Letting parts of your garden grow wild with long grass can increase butterfly numbers by up to 93% and attract a wider range of species, according to new research.
The study, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, provides the first scientific evidence that having long grass in your garden increases butterfly abundance and diversity.
Undertaken by Butterfly Conservation scientists Dr Lisbeth Hordley and Dr Richard Fox, the research analysed butterfly sightings from more than 600 gardens across the UK, collected by members of the public over six years through the charity’s Garden Butterfly Survey.
The results show that gardens with long grass had a significantly higher number of butterflies recorded, with a greater variety of species, than those without.
Dr Fox said: “Nature is in crisis; 80% of butterflies have declined since the 1970s, so we need to take action now to protect them.
“We wanted to be able to give tried and tested gardening advice that will benefit butterflies as we know lots of people want to help.
“This study proves, for the first time, that allowing a patch of grass to grow long will attract more butterflies into your garden.”
Gardens make up more than 728,000 hectares in Great Britain – the equivalent of over a million football pitches.
While the research specifically studied gardens, the benefits to butterflies of long grass and wild spaces are likely to extend beyond the garden gate.
Its authors say that public green spaces such as parks, school grounds, allotments, and road verges, could also provide vital spaces for wildlife, and enable more people to see more butterflies if allowed to go a little wild.
Dr Fox added: “The simple act of creating wild spaces by allowing a patch of grass to grow long, or a border edge to go wild is free and easy to do, and can significantly boost butterfly numbers, especially in urban and agricultural settings where they are most under pressure.
“The benefits of each individual wild space are small, but if thousands of people get involved the boost to butterflies could be huge.”
The study also found that the presence of flowering ivy in gardens increased the number of certain butterfly species, such as the Holly Blue, Red Admiral and Comma, which use ivy as a breeding habitat or nectar source.
Butterfly Conservation is calling for everyone to create their own Wild Space, no matter how big or small, to help butterflies survive and thrive.
Through its Wild Spaces programme, the charity aims to transform 100,000 areas across the UK to help support butterfly populations.
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