Worton Wildlife Issue 1, May 2020 What to look out for this Month

Bugle Ajuga reptans, flowering now in a damp grassland, woodland or hedge bank near you, also known as bugleherb, bugleweed, carpetweed or carpet bugleweed. Bugle is not only really attractive, it’s great for bees and butterflies as a nectar source.

Bugle for butterflies Bugle is a primary nectar source of the pearl-bordered fritillary and the small pearl-bordered fritillary. Bugle is also a secondary nectar source of the brimstone, chequered skipper, common blue, cryptic wood white, dingy skipper, Duke of Burgundy, green-veined white, grizzled skipper, heath fritillary, holly blue, large blue, large skipper, large white, marsh fritillary, orange-tip, painted lady, small white, and wood white butterflies.

Bugle in a Worton orchard, photo R Snow Bugle in herbal medicine Used widely in traditional medicines Culpepper placed great Butterflies on the wing b u t w h e r e opinion in the value of Bugle: will you see them? “if the virtues of it make you fall in love with it (as they will if Orange Tipped Butterf lies are up and you be wise) keep a syrup of it to take inwardly, and an mobile at the moment, look along the ointment and plaster of it to use outwardly, always by you. stream edges and wet grasslands a n d y o u The decoction of the leaves and flowers in wine dissolveth the congealed blood in those that are bruised inwardly by a will find them looking for L ady ’ s S m o c k t o fall or otherwise and is very effectual for any inward wounds, lay their eggs . thrusts or stabs in the body or bowels; and is an especial help in wound drinks and for those that are liver-grown, as they call it. It is wonderful in curing all ulcers and sores, gangrenes and fistulas, if the leaves, bruised and applied or their juice be used to wash and bathe the place and the same made into lotion and some honey and gum added, cureth the worse sores. Being also taken inwardly or outwardly applied, it helpeth

those that have broken any bone or have any member out of joint. An ointment made with the leaves of Bugle, Scabious and Sanicle bruised and boiled in hog's lard until the herbs be dry and then strained into a pot for such occasions as shall require, it is so efficacious for all sorts of hurts in the Orange Tipped Butterfly on Lad y’s Smock, photo National Trust body that none should be without it.'

Compiled by: Richard Snow