27-06-2025
How a tree nursery in Denbighshire is helping butterflies
The St Asaph site in North Wales grows thousands of wildflowers every year alongside thousands of trees.
These wildflowers aim to bring back meadow habitats needed by pollinators such as bees.
But outside in the nursery grounds, which are overseen by Denbighshire County Council's biodiversity team, a butterfly population is also thriving.
A collection of peacock butterfly caterpillars can currently be found on the nettles in the site's foliage.
Female peacocks lay their eggs in clusters on the leaves of common nettles, which are the food plant of their caterpillars.
The caterpillars hatch between May and June and move onto new plants.
They have a black speckled look with white spots.
When ready to pupate each caterpillar will find a suitable area to form a chrysalis.
Orange-red marked Peacocks with black and blue spots will emerge between June and August.
Liam Blazey, senior biodiversity officer, said: "It's great to see that as well as the work we do inside the nursery, the habitats we keep an eye on around this site are really giving help to the smaller wildlife we have here in Denbighshire."
He added: "As well as the peacocks, we also have a number of dragonfly species thriving in the pond habitats we created next to the nursery tunnels and it's fantastic to see this site during National Insect Week really moving forward to protect our littlest nature residents."
