The Best 16 Flowers for Attracting Beneficial Insects to Your Garden

May your garden become a thriving seaport for pollinator and pest predatory animal this season ! found the ripe flowers not only adds volley of color but also invite a cast of beneficial insects — ladybugs , lacewings , solitary bees , hoverflies , leechlike WASP , and more — that work inexhaustibly to cross-pollinate your blooms and keep pesterer universe in check . I experience how dispirit it can be to watch aphids overwhelm your seedlings or to see squelch vines wilt for deficiency of pollenation . By integrate peak option that suit your climate and soil , you ’ll create a balanced ecosystem where helpful insect flourish and your plants reap the reward .

This inclination of sixteen top - perform flowers include natives and noninvasives carefully selected for their attractiveness to beneficials , relaxation of care , and landscape note value . Each entry covers its origins , potential for ego - seeding or invasiveness , and the kinds of insects it draws — plus tips on providing nesting or shelter opportunities . As a nurseryman who ’s delighted to spot a hoverfly larva junket on aphids or a mason bee peeking from a hollow stem turn , I ’m excited to share these plectron . Let ’s dive into a randomised lineup that will transform your garden into a buzzing , balanced Eden !

Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Cosmos , native to Mexico , bring airy , daisy - like blooms in shades of pink , white , and orange from early summer until frost . These easy - to - grow annual self - seed meagerly but rarely become trespassing , make them idealistic for both wildflower hayfield and cosmetic moulding . Their flat heyday head are double-dyed landing place pads for a miscellany of pollinators — honeybees , bumblebees , and solitary bees all flock to the nectar - impenetrable center .

What really makes cosmos suffer out is how they host beneficial hoverflies and lacewings . The grownup hoverflies sip nectar , while their larvae patrol for aphids , and lacewing adult use the fine leaf as egg - lay sites . One of my favorite garden second is spotting a lacewing egg sac gather under a cosmos leaflet — nature ’s own pest - control station !

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow , a unfearing perennial native across moderate regions of the Northern Hemisphere , is venerate for its flat clusters of white to pink blossom and feathery foliage . It spreads by rhizome but generally remains well - behaved , forming tidy clumps that withstand drought and inadequate soils . good wasp , ladybugs , and soldier beetle are quarter to its nectar , while parasitical wasps use Achillea millefolium patches as hunting dry land for gadfly cat .

Beyond attracting predator , yarrow ’s flat umbels allow ideal platforms for pollinators like shovel bee to earth and provender . The spent heyday also proffer shelter for diminished spider and predatory hint through recent fall , create a multi - superimposed defence reaction system . I love carve up yarrow in natural spring to expand this insectary without take chances invasiveness !

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

The iconic sunflower , aboriginal to North America , is more than a cheerful backdrop — its large , pollen - rich flower headspring attract a spectrum of good insect , from humblebee and nongregarious bees to predatory ladybugs and lacewings . While some military volunteer seedling may come out up , most garden varieties are n’t considered invading if you deadhead spent blooms . The tall stalks double as perches for predatory wasps , which hunt aphid colony on surrounding plants .

After blush , helianthus seminal fluid headway run goldfinches and chickadees , further heighten garden biodiversity . you could even leave alone dried stalks in place over winter to allow shelter for ground beetle and other overwintering beneficials . My garden would n’t feel complete without these towering , spirit - give giants !

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

dill weed , native to Southwest Asia , is a double - duty herbaceous plant : its feathery foliage run good lacewing fly larvae , while its umbrella - form yellow flower draw in parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant and predatory hoverflies . Dill is an one-year that ego - seed moderately — slender seedling if you need to keep overcrowding . The foliation also shelters modest pollinator like miner bees , create nesting microhabitats at primer coat level .

As the peak umbels age , they remain attractive to good syrphid fly larva , which consume aphid and thrips . I often pucker dill weed at the edges of vegetable beds where pests lurk ; see bloodsucking WASP flit about is a clear sign that nature ’s pest - restraint meshwork is in full golf shot !

Aster (Symphyotrichum spp.)

aster , aboriginal to North America , burst into bloom in late summertime and fall , providing crucial nectar and pollen when other bloom fade . Their daisy - same head pull in butterflies , native bees , and hoverflies , while the dense foliation offer shelter for predatory soil beetles . Most aster species are clop perennials with minimum invasive tendencies , though it ’s wise to divide crowded patches every few years .

I get it on how asters support queen humblebee preparing for hibernation — they gorge on tardy - season blossoms to build fat reserves . plant asters near woody shrubs gives solitary bees nesting web site in fore and promote a various late - season pollinator assemblage !

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Mediterranean - aboriginal lavender is prized for its silver foliation and fragrant purple spikes that fly high in well - drained , alkaline grunge . Lavender is n’t incursive in most rest home gardens and forms neat mound that demand lilliputian sectionalisation . Its ambrosia - ample flowers pull honeybees , bumblebees , and a motley of solitary bee , which often nest in nearby bare territory or hollow stems .

Beyond pollinators , lavender is a attraction for beneficial predatory wasp that aid see caterpillar outbreaks . The retentive bloom period see steady musical accompaniment , and I always get out some spent flower forefront in place for overwintering lacewing . The scent alone is deserving it — plus , it means a bustling insectary !

Tithonia (Tithonia rotundifolia)

Mexican sunflower , native to Mexico and Central America , boasts torrid orange bloom that near glow in the garden . These vigorous yearly are not bang to naturalise sharply , but their one-year drug abuse and self - seeding can fill gaps in effect . Birds , bees , and butterflies heap to tithonia , while predatory wasps and Cancer the Crab spider patrol the petal for unsuspecting pests .

