The following wildflowers attract bees and butterflies but they may not be native to your area. When planting wildflowers in the UK, please check the Natural History Museum's Postcode Data base for these. For more on plants and their uses, please visit Plants for a Future - a resource and information charity..

Bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) - 5-20 cm tall, spreading perennial with yellow pea-like flowers from late April to September, a draw for Common Blue, Clouded Yellow Wood White, Green Hairstreak and Dingy Skipper butterflies plus Six Spot Burnet, Chalk Carpet and Straw Belle moths

Cowslip (Primula veris) - 10-15 cm tall, perennial with bunches of yellow bells in May and June - a good food source for the Fritillary butterfly and Clay and Rustic moths

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) – 30-60 cm tall, perennial with pale-blue bell-like flowers blooming July to September, a favourite of many types of bumblebee

Meadow cranesbill (Geranium praetense) - 40-60 cm tall, perennial with blue summer flowers, May to July, attractive to bumblebees

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) - 100-200 cm tall, biennial/perennial with spires of purple red blooms, shade loving, honeybees love its nectar, butterflies, including Lesser Yellow Underwing, use it as a food plant

Kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria) – 20-60 cm tall, perennial that produces long stems of wholly yellow flowers in June to September, attractive to beetles and bees, provides food for the Blue butterfly and Six Belted Clearwing moth

Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) - 45-200 cm stately biennial with flowers rich in nectar and attractive to most bee species including honeybees and bumblebees and the Brimstone, Peacock and Small Copper butterflies

Vipers bugloss (Echium vulgare) - 30-100 cm tall, biennial with blue-violet flowers in June to September, a favourite nectar source for the Painted Lady Butterfly, Large and Small Skipper Butterfly, honeybees, mason bees and bumblebees

Wild fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) – its feathery leaves are strongly pungent and the yellow flowers produced in June to September are rich in nectar for a variety of insects.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) - 15-40 cm tall perennial with white flowers that bloom throughout June to September. Its nectar attracts wasps, ladybugs and hoverflies, and it is a good food plant for the Lime Speck Pug, Wormwood Pug Straw Belle and Tiger moths.