Bringing native plants into the garden for wildlife and colour

Across the UK, some 1,700 native plant species weave a rich and familiar tapestry across our landscape. You only need to cast an eye across the countryside to spot a host of well-loved native plants. From hedgerows  of species such as the dog rose (Rosa canina), hawthorn (Crataegus laciniata), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) to woodlands adorned with elegant beech (Fagus sylvatica) and sturdy English oak trees (Quercus robur) – towering above carpets of perennials, such as bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), wood anemone (Anemone nemerosa) and dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis).

In summer flashes of colour appear of arable weeds such as cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), corncockle (Agrostemma githago) and field poppy (Papaver rhoeas), providing brilliant midsummer vibrancy in meadows. Chalk grasslands provide a habitat for bee orchids (Ophrys apifera), cowslips (Primula veris), vipers bugloss (Echium vulgare) and the Cambridgeshire county flower, the Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris). Less discerning natives such as brambles (Rubus fruticosus) and stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) – all wonderful for wildlife – adapt to a variety of habitats, including wasteland, scrub, woodland and hedgerows.

Together, they tell the story of a flora that is both resilient and deeply rooted in our everyday surroundings.

Native plants are those which have evolved naturally in a specific habitat over thousands of years, rather than being introduced by man. In the UK, a plant is generally considered native if it arrived and established without human introduction, typically after the last glaciation (around 11,700 years ago).These plants have adapted to local soil, aspect, climate, fauna and flora. They are essential in providing food, protection and breeding habitats for insects, birds and mammals, and also help maintain soil health, water quality and ecological stability. While many are familiar to us, occurring in vast numbers throughout the United Kingdom, others occur in small numbers in isolated population in niche habitats. In 2025 the Botanical Society of the British Isles listed 434 of the 1,720 native plant species as threatened.

Native plants needn’t be limited to their natural range, and often make charming additions to our gardens. They also help support the ecosystem by providing a food source for large mammals, birds and pollinators, and a habitat for sheltering wildlife. While the familiar nettle may not be at the top of every gardeners’ desired plant list, it provides a valuable food source to over 100 invertebrates, including red admiral and comma butterflies, and garden tiger and buff ermine moths who feed on the nectar. The caterpillars of these invertebrates may also feed on the leaves of the stinging nettle, and birds such as reed buntings and siskins eat the seeds.

There are many more attractive native plants which can easily be grown in our gardens. Scarlet poppies and sky-blue cornflowers can easily be added to the garden by sprinkling seed in autumn or winter, to produce a vibrant splash of colour in summer. Primroses (Primula vulgaris) and cowslips can be added to a sunny border or lawn to provide spring colour. Some, such as the Pasque flower, are more discerning, requiring chalky soils and an open site. Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), wood anemone and creeping bugle (Ajuga reptans) will happily grow in shady gardens. Yew (Taxus baccata) is a great choice for a formal, evergreen hedge. If you have the space for a sprawling boundary treatment, a mixed native hedge of plants such as dog rose, field maple (Acer campestre), hazel (Corylus avellana), spindle (Euonymus europaeus) and honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum), can provide year-round horticultural interest, bearing a succession of flower through spring and summer, and fruit through autumn and winter. It also has the added bonus of providing food and shelter to a host of native invertebrates, mammals and birds year-round.

If you have the luxury of even more space you might select an English oak, which is known to support 2,300 species of large mammals, birds, bats, ants, beetles butterflies, moths, fungus, lichen, liverworts and mosses.

Here at the Botanic Garden we grow approximately 8,000 species of plants from across the world, including a large number of native species, including both common and threatened plants. Highlights include drifts of delicate cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), the aquatic bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata), bird cherry (Prunus padus), and a favourite of mine, devil’s bit scabious (Succisella pratensis). Not only do these add to our floral displays, but they also contribute to the biodiversity of the Botanic Garden.

While domestic gardeners may not be able to emulate a spring display of naturalised bluebells or cowslips on a large scale, many native species can be easily included in our gardens. The key to growing these though is ensuring that the conditions in your garden replicate the habitat in which native species grow.

Not only will native plants add colour and interest to your garden throughout the year, they also support a rich diversity of wildlife. It’s almost like a two-for-one in the garden: a space that looks beautiful while also supporting wildlife and our ecosystems.   By adding native plants our gardens become more than just attractive spaces – they become living, breathing parts of the wider landscape, quietly supporting the wildlife that depends on them.

• Plant out the last of your tender perennials and annuals once the risk of frost has gone.
• How beds and borders to keep weeds in check.
• Water new plantings to ensure that they establish well, but use water wisely.
• Cut back dead flower heads and foliage to encourage later flowering.