It's great that you want to support native wildlife with native plants, but do you know what wildlife are native to the UK? Do you know what plants are native to the UK?
You enquired about the Common Barberry - this plant originated in the Western Mountains in Asia. Although grown in the UK for hundreds of years, it isn't truly a UK native plant. It all depends on how you interpret the word native.
Most of the plants we have in our gardens do not originate from the UK. e.g. Poppies and cornflowers are not native plants although considered great for UK wildlife. If you want to consider plants that have been grown in the UK for over 1000 years, you'd have to include Olives and Pomegranate as being native UK plants - they were brought to the UK by the Romans.
'Native' UK plants e.g. bracken are usually very easy to grow in the UK and so they can rapidly take over big areas of land and exclude other plants that are also beneficial to wildlife (native or otherwise).
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I support the growing of native plants for native wildlife. Any flower will do for the pollinators which are considered 'goodies'. But the larval stages of many insects are dependent on one, or a very limited number, of always native plants. Wildlife extends beyond pollinators, all wildlife is part of the ecosystem of your garden and part of a food chain. In ignoring the needs of the less cute and pretty wildlife we endanger those we choose to love
Very true @Pete.8. 'Native' is a very difficult thing to establish, because it depends how far back in time you go. It also depends on what wildlife exists in the area you're in. No point in trying to attract something that simply doesn't exist in the area, and that can be for any number of reasons. Just as it is with plants - general conditions/climate are big factors. There are plenty of butterflies/moths that don't exist, or thrive, where I am, simply because the conditions don't suit them. On the plus side, we have some birds in good supply, that are struggling in some areas, simply because it does suit them
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
nutcutlet - I totally agree with you. Pete.8 - As far as I know anything that was here before 1500AD is considered native or archaeophyts as they are not invasive and have had enough time to evolve with the local wildlife. The Butterfly Conservation says this about Common Barberry: "Common Barberry Berberis vulgaris is a deciduous shrub of hedgerows and woodland edge growing up to 4
metres high. The plant is native to central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It is
naturalised in northern Europe, and in the UK it has long been established in the wild. It is unclear whether it
is a true native species in the UK but we do know it has been here since at least Neolithic times, as evidence
has been found in deposits at Grimes Graves, a Neolithic flint mine in Norfolk." Wild bees usw it, apparently it is a foodplant for about 15 different butterfly/moth species and of course the birds love the berries and will nest in it.
You're asking on a gardening site you will always have a cultivar/ornamental/non-native bias to the answers as many people are not interested or qualified enough to assist.
For natives i'd recommend foraging for specimens (gasp!), or speaking with growers who produce for the forestry and commercial industry. If you're in the SE then Oakover may be able to help (https://oakovernurseries.co.uk/), and even Wyevale have a large native production site down Hereford way (https://wyevalenurseries.co.uk/)
I support the growing of native plants for native wildlife. Any flower will do for the pollinators which are considered 'goodies'. But the larval stages of many insects are dependent on one, or a very limited number, of always native plants. Wildlife extends beyond pollinators, all wildlife is part of the ecosystem of your garden and part of a food chain. In ignoring the needs of the less cute and pretty wildlife we endanger those we choose to love
McRazz - I have emailed several nurseries to ask - waiting for replies. That link you sent, Oakover Nurseries, they don't accept orders under £500 - just a tad too much for me. I emailed the other one, Wyevale Nurseries, thanx for the tip.
I very much agree it's great to have lots of wildlife-friendly plants and it's great that you want to support native wildlife in you garden. I have a 150ft garden packed with plants of all sorts, and the majority of plants I have chosen have single flowers. I grow plants in borders that are often considered weeds - e.g. toadflax and feverfew. As I look out of the window today my single-flowered dahlias, asters and cosmos have many visiting nectar collectors. I can see blackbirds picking berries from my rowan and cotoneasters. None are native to the UK, but there's not much else flowering to support nectar collectors now we're in Autumn. I don't know if there are any 'native' plants that would still be offering nectar at this time of year. I have 'weedy' areas. I have a wildlife pond with a log pile and a fish pond. So I garden with wildlife in mind, but I don't stress about just buying native plants.
The Romans brought olives and pomegranate over during their invasion in AD 43 - so by your criteria they're both native UK plants. I don't want to discourage you in any way from growing plants you have chosen to support wildlife, but I don't think you need to worry too much about finding 'native' plants. All plants benefit some sort of wildlife, and I wish you the best of luck with your garden and endeavors - and of course we'll always try and help you with any questions or problems you may have
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
McRazz - I have emailed several nurseries to ask - waiting for replies. That link you sent, Oakover Nurseries, they don't accept orders under £500 - just a tad too much for me. I emailed the other one, Wyevale Nurseries, thanx for the tip.
