Charity Plantlife has warned UK Councils that wildflower verges could inadvertently harm butterflies, beetles and bees if non-native seeds are used.
Dr Trevor Dines, a plant specialist and spokesperson for the charity, said that natural wild verges can support 1,400 species of insect which feed on the native plants whereas a non-native seed mix can only support a maximum of 40 such species.
In an article published in The Telegraph in July 2019 Dr Dines explained, “We should let the native flora do the job for us or use natural seeding if they are not there, so we bring seed in from a species rich wildflower meadow to bring back the native species to our verges, parks and gardens.”
He added: “In the spring, there is some research that shows pollinators definitely prefer native plants, dandelions, celandines, hawthorn and early flowering trees.”
Our Wildflower Native Enriched Turf has been developed specifically to provide an enhanced wildflower turf product that is often specified for community spaces. This turf is made up of approximately 33 UK native wildflowers and approximately 20+ naturalised annual and perennial species. The result is a ‘cottage garden’ look and feel and will naturalise over time.