Study Finds Ivy and Other 'Weeds' Are Top Draw for Pollinating Insects

The UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme, run by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, has recorded insect visits to flowers during 10-minute surveys since 2017. According to The Guardian, the autumn blooms of common ivy, rich in pollen and nectar, received 22 visits by flying insects per 10-minute count. Hogweed was a close second, with 20 visits, followed by buddleias, bramble, knapweeds and thistles, which each received an average of 14 visits. The non-native buddleia attracted four times as many butterflies and moths as other high-scoring flowers, the report said.

Jo Milborrow, butterfly monitoring officer for Butterfly Conservation, one of the partners in the scheme, said ivy was already recommended as a plant to grow because it is an important resource for breeding holly blue butterflies and for nectaring commas and red admirals. "So the fact that this easy-to-grow native species is also the number one plant for pollinating insect visits is a fantastic discovery – we would recommend people to start growing ivy today!" she said, according to The Guardian.

The study also found that hoverfly numbers had declined by about a third in both abundance and total number of species recorded across Britain over the past eight years. There was better news for solitary bees, which increased in one survey. Honeybees, beetles and flies excluding hoverflies all increased in the survey, which covered mostly gardens, suggesting that gardens could be providing an important refuge for some pollinators.

Martin Harvey, a volunteer coordinator at UKCEH, said volunteers could contribute counts via the Pollinator Monitoring Scheme website next year between April and September. "Participants often say how much they have enjoyed spending time counting pollinators," he said, "and it is always fascinating to observe the close association between insects and flowers."