Ladybugs are so helpful to have in your garden! They’ll eat the aphids for you, and are a beautiful bug to have flying around your garden. If you you’re in need of ladybugs, here are 5 plants that attract ladybugs.
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There are some other ways to attract ladybugs, which include having bugs (like aphids), not using pesticides, and leaving a small dish of water out for them to drink out of/to take a break near!
When looking for plants that attract ladybugs, think about plants that produce a decent amount of pollen to attract ladybugs, as that is their other source of food (other than unwanted bugs)!
Ladybugs are attracted to both colors and scents, so these are some of the best with both to attract the ladybugs! (the other reason these are great ladybug attracting plants is because some of these get aphids easily, which inherently attracts ladybugs).
Fennel
Not only does the scent and pollen of fennel attract ladybugs, but it’s also a great plant to cook and add flavor with! This will serve multiple purposes if you grow it in your garden. All of the parts of this fennel plant are edible, making it a low waste plant that has pretty yellow flowers as well as easily justified to grow since you can eat it all!
This plant is easily started with seed before the last frost either indoors or directly outside, and likes to grow in full sun. It can grow like a weed, so be careful of growing time. To control it, keep it in a container instead of directly in your garden!
Geranium
The geranium is another of the plants that attract ladybugs. Especially scented ones! These are a beautiful addition to the garden, having colorful flowers all summer long. They do love sunlight (4-6 hours of direct sunlight/day), but can manage with just a few hours of sun a day, or even mostly shade.
Keep geraniums alive all year long by keeping them potted, trimming them back at the end of summer/before the first frost, and bringing them inside to survive the freezing weather. These are one of the easiest plants to take care of and get beautiful blooms all year long with the benefit of attracting ladybugs and may repel mosquitoes!
Marigold
Marigolds are one of the best plants to have in a garden. They repel so many unwanted bugs, while attracting the beneficial ladybug. These annuals are a great addition to vegetable gardens, or any garden that might have aphids.
The vibrant color of marigolds will attract ladybugs. Put these plants next to plants that commonly get aphid infestations for double the chance of bringing marigolds into your garden!
These plants like full sunlight, and not too much water (water when the soil is dry). To keep the marigolds flowering, snip off the flowers when they are dying. This way you’ll get so many more flowers!
Find other benefits of growing marigolds here!
Parsley
Ladybugs are very attracted to the scent of parsley. This is another great plant to grow in your garden as not only will it attract the ladybugs, but also it’s a plant you can eat! It’s one of the most versatile spices to grow that you can use in your cooking.
Parsley is another easy plant to grow, loving the sunlight. This plant will survive for multiple years in your garden. If you want to grow it from seed, start it early inside before transferring it outside! If you want the plant to live longer, pick off the flowers when they are young before it goes to seed! Once the plant flowers too, it turns bitter.
Queen Anne’s Lace (Wild Carrot)
Last on this list of plants that attract ladybugs is queen anne’s lace. This plant is a beautiful white flowering plant that ladybugs love. Queen Anne’s lace loves the sun and is an annual, so plant it in the spring and it will die off in the fall. It is a very low maintenance plant to take care of too!
Want to keep replanting this year after year? When the flowers start to die, it creates this basket of seeds. Keep that until next year to grow again!
This is by no means an extensive list of plants that attract ladybugs, but these are some that either add a pop of color to your garden or you can use in your meals! Giving them multiple purposes. Hibiscus can also help attract ladybugs!
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