Knepp Purple Emperor Tea Towel

Second only in size to the swallowtail, purple emperors were first seen at Knepp in 2010. The males display in the canopy of the oaks, marking out their territory in competition for females. They are surprisingly aggressive, and will chase away anything else that flies – including birds. 

It is our emerging sallow scrub, however, that has attracted them to the rewilding project. The females lay their eggs on a particular type of sallow leaf. This only occurs on a very low percentage of hybridised sallows. Large areas of sallow are therefore needed in order to encourage large populations of purple emperors. However, in our modern landscape, sallow is rarely tolerated and consequently this lovely irridescent purple butterfly has become incredibly rare.

These lovely tea towels, made from quality cotton, were designed for Knepp by Lia Brazier. To see more of her artwork, visit https://www.liabrazier.com/

The cost includes VAT @ 20%