Ladybugs are a great way to protect your plants and garden from aphids. But what plants attract ladybugs? You don’t have to be an expert gardener—just take a few simple steps, like planting some flowers that attract ladybugs, and you’ll be able to enjoy healthy plants with these colorful insects.
Fight aphids by attracting ladybugs
Aphids are a common garden pest. They suck the juices from plants, leaving behind their telltale yellowish-green excrement that can be seen on leaves and stems.
There are many ways to fight aphids. You can read more about that in our article How to Fight Aphids. In this post, we want to talk about ladybugs, as they are a natural predator of aphids, eating them up to about half their size each day. So, here is a short list of plants to attract ladybugs:
Garlic
Garlic is a great plant to attract ladybugs. It’s easy to grow and harvest, making it ideal for beginners or those who don’t have much time. It also provides valuable nutrients and is a delicious vegetable.
Fennel
Fennel is an herb with yellow flowers that grow on a perennial plant. You can use the leaves and stalks as vegetables or spices. Fennel has been used for its health benefits since the ancient Greeks. They believed that it helped with digestion problems such as indigestion, stomachaches and diarrhea.
Fennel contains vitamin C. Vitamin C helps heal wounds faster by reducing inflammation in the body. It also supports wound healing. This is thanks to salicylates which is found in the plant. Salicylates is a chemical, which is used in aspirin to reduce pain from cuts or scrapes. On top of all those fantastic properties: Fennel attracts ladybugs.
Dill
Dill has been used for cooking since ancient times and was once considered sacred to the Greeks. They used it for joyous occasions such as weddings and festivals. The ancient Egyptians believed that this herb had healing properties. The thought Dill could protect them from illness or injury caused by spirits (or demons).
Nowadays we know that dill contains an essential oil known as carvone. This oil is an effective treatment against throat infections. In addition it tastes delicious and: Dill attracts ladybugs.
Cilantro
Cilantro (also known as coriander) is a good host plant for ladybugs. It is easy to grow and perennial, so you’ll be able to enjoy it year-round. You can also use cilantro as a foliar spray on other plants in your garden if you want to attract more insects into your yard or garden space!
Tansy
Tansy is a perennial herb that grows in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. In addition to being a good source of nectar and pollen, tansy’s flowers are yellow and its leaves are green. The plant is native to Europe but has become naturalized in North America. If you want to grow Tansy, make sure you have a well-drained soil with partial shade or full sun exposure.
Yarrow
Yarrow is a hardy perennial, meaning that it will grow from seed and bloom for several years in your garden. Use it as a companion plant with other plants. You can grow yarrow in your garden alongside tomatoes, beans or peppers. Since this plant attracts ladybug larvae to its leaves, the more yarrow plants you have around the more likely you will see ladybugs!
White clover
White clover is a leguminous perennial. You find it in the temperate regions of Europe, Asia and North America. Its scientific name is Trifolium repens.
This flower has a long history of use by humans for food and medicine. For centuries people used its seeds as animal feed and its leaves were once used to treat coughs.
Today you’ll find white clover growing wild on fields across many parts of North America (you may recognize it from your backyard garden), but it wasn’t always this way: In fact there was once only one variety available—the “true” white clover (Trifolium repens var.). Nowadays there are more than 50 varieties available from seed companies like Johnny’s Selected Seeds; all offer different flavors so you can choose which one fits your needs best!
Planting these flowers are a good way to attract ladybugs.
I hope this article has helped you learn how to attract ladybugs. It’s a good idea to plant these flowers so that you can enjoy the benefits of their beautiful blooms all year long! And let the ladybugs take care of the aphids in your garden.