Great Willowherb

The long grass is looking fine at Filnore at the moment.  A great habitat for insects, spiders and field voles.  This purple patch of flowers is a spreading clump of great willowherb.

Because it spreads by runners and obliterates other plants we need to keep it within bounds by cutting it down.  But as the flowers are so attractive, our grass cutting friends from South Glos have been known to cut round the clump instead of mowing it off.  Seduced by a pretty face.

The flowers are good for hoverflies and other pollinators .. .. .. 

.. .. .. and the leaves are eaten by the caterpillar of the elephant hawkmoth, which hides in the lower leaves by day and climbs hungrily to the top at night.

   

The caterpillar also feeds on rosebay willowherb, bedstraws,  and sometimes on enchanter's nightshade, himalayan balsam and fuchsias.