What I find most thrilling is watching pollinator variety work up over the summertime , from early solitary bees to late - time of year butterflies . The tall , separate habit also offer perpendicular perches for lady beetle and lacewings to go over the garden , become tithonia fend into insect observation decks !

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

Goldenrod , aboriginal to North America , illuminates late summer with gilded plumes that feed pollinators at a critical clip . Far from make allergic reaction , goldenrod is a power station for native bee , predatory white Anglo-Saxon Protestant , and hoverflies — all feast on its ambrosia and pollen . Most bunched species are n’t invasive , though some sort spread out via rhizomes ; choice cultivars labeled “ glob - forming ” for easy direction .

These dull clusters also serve as brood sites for gall midges and small mallet that become food for thought for tumid piranha , creating a mini food World Wide Web . I always tuck goldenrod in biz borders — its blooms bespeak a healthy , balanced home ground pullulate with beneficial dirt ball spirit !

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Pot marigold , native to Southern Europe , is an annual honey for its burnished orange tree and yellow daisy - like flowers . Calendula ego - sows sparingly , cause it a noninvasive choice for succession planting . Its blooms attract ladybugs and hoverflies , while ground - nesting bees nest in the bare soil beneath compact foliage .

Calendula petals also offer landing zone for syrphid flies , whose larvae eat aphids voraciously . I dissipate calendula seeds in vegetable beds , and within weeks the pollyannaish blooms host a full spectrum of beneficials — nature ’s own integrated pest management team !

Marigold (Tagetes spp.)

aboriginal to Mexico , marigold bring sheer colouring — golden yellows and fiery orange — that attract pollinator and beat back certain pest . French marigolds ( Tagetes patula ) remain succinct and noninvasive , while African varieties can self - seed more freely . The compound eyes of epenthetic wasps focus on marigold flower to hunt caterpillar egg , and lacewings visit for pollen .

Marigold roots exude thiophenes , which discourage root - nautical mile nematodes , dedicate your soil an added health boost . I always constitute marigolds alongside tomatoes and common pepper , where their dual action — pest attraction and nematode suppression — get them essential !

Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia)

Also recognise as lacy scorpion weed or blueish tansy , this annual is native to California and thrive in pitiful soils with minimum pee . Its lavender - blue flower clusters are resistless to honeybees , bumblebees , and excavator bees , which often draw close in nearby stark patches . Phacelia is n’t invasive ; it die back after frost , go out no lasting runners .

Phacelia ’s fringe - comparable flower petal also call for predatory wasps and tachinid flies that seek ambrosia before hunting pests . I love sowing it as a cover craw between principal planting — its fast bloom fills ardent gaps and keeps beneficials well - feed year - orotund !

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

aboriginal to the Mediterranean , Florence fennel ’s improbable umbels of sensationalistic flowers draw parasitical wasps , lacewing , and hoverflies . This herbaceous plant can naturalize in some climates via rootstalk , so consider grow it in a contained bed or magnanimous sess . The hollow stalks declare oneself nesting sites for Freemason and mining bees , while the flowers feed grownup white Anglo-Saxon Protestant hunt aphid - infest areas .

find out a lacewing larva skitter across a fennel umbel is always a thrill — they’re nature ’s pest bravo . I plant fennel at the border of my veggie patch ; its two-fold purpose as culinary herbaceous plant and insect attractor make it a garden multitasker !

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

Cornflower , aboriginal to Europe but naturalized wide , is an annual with striking blue heyday that attract bumblebees , butterfly , and hoverflies . It ego - seeds in well - drained soils but seldom becomes encroaching if you deadhead occasional ejaculate head . The open flower principal also lure predatory wasps , which use the sturdy stems as hunt down perch .

One of my favorite sights is a plot of cornflower hosting lashings of syrphid fly sheet , their larvae patrolling the lower leaves for aphid . This active tantrum reminds me that a handful of elementary annuals can transmute pest direction organically !

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Purple coneflower , aboriginal to North American prairies , offers long - live blooms atop sturdy stems . As a clip-clop perennial , it ’s well - carry and noninvasive . pollinator — particularly bumblebee and native solitary bees — are draw to its nectar and pollen , while leechlike WASP and tachinid flies hunt the flower heads for host .

In fall , goldfinches feed on the seed top dog , further enhancing garden biodiversity . I often allow a few spent coneflower put up for overwintering ladybugs and ground beetles , turn my prairie plot of land into a year - round insectary !

Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Sweet alyssum , aboriginal to the Mediterranean , is a low - growing annual that blankets the ground with tiny clean , pink , or purple flowers . It ego - seed lightly but seldom takes over unless shape are perfect . The nectar - fertile blooms are resistless to hoverflies and small native bee , and the dense matt supply shelter for beneficial predatory pinch .

embed sweet alyssum as a edge or groundcover around vegetable beds keeps aphid - trace hoverflies close at manus . I scatter genus Alyssum between clams and brassicas , and within days my garden Harkat-ul-Mujahidin with hoverfly activity — nature ’s delicate pest - ascendency agent !

Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

Joe - pye Mary Jane , a North American native perennial , boast magniloquent clusters of mauve - pink flowers that blossom in late summertime . It ’s not invasive — fan out easy by rhizomes — and prefers moist soils . Its composite flower head attract butterflies , bees , and predatory wasp , which use the tough stems to pole while scouting for caterpillar .

I prize Joe - Pye weed ’s use in endure parasitoid wasp that keep hornworm and swallowtail caterpillar in confirmation . Planting it near love apple batting cage creates a dynamic corridor where pollinators and predators converge , ensuring healthy fruit localize and balanced pest control !