It has taken a few years but have finally found a spot the the cuckoo flower likes. Have never seen an orange tip butterfly in the garden but they're nearby so here's hoping they'll find it. #OrangeTip #LarvalFoodPlant

Really fresh looking Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) in the fen this morning. In the UK they lay eggs on a variety of thistle species. They're in luck here, we have hundreds of Marsh Thistles (Cirsium palustre) ready and waiting! #WildWebsWednesday #OxfordshireFens #LarvalFoodPlant

Small Blue butterfly on Kidney Vetch, Anthyllis vulneraria, which is its #larvalfoodplant. #plantsforpollinators #wildflowerhour

Wonderful! We know we have the scarce Brown Hairstreak butterfly at both ends of the Valley (eggs have been spotted on plum trees on the allotments near the Slade entrance). Still hoping to photo an adult in the Valley - just a question of timing! @UpperThamesBC #larvalfoodplant

Swathes of Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in the Lye Valley at the moment, it's even growing up through the boardwalk!
The Orange-tip butterflies should be laying eggs on their #larvalfoodplant in the next few weeks. Look out for the tiny bright orange eggs!
#WildOxford

Plants of the Lye Valley:
Cuckoo flower or Lady’s Smock (Cardamine pratensis). Its lilac flowers are loved by early bees and butterflies and it's the #LarvalFoodPlant of the Orange-tip butterfly.
@judyweb32049878 @NearbyWild @BSBIbotany @wildflower_hour

Plants of the Lye Valley:
Great willow herb (Epilobium hirsutum) or "Codlins (apples) and cream". A tall perennial that spreads by creeping rhizomes and tends to shade out our smaller plants. #LarvalFoodPlant of Elephant Hawkmoth. @judyweb32049878 @NearbyWild @BSBIbotany

YES! Well done. Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis) rosettes. So pleased to have these. Fantastic late summer nectar source, and such a wonderful colour. Also the #LarvalFoodPlant of the scarce Marsh Fritillary butterfly (Euphydryas aurinia), threatened throughout Europe.

Plants of the Lye Valley:
Greater bird’s foot trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus). A hairier taller version of common bird's-foot trefoil that likes wetter areas. Great flowers for bees, and #larvalfoodplant of Common Blue butterfly and 5-spot Burnet moth.

Plants of the Lye Valley:
Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis), listed as Near Threatened on the #EnglandRedList. Found in damp meadows or calcareous grassland, it's the #larvalfoodplant for the Marsh Fritillary butterfly, which is itself now Vulnerable throughout Europe.

In mitigating circumstances, Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) is occasionally used as a #LarvalFoodPlant by the Small White (Pieris rapae) and Large White (Pieris brassicae) butterflies... 🙂
@wildflower_hour @UpperThamesBC

We're planting trees!
This week we planted nine Buckthorn saplings on a sunny bank in the North Fen. Once they've grown a bit, they will be great for Brimstone butterflies: their caterpillars rely on Buckthorn as their #larvalfoodplant.
#WildOxford