If you’ve got this plant growing in your garden, you may have noticed it comes with sound-effects, especially in spring. Otherwise known as honeywort, the flowers of this plant are rich in nectar and a magnet for longer tongued pollinators like the hairy footed flower bee (Anthophora plumipes) and our carder bumblebee (Bombus pascourum) as well as the garden bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) and our red tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius). These bees can reach inside the longer, tubular flowers for the nectar.

Cerinthe is easy to grow from seed, and if you get it established in your garden it will self-seed too. It likes well-drained soil, some summer warmth and it flowers its socks off. The purple, nodding heads attract many of our spring and summer active pollinators. Grow it in raised beds so it can tumble over the edge, or grow it in large pots.