Please note that the Butterfly you see for only a short time has grown up on plants as an egg, caterpillar and chrysalis for up to 11 months, before becoming a butterfly. If the plants that they live on during that time are removed or trodden on, then you will not see the butterfly.

Plant Name

Butterfly Name

Egg/ Caterpillar/ Chrysalis/ Butterfly

Plant Usage

Plant Usage Months

Asters
in gardens

Comma

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

Runner and Broad Beans in fields and gardens

Large White

Small White

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-June or July-September
March-May or June-September

Aubretia in gardens

Clouded Yellow

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November

Birch

Holly Blue

Butterfly

Eats sap exuding from trunk.

April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation.

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Chalk-Hill Blue
Wood White
Marsh Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

20 days.
May-June.
30 days in May-June.

Bitter Vetch

Wood White

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June

Bluebell

Holly Blue



Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation.
June.

June-August.

Bramble

Comma
Silver-washed fritillary
High Brown Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October.
7 weeks in July-August.
June-August

Buddleias
in gardens

Comma
Peacock

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October
July-May

Bugle

Wood White
Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Heath Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June.
June.

June-August.

June-July.

Cabbages and cabbages in fields

Large White

Small White

Green-veined White

Orange Tip

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-June or July-September
March-May or June-September
A Month during May-June or second flight in late July-August
May-June for 18 days.

Charlock

Painted Lady

Butterfly

Eats nectar

July-October

Clovers

Adonis Blue



Chalk-Hill Blue
Painted Lady
Peacock
Large White

Small White

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

1 Month during Mid-May to Mid-June or during August-September
20 days in August
July-October
July-May
April-June or July-September
March-May or June-September

Clover

Pale Clouded Yellow




Clouded Yellow




Berger's Clouded Yellow




Queen of Spain Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November
1 Month in May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November.
May-September.

Cow-wheat

Heath Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June-July

Cuckoo Flower

Wood White

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June

Dandelion

Holly Blue



Marsh Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation.
30 days in May-June.

Fleabanes

Common Blue

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

3 weeks between May and September

Germander Speedwell

Heath Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June-July

Greater Knapweed

Comma
Peacock
Clouded Yellow




Brimstone

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October
July-May
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November
12 months

Hawkbit

Marsh Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

30 days in May-June.

Heartsease

Queen of Spain Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-September

Hedge Parsley

Orange Tip

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

May-June for 18 days.

Hemp agrimony

Comma

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October

Horseshoe vetch

Adonis Blue
Chalk-Hill Blue

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

1 Month
20 days

Ivy

Painted Lady
Brimstone

Butterfly

Eats nectar.
Hibernates during winter months in its foliage.

July-October
October-May

Lucerne

Painted Lady
Large White

Small White

Pale Clouded Yellow




Clouded Yellow




Berger's Clouded Yellow

Butterfly

Eats nectar

July-October
April-June or July-September
March-May or June-September
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November
1 Month in May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November

Marigolds in gardens

Clouded Yellow

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November

Marjoram

Adonis Blue



Chalk-Hill Blue
Common Blue

Clouded Yellow

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

1 Month during Mid-May to Mid-June or during August-September
20 days in August
3 weeks in May-September
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November

Michaelmas Daisies
in gardens

Comma

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October

Mignonettes

Large White

Small White

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-June or July-September
March-May or June-September

Narrow-leaved Plantain

Heath Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June-July

Nasturtiums in gardens

Large White

Small White

Butterfly

Eats nectar

April-June or July-September
March-May or June-September

Oak

Holly Blue

Butterfly

Eats sap exuding from trunk.

April-Mid June and Mid July-Early September for second generation.

Primroses

Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June.

June-August.

Ragged Robin

Wood White
Heath Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

May-June.
June-July.

Scabious

Painted Lady
Peacock

Butterfly

Eats nectar

July-October
July-May

Sedum

Peacock

Butterfly

Eats nectar

July-May

Teasels

Silver-washed fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

7 weeks in July-August.

Thistles -
Creeping Thistle, Dwarf Thistle, Marsh Thistle, Meadow Thistle, Melancholy Thistle, Milk Thistle,
Musk Thistle, Seaside Thistle, Scotch Thistle, Spear Thistle, Tuberous Thistle, Welted Thistle, Woolly Thistle

Comma
Painted Lady
Peacock
Swallowtail
Clouded Yellow




Brimstone
Silver-washed Fritillary
High Brown Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
Queen of Spain Fritillary
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

July-October
July-October
July-May
May-July
May-June or August till killed by frost and damp in September-November
12 months.
7 weeks in July-August
June-August.

July-August for 6 weeks.
May-September.

June-August.

Thymes

Common Blue

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

3 weeks between May and September

Trefoils

Adonis Blue



Chalk-Hill Blue
Glanville Fritillary

Butterfly

 

Eats nectar.
 

1 Month during Mid-May to Mid-June or during August-September
20 days in August.
June-July

Vetches

Chalk-Hill Blue
Glanville Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar.

20 days in August.
June-July.

Violets

Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June.

June-August.

Wood Sage

Heath Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats nectar

June-July

Apple/Pear/Cherry/Plum Fruit Tree Blossom in Spring

Peacock

Butterfly

Eats Nectar

April-May

Rotten Fruit

Peacock

Butterfly

Drinks juice

July-September

Tree sap and damaged ripe fruit, which are high in sugar

Large Tortoiseshell

Butterfly

Hibernates inside hollow trees or outhouses until March. Eats sap or fruit juice until April.

10 months in June-April

Wild Flowers

Large Skipper
Brimstone
Silver-washed fritillary.
Queen of Spain Fritillary

Butterfly

Eats Nectar

June-August
12 months.
7 weeks in July-August.
May-September