[htcdude]

I don't know much about gardening/flowers, but I'd probably go for a Buddleia

They seem to attract a lot.

Nige

[Hedera]

Buddleias are good, there are some patio-sized ones available now for small gardens as they do get a bit hefty. The favourite in my garden is the purple toadflax, flowers from April right through to October and always has bees and other insects on it.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by nightshade

If you only had room for one Tree/shrub/plant to attract pollinating insects into your vegatable garden what would it be?
It would have to flower through the growing season or the best part of it and
supply all the pollinating insects requirements.

There's no single plant that would meet all those demands. In a small garden I'd suggest putting lungwort into any empty corners as an early flower, and then include as many lavenders as there is space for - with a careful choice of forms/species one can achieve a flowering period through much of the summer. I'd also allow some space for Cheddar Pinks.

CM

[King Edward]

If the fruit/vegetables are flowering, they should attract any pollinators they need. It doesn't matter that the garden is small, since insects etc. will be living in other nearby gardens as well so you don't need to provide all their requirements in the one garden.

You can't go wrong with Buddleia if that's what you like, and if it gets too big you just cut it right back over the winter since it flowers on the fresh growth. Peas/beans are also good flowering plants for bees.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by King Edward

If the fruit/vegetables are flowering, they should attract any pollinators they need. It doesn't matter that the garden is small, since insects etc. will be living in other nearby gardens as well so you don't need to provide all their requirements in the one garden.

The factors governing whether pollinators will readily visit a location are complex, there may need to be a certain density of nector bearing flowers of the right morphology (not all pollinators are built to benefit from every plant species) - and many gardens are now effctively plant free deserts of (cough) 'hard landscaping'. In general though few garden crops suffer from a lack of pollination in the UK, although some fruit crops may, on ballance though unless you are growing some specialist crop I wouldn't be overly concerned about a lack of pollinators, other than perhaps in some urban contexts.

Attracting pollen and nectar feeders does though have other benefits in pest control, the larvae being predators of aphids.

CM

[galanthophile]

Evening Primrose is good for moths. It is difficult to choose just one plant that will flower that long. Honeysuckle and ivy are also excellent if he has a fence/hedge.

[aeshna5]

I find Hebe " Midsummer beauty" to have quite a prolonged flowering period with 2 real bursts + is always covered with bees, hoverflies + vanessids seem to like it. Certainly a much longer flowering period than a Buddleja.

[mushroom fairy]

i have Hebe and buddleia both draw pollinating insects. butterflies seem to like the buddleia most .but as ashena suggested i would say the Hebe offers the best attraction for bees ect , i wish your freind well in his growing. i find my little bit of home grown veg very rewarding and satisfying.

[wanlock dod]

If I was just adding a single plant for wildlife I would probably go for elder as it seems to have a relatively long flowering period, and will also produce a good crop of fruit later in the year which birds will eat.