The Worshipful Companies of Gardeners and Wax Chandlers initiated Pollinating London Together (PLT) as a network-driven initiative with a shared goal: to protect London’s vital pollinators and promote biodiversity. Founded in 2020, PLT began as a collaboration among the City of London’s livery companies. Today, it has grown into a thriving community, uniting livery companies, businesses, schools and other organisations to raise awareness of pollinator decline and drive positive action across the city. In 2023, PLT became an independent charity, further strengthening its mission to protect pollinators and promote biodiversity. Charity Number 1201781. Our work can be seen on the
PLT website, www.pollinatinglondontogether.com

It is strongly felt that all members of livery companies are keen environmentalists. And to this end, we invite you to become active participants by “Doing Your Bit” without adding any more work to your busy lives… in essence, becoming armchair participants by encouraging urban dwellers and office space holders to participate in this valuable work to protect the natural environment.

It is suggested that you provide at your home or a place of business, the ambience necessary to help all pollinating insects by planting suitable shrubs/flowers in your garden, patio or place of work, they can be window boxes or garden tubs too. Pollinating insects include butterflies, Moths, Bumble Bees, Hoverflies, Wasps and Beetles.

If you have a south-facing wall in direct sunlight, you might consider placing “Bee Hotel” or even a bird box a metre above head height, will be ideal. The discarded nest material is an attractant

A typical inexpensive “Bee Hotel” available via Amazon or any garden shop

It needs to be recognised that honeybees (Apis mellifera) are not recognised under the “Red List” for endangered species, despite the considerable publicity given that they are.

See the attached Separate Appendix 1- For Plants and Shrubs that attract the pollinators, for protecting London’s vital pollinators, which are deemed ideal to promote biodiversity. The listed plants and shrubs are readily available at garden centres in seed form or as both plants and shrubs. Propagation is relatively simple and inexpensive.

Prepared by Michael Badger MBE and Dr Konstantinos Tsiolis PhD for the PLT Science & Education Group.
17^th May 2026

Appendix 1- For Plants and Shrubs – Known to Attract the Pollinators for Protecting London’s Vital Pollinators to Promote Biodiversity.

Moths - These beneficial insects are sometimes overlooked in favour of their generally more colourful cousins, the butterflies. But moths provide important services too: as well as pollinating our night-flowering plants, they play an important role in pollinating crops and wildflowers, complementing the services of daytime pollinators. Moths are vital players in a healthy ecosystem and a valuable food source for garden birds.

Evening primrose (Oenothera): Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum): Summer-Flowering Jasmines (e.g. Jasminum officinale): White campion (Silene latifolia): Sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis): Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

Moth Caterpillars - Lackey moth (Malacosoma neustria), Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) - To help moths all year round, and at all stages of their lifecycle, it’s important to also provide food plants for moth caterpillars. Whereas adult moths feed on nectar from flowers, the caterpillars feed on leaves, so require different plants. The Death’s Head Hawkmoth uses the fragrant lilac for its early life cycle.

Foxgloves (Digitalis): Lady’s bedstraw (Galium verum): Mullein (Verbascum thapsus, V. bombyciferum): Mint (Mentha species): Mixed native trees or hedge - No hedge is more valuable to wildlife than a mixed native hedge, which provides for a huge range of insects, mammals and birds. Include species such as Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), Hazel (Coryllus avellana) and Dog Rose (Rosa canina), each of which is a food plant for several different moth caterpillars. If you have space for a larger native tree, oak, birch and willow all support several moth species, as well as a host of other wildlife.

Bees: Patio Container Plants for Bees -
The Cosmos Apollo series: Dahlia Happy Single Series: Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’ long flowering perennial: Lobularia maritima ‘Violet Queen’: Pieris japonica ‘Valley Valentine’:

Bees Beetles, Hoverflies: Garden Flowers and Shrubs
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Toto’: Sarcococca ‘Dragon Gate’: Lilac ‘Coombe Fishacre’ : Verbena rigida: buddleia – “Butterfly bush” (Buddleja) : Many varieties of English Lavender (Lavandula): Lavandula angustifolia: hybrid Lavandula x intermedia: Hebe : Fragrant honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum): marjoram or oregano (Origanum vulgare): Tobacco (Nicotiana): Evening Primrose (Oenothera bienis): Jasmine (Jasminum officinale): Night flowering catch fly (Silene noctiflora): Bell flower (Campanula persicifolia): Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachinia vulgaris): Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantine) Scabious (Scabiosa pincushion) : Mignotte (Resedaceane): White Bryony (Bryonia dioica).

All Insect Food Sources – Trees and Common Weeds -

Dandelions: Field Buttercups: Kilmarnock Willow (Salix caprea): Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum): Common Lime (Tilia vulgaris): Norway Maple (Acer platanoids): Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) : Rosebay Willow Herb (Chamerion angustifolium)

Caution: It should be noted that the use of common herbicides for controlling the spread of weeds etc; are to be used with extreme caution as they may have hidden toxic effects on pollinating insects.