Many gardeners begin to slow down their outdoor work as September arrives, but nature has other ideas. The arrival of this enchanting month brings one of the year's greatest spectacles in butterflies and moths to UK gardens as these winged wanderers are either on the move for the first time, about to hibernate, or out for their last autumn flights.
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Check PriceWith pleasant weather, September is an ideal time to look for butterflies. Many prepare for long-distance migrations become more active, and it's a great time to watch for them. Here are 13 beautiful butterflies and moths you might see in your garden this month.
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1. Red Admiral
These beautiful butterflies with black, red, and white coloring prepare to head south on their annual migration. Their peak time is during the month of September. Since Red Admirals do not survive the winter in the UK, they must gather energy to survive the winter in bramble flowers, buddleia, and ivy. If you want to help them with food to get through their migration, plant some late-blooming asters.
2. Painted Lady
As September arrives, we enter the peak of Painted Lady migration. Some even go all the way to Africa! These butterflies are especially attracted to thistle flowers, and so you might see them in your garden if you have sedum and single-flower dahlia still blooming.
3. Small White
Although they look simple, September Small Whites are tough little survivors! This month, we are seeing the final generation emerging, and these will be the last butterflies in many gardens before winter. Their favorites are nasturtiums, and they will also stop by late-season sweet alyssum.
4. Speckled Wood
These adorable butterflies can be spotted until September! They love fluttering around tree and shrub canopies. Unlike other butterflies, they do not need flowers to feed. Instead, these butterflies drink tree sap, rotting fruit, and honeydew. To attract these butterflies, make sure to have woodland edges in your garden!
5. Comma
You can find Commas with their uniquely tattered wing edges each September, as they prepare to hibernate. They will hide during winter in places like ivy, wood piles, or garden sheds. However, you can entice them by planting buddleia and brambles as they cannot resist those late nectar sources.
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6. Small Tortoiseshell
Hibernating butterflies search for shelter as they become more active in September. The black and blue bordered orange butterflies can be seen more frequently in September while they look for hibernation spots. They can be seen feeding on Michaelmas daisies and sedum which offer necessary nectar before winter sets in.
7. Clouded Yellow
Though they’re not guaranteed to show up every year, September Clouded Yellows arriving in the garden are a real treat. These robust fliers are migratory species from mainland Europe. They are attracted to clover, lucerne, and bird's-foot trefoil. Because of their strong and speedy flight, most people find them to be thrilling to see in the garden.
8. Peacock Butterfly
As the butterflies begin to winter hibernate the September Peacocks show some of the most stunning eyespots in the world. They especially like the rotting windfall fruit and the late flower blooms of the ivy. These resilient butterflies will hibernate in garden sheds, attics, or even in hollow trees.
9. Garden Tiger Moth
This amazing moth has cream and brown wings with dark spots. This moth emerges in September evenings. Garden Tigers are attracted to garden lights and they like patches of plantain, dock, and nettles. Their woolly caterpillars (also known as woolly bears) will be getting ready to pupate.
10. Silver Y Moth
These day-flying moths migrate from Europe in September and are named for their unique silver markings on their forewings. They can fly for hundreds of miles and are strong migrators! Settling around flowering lavender, verbena, and other aromatic herbs, they are especially active during the autumn and love to stay around these late-blooming flowers.
11. Angle Shades
Angle Shades moths is a true master of disguise. With light camouflage modeled to look like crumpled leaves, and September being peak season for them, they are truly one of the most skilled disguisers. They come to garden lights just like other moths. They also are drawn to night blooming plants. These plants include things like tobacco flowers and evening primrose. When daytime rests occur, it makes them even more intriguing to find.
12. Large Yellow Underwing
These remarkable moths come to lights and windows in the garden on September nights. During the daytime, they will hide with their wings closed, resembling dead leaves, but when they feel threatened, they open their wings to reveal bright yellow undersides. As a result, he nectaries from honeysuckle and buddleia are good for planting.
13. Setaceous Hebrew Character
Ivy flowers feed Ivy Bee moths. Despite their name, these moths are pretty. Hebrew script can be seen in their markings. During the autumn as temperatures drop, these moths are some of the last moths to appear in gardens and in the winter, when the last moths are coming out, this is when they come out most. Don't let their complex name put you off.
To make an ideal butterfly garden in September, think beyond summer flowers. Other than summer flowers, September has blooming plants such as ivy, single-flowered dahlias, Michaelmas daisies, and sedum. These late-blooming plants provide much needed nectar that butterflies depend on to survive. When making a butterfly garden, try to leave portions of your garden a little more wild. Things like brambles and stinging nettles serve as perfect breeding habitats, and leaving seed heads from plants that you cut back will provide shelters for many moths as they will overwinter as pupa encased in the plant debris.
It is very important to hold off on any tidying up in early autumn. The 'messy' corners with leaves, logs, and wild overgrowth are vital for butterflies and moths to hibernate in and prepare for the challenges of winter.
