Gardeners Urged to Grow One Common Plant After Surprising 8 Year Study
Citizen scientists recorded 14 flowers, and ivy drew the most visits while hoverflies and total insects declined in several surveys, researchers said.
- Gardeners are being encouraged to grow common ivy after an eight-year study identified it as the most popular flower for visiting insects. The climbing vine's late-summer and autumn blooms received the highest average visit numbers, surpassing 13 other common flowers.
- The findings come from the Pollinator Monitoring Scheme , which has gathered data since 2017 through a nationwide effort where citizen scientists spent 10 minutes counting insect visits to 14 common flowers.
- While "the butterfly bush" attracted four times as many butterflies and moths as other top plants, Butterfly Conservation cautioned against widespread planting of Buddleja due to its invasive nature.
- Butterfly Conservation officer Jo Milborrow said growing flowers like ivy and caterpillar foodplants such as nasturtiums are "simple and really effective actions" people can take to support pollinators.
- Recent reports revealed hoverflies and total insect numbers declined by around a third across Great Britain, though gardens may serve as vital refuges with increases in honeybees and beetles.
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Daily Echo
Bournemouth EchoGardeners urged to grow one common plant after surprising eight-year study
UK gardeners urged to grow ivy after an eight-year study found its flowers attracted more bees.
Gardeners encouraged to grow common ivy to support pollinators
Rebecca Speare-Cole, Press Association Sustainability Reporter Gardeners are being encouraged to grow common ivy to support pollinators after an eight-year study identified it as the most popular flower for visiting insects. The research, released on Wednesday, saw citizen scientists spending 10 minutes counting the number of times pollinating insects visited 14 common flowers across the […]
Gardeners cut them, uproot them, spray them with chemicals and wage an almost continuous war against them. But bees and butterflies apparently have a completely different opinion. Plants that people often consider weeds turn out to be among the most attractive to pollinating insects. This is shown by the results of a large-scale eight-year British study, published on October 14, 2026. Scientists found that common ivy, wild hogweed, blackberries,…
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