Spectacular seedheads for winter interest and wildlife
Choose the best plants to grow for winter seedhead interest in your garden, with the top five seedheads for wildlife, selected by RHS Wildlife Specialist Helen Bostock
“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold”
Aristotle
Ghostly discs of Lunaria annua
Delicate hydrangea heads at RHS Rosemoor
Seedheads for Wildlife
It’s not just all about looks. Alongside the beauty of winter seedheads, the added benefits to wildlife have been extensively recorded. The dry hollow stems of
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A robin perches on a snow-covered seedhead in front of the glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley
A robin perches on a snow-covered seedhead in front of the glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley
Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
These hold their structure well into late autumn and in Helen’s garden they are hotspots for seven-spot ladybirds taking shelter over winter. Rich in nectar they are loved by bees and hoverflies earlier in the year but birds love to eat the seeds in the winter months.
Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina)
Appreciated by gardeners for their soft, silvery foliage and spikes of mauve flowers, if left to set seed these will attract chaffinches and goldfinches.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
An obvious and easy to grow choice, these sunny blooms are popular with house sparrows and bluetits, and growing your own will save buying sunflower seeds for birdfeeders.
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
Easy to grow, beautiful blue flowering annual to grow either in an
Hardy geraniums
Brilliant perennials, the hardy geranium comes in all shades and suits a wide range of conditions, but the cherry on the top is that bullfinches, in particular, seem drawn to the seedheads.
Conifer seeds
Don’t forget conifers, which are frequently overlooked for wildlife benefits. The seeds of trees such as larch and false cypress are picked out of cones by a whole range of birds, including nuthatches, siskins, bramblings, coal tits and others.
Conifers in the Winter Garden at RHS Rosemoor
There are so many flowers whose seedheads have ornamental value that it is well worth leaving them right into winter and just watching to see if they attract any special attention from your garden wildlife
Grow what you love
At the end of the day, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so if you think a plant is looking interesting in its skeletal form, leave it be and enjoy its winter beauty in the knowledge that some other creatures might be enjoying it too.
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ seedheads
- Enjoy Lia Leendertz’s article about the joy of saving seeds, in the
RHS The Garden magazine October 2023 or on The Garden app