I wouldn't let that deter you. I'm not sure where you are but if they're local many commercial nurseries would be willing to sell plants for a one off cash purchase
I very much agree it's great to have lots of wildlife-friendly plants and it's great that you want to support native wildlife in you garden. I have a 150ft garden packed with plants of all sorts, and the majority of plants I have chosen have single flowers. I grow plants in borders that are often considered weeds - e.g. toadflax and feverfew. As I look out of the window today my single-flowered dahlias, asters and cosmos have many visiting nectar collectors. I can see blackbirds picking berries from my rowan and cotoneasters. None are native to the UK, but there's not much else flowering to support nectar collectors now we're in Autumn. I don't know if there are any 'native' plants that would still be offering nectar at this time of year. I have 'weedy' areas. I have a wildlife pond with a log pile and a fish pond. So I garden with wildlife in mind, but I don't stress about just buying native plants.
The Romans brought olives and pomegranate over during their invasion in AD 43 - so by your criteria they're both native UK plants. I don't want to discourage you in any way from growing plants you have chosen to support wildlife, but I don't think you need to worry too much about finding 'native' plants. All plants benefit some sort of wildlife, and I wish you the best of luck with your garden and endeavors - and of course we'll always try and help you with any questions or problems you may have
I would say that there's quite a distinction between food sources which benefit generalists, and host plants which offer a much greater ecological benefit.
As gardeners we can probably all feel quite satisfied that we're providing the former in one way or another. The latter not so much, which i think is the point hememabe is trying to make...
Posts
You enquired about the Common Barberry - this plant originated in the Western Mountains in Asia. Although grown in the UK for hundreds of years, it isn't truly a UK native plant.
It all depends on how you interpret the word native.
Most of the plants we have in our gardens do not originate from the UK.
e.g. Poppies and cornflowers are not native plants although considered great for UK wildlife.
If you want to consider plants that have been grown in the UK for over 1000 years, you'd have to include Olives and Pomegranate as being native UK plants - they were brought to the UK by the Romans.
'Native' UK plants e.g. bracken are usually very easy to grow in the UK and so they can rapidly take over big areas of land and exclude other plants that are also beneficial to wildlife (native or otherwise).
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
But the larval stages of many insects are dependent on one, or a very limited number, of always native plants.
Wildlife extends beyond pollinators, all wildlife is part of the ecosystem of your garden and part of a food chain. In ignoring the needs of the less cute and pretty wildlife we endanger those we choose to love
In the sticks near Peterborough
It also depends on what wildlife exists in the area you're in. No point in trying to attract something that simply doesn't exist in the area, and that can be for any number of reasons. Just as it is with plants - general conditions/climate are big factors.
There are plenty of butterflies/moths that don't exist, or thrive, where I am, simply because the conditions don't suit them. On the plus side, we have some birds in good supply, that are struggling in some areas, simply because it does suit them
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Pete.8 - As far as I know anything that was here before 1500AD is considered native or archaeophyts as they are not invasive and have had enough time to evolve with the local wildlife. The Butterfly Conservation says this about Common Barberry: "Common Barberry Berberis vulgaris is a deciduous shrub of hedgerows and woodland edge growing up to 4 metres high. The plant is native to central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It is naturalised in northern Europe, and in the UK it has long been established in the wild. It is unclear whether it is a true native species in the UK but we do know it has been here since at least Neolithic times, as evidence has been found in deposits at Grimes Graves, a Neolithic flint mine in Norfolk."
Wild bees usw it, apparently it is a foodplant for about 15 different butterfly/moth species and of course the birds love the berries and will nest in it.
For natives i'd recommend foraging for specimens (gasp!), or speaking with growers who produce for the forestry and commercial industry. If you're in the SE then Oakover may be able to help (https://oakovernurseries.co.uk/), and even Wyevale have a large native production site down Hereford way (https://wyevalenurseries.co.uk/)
I have a 150ft garden packed with plants of all sorts, and the majority of plants I have chosen have single flowers.
I grow plants in borders that are often considered weeds - e.g. toadflax and feverfew.
As I look out of the window today my single-flowered dahlias, asters and cosmos have many visiting nectar collectors. I can see blackbirds picking berries from my rowan and cotoneasters. None are native to the UK, but there's not much else flowering to support nectar collectors now we're in Autumn. I don't know if there are any 'native' plants that would still be offering nectar at this time of year.
I have 'weedy' areas. I have a wildlife pond with a log pile and a fish pond.
So I garden with wildlife in mind, but I don't stress about just buying native plants.
The Romans brought olives and pomegranate over during their invasion in AD 43 - so by your criteria they're both native UK plants.
I don't want to discourage you in any way from growing plants you have chosen to support wildlife, but I don't think you need to worry too much about finding 'native' plants. All plants benefit some sort of wildlife, and I wish you the best of luck with your garden and endeavors - and of course we'll always try and help you with any questions or problems you may have
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
As gardeners we can probably all feel quite satisfied that we're providing the former in one way or another. The latter not so much, which i think is the point hememabe is trying to make...