9 Plants to Attract Beneficial Insects to Your Garden: To make a garden that grows naturally, you need to do more than just pick pretty plants. You also need to help the environment stay healthy. One of the best ways to do this is to bring in beneficial insects, which are very important for pollination, pest control, and the health of your yard as a whole.
By adding certain plants to your yard, you can make it a better place for these helpful animals to live. Which will make your green space more alive and productive. Here are nine plants that will bring in good bugs and help your garden’s environment grow.
1. Bee Balm
Pollinators, like bees and butterflies, love bee balm, which is also called monarda. It has bright red, pink, or purple flowers that are full of nectar and are known to draw many good bugs. If you plant bee balm in your yard, bees will be buzzing and fluttering all the time.
2. Echinacea
Not only does Echinacea, also known as coneflower, look beautiful in any yard, but it’s also a favorite of pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and even birds are drawn to its daisy-like blooms with big cones in the middle. This hardy annual plant is easy to care for, adds color, and helps bugs do their job.
3. Lavender
Pollinators like bees and butterflies are drawn to lavender because its flowers smell so good. It is often used for both decoration and functional reasons because it has a nice, relaxing scent and pretty purple spikes. Lavender can also keep pests away naturally, so you can use it for two purposes in your yard.
4. Fennel
Specifically, fennel is a great plant for attracting ladybugs and lacewings, which are good bugs for controlling aphid numbers. Its feathery leaves and umbrella-shaped groups of yellow flowers make a great place for these helpful predators to land. Additionally, the fragrant leaves of fennel can be used in food.
Also see : The Top 8 Wildflowers For Your Ecoregion
5. Marigold
It is well known that marigolds can draw pollinators and have happy, bright flowers. Because they are made of natural compounds, they also keep away dangerous pests like nematodes. Marigolds come in many colors and can make your flower beds look more colorful while also being good for the environment.
6. Sunflower
Not only are sunflowers beautiful and well-known, but they are also very appealing to many good bugs. A lot of bees, butterflies, and even bugs are drawn to their big, open flowers because they have lots of nectar and pollen. Sunflowers can be the main point of your garden and help the insects that live there.
7. Coriander
Coriander, also known as cilantro, is a great plant for getting hoverflies and parasitic wasps to visit. Aphid populations can be kept in check by feeding these bugs nectar from its tiny white or pink flowers. Coriander can also be used in the kitchen to give food a fresh taste.
8. Yarrow
The pretty perennial yarrow blooms in many colors and is a great place for helpful insects to find nectar. Butterflies and hoverflies are especially drawn to the flower groups with flat tops. That being said, yarrow can handle drought and doesn’t need much care, which makes it a good choice for any plant.
9. Thyme that creeps
Creeping thyme is a ground cover that grows slowly and has tiny flowers that smell nice and attract bees and other pollinators. Its thick mat of leaves also keeps weeds down and makes the soil healthier. Creeping thyme is great for filling in gaps and giving garden areas more texture. It also attracts and feeds helpful insects.
Conclusion
Adding plants to your garden that draw good bugs is an important part of making an ecosystem that is balanced and thrives. You can make your yard more beautiful and productive while also helping the health of the environment around you by choosing plants that provide nectar, pollen, or a place for these helpful animals to live.
These nine plants are great choices for naturally making your garden grow because they attract bees and keep pests away. Accept these plants into your yard to have a lively, changing space that is good for you and the important bugs that keep it going.