The average lawn contains many more plant species than you might think, and where rich in flowers like Ground Ivy, Daisies, Dandelions and Birds-foot Trefoil can be important habitat for pollinating insects. Additional selected areas of short grass on campus are now being left uncut for longer through the spring and summer to provide habitat for bees, hoverflies and many other groups of flower-visiting insect. Some are left uncut specifically to protect flowering Bee Orchids, which can be seen in grass verges near the Hopkins and RSSL buildings. Short grass can provide valuable habitat for pollinators too as regular cuts trigger repeated flowering cycles, and short swards tend to have more bare patches which are ideal nesting habitat for solitary bees. The best overall approach is to provide habitat heterogeneity, boosting the total number of plant and insect species present on campus.
