The best plants for bugs
16 November 2009
A new research project by the RHS is to investigate the role of non-native and native plants in increasing biodiversity in our gardens.
The project, Plants for Bugs, was started in spring 2009 at RHS Garden Wisley, and will run for at least three years, with detailed records taken from three types of plant: native, near-native and exotic (non-native). Over the period of the trial, the project team will monitor plant performance, and diversity and abundance of invertebrates in the plots.
Helen Bostock, RHS Horticultural Advisor and Plants for Bugs co-leader says: "The average garden contains around 70 percent non-native plants, but their role in supporting wildlife is unclear. The results of this study will enable the RHS to give the best horticultural advice to gardeners to increase biodiversity in their gardens."
Her co-leader, Andrew Salisbury, RHS Entomologist, adds: "Gardens are valuable wildlife habitats, particularly in our towns and cities. For instance, bumble bee nests can be denser in urban gardens than in the open countryside. This experiment will begin to provide an answer to the question: do we really need to plant only natives to encourage biodiversity?"
Examples of plants in the Plants for Bugs project:
- Native plants are plants naturally occurring in Britain e.g Sweet Briar (Rosa rubiginosa)
- Near-natives are not native to Britain, but originating in the Northern hemisphere e.g Rosa rubrifolia
- Exotic plants are not native to Britain, and originate in the Southern hemisphere e.g Fuchsia magelllanica
Visitors to Wisley can see the Plants for Bugs plots in the gardens.
The RHS is supporting the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 with the Plants for Bugs project.