buddleia

[Lady Cosmos]

In one of the vegetable plots is a buddleia growing. Lots of butterflies. Beautiful.
But we have a discussion: butterfies = caterpillars; Question:  how much damage is caused by those caterpillars in the Vegetable garden?

[Lady Cosmos]

[Palustris]

The majority of damage to crops is caused by the larva of things like Cabbage white butterflies. Most of the butterflies you see on buddlejas have offspring which feed on weed plants rather than cultivated. Alsothe nectar provides food for lots of other beneficial insects such as hoverflies.

[Lady Cosmos]

That is what I thought "butterfly caterpillars never cause the leaf damage we  associate with some moths caterpillars, such as bagworms, tent caterillars or gypsy moths ". Thanks Palustris

[Debs]

...I love buddleia for the insects it attracts, but had never

considered the damage which could be  caused by the

resulting caterpillars.

I have been truly enlightened once again...


... Grasshopper

                        (a.k.a. Debs ) ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

The number of species which fed on our vegetables is very limited so don't worry; overall, butterflies and moths aren't enemies, it's just the odd few; Cabbage White butterflies, Greater Wax Moth, carpet moths, and a few others. I like the insects buddleia attracts, but I think it's an ugly plant. It would be OK in a mass of shrubs though.

[PREMTAL]

Hi Lady Cosmos,
                           When I took on my allotment there was an ancient compost heap in the corner at the back of my plot, it had been taken over by nettles.

It was my intention to remove it until I saw how many different species inhabited it.

The bottom part was used by frogs and toads, the middle layer was used by bumble bees and the nettles were where the Red Admiral and Peacock butterflies laid their eggs.

If you like these butterflies always reserve a place for nettles as they are under threat from the indiscriminate use of pesticides.

I will be planting a Buddleia next to the heap in the spring to attract them to the nettles. ;D

The only threat I have to my crops is the Cabbage White and my enviromesh takes care of that problem. ;)

                                                        PREMTAL

PS:- have answered your PM ;)

[teresa]

Oh if I had a buddleia down the lottie no work would get done. I have one at home  of witch I can see from the kitchen window 5ft away and watch the butterflies come and go so relaxing with a cuppa.

[jennym]

Got one in the front garden, and it is absolute heaven in late summer to walk down the path past it and see a cloud of butterflies around it. They can get straggly, but if you cut them right back (I cut mine down to about 18" high at the end of every February) they keep to a manageable size - mine grows to about 6 ft every year.

[grawrc]

Our one is about 8 feet and I do chop bits of it, but it is growing in an inaccessible place between a wall and a fence so is really hard to get it and requires the long-armed loppers. It has a large clump of nettles beside it. Between the two of them they provide a great deal of support for butterflies in particular.