Best Plants that Attract Ladybugs to the Garden

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If you want to attract beneficial bugs to your garden, then here’s an all-inclusive list of the best Plants that Attract Ladybugs and repel pests away!

aphid control_mini

Ladybugs are friendly insects they feed mainly on aphids, scales, and their eggs, they also eat mealybugs and other parasitic pests like whiteflies. Let’s have a detailed look at the Plants that Attract Ladybugs!

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Plants that Attract Ladybugs

Ladybugs eat pollen of a few plants so if you want to attract them to your garden, these plants are most recommended. 

1. Garlic

garlic flower
Elephant garlic flower

Garlic flowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects like ladybugs. Garlic also repels pests and insects like flies and mosquitoes. It is easy to cultivate and not a fussy plant.

2. Geranium

leadybug on geranium

It is one of the hardiest, low-maintenance, and appreciated plants that you should grow in your garden to attract ladynugs. Scented geranium also repels away mosquitoes and other bothering insects and attracts moths and butterflies.

3. Dill

Ladybug on dill

This feathery leaf herb is not only used to flavor the recipes but also to attract pollinators and ladybugs. When grown with tomatoes, dill repels tomato hornworms. You can grow dill with vegetables and flowers.

4. Bachelor’s Button

Ladybug on button

Also called “Blue Button” or “Corn Flower” this plant belongs to the aster family. Its eye-catching blue flowers and pollen lure ladybugs. Bachelor’s button flowers also come in pink and white colors.

5. Calendula

ladybug on calandulla

Calendula also belongs to the “Aster” family, this flowering herb is renowned for its soothing properties. Calendula is easy to grow and one of the best flowers that attract ladybugs!

6. Sweet Alyssum

Sweet alyssum is a pretty flower that blooms in clusters. This mildly fragrant annual is preferred by ladybugs.

7. Cilantro

ladybug on cilantro

Cilantro is a sweet and intensely aromatic herb, used aggressively in South Asian cuisines. You can grow cilantro in your garden as its smell attracts ladybugs.

8. Parsleyladybug on parsley

Parsley is the most common herb, and one of the most easy-to-grow plants. Like all other umbel-shaped plants it draws the ladybird towards itself.

9. Queen Anne’s Lace

ladybug on Queen Anne's Lace

It is also known as “Wild Carrot” or “Bishop’s Lace”, queen Anne’s lace is a beneficial herbaceous plant. It is declared a noxious weed by the United States department of agriculture but it attracts wasps and bees, and ladybugs.

10. Butterfly Weed

shutterstock/herreid

It is called butterfly weed due to its ability to attract butterflies. This native American wild plant draws butterflies due to the bright color of its flowers and nectar. It also lures lady beetles and other pollinators.

12. Marigold

Ladybugs love to feed on its nectar and get attracted by its brightly colored flowers. The leaves of this flowering plant may also offer shelter to the ladybugs.

13. Nasturtium

This herbaceous flowering plant is often used as a trap crop to attract squash bugs and aphids. It attracts ladybugs, hoverflies, and other pollinators that eat away aphids.

14. Cabbage

You can get ladybugs to come to pay a visit to your garden by ensuring they have enough bugs to munch on. Cabbage can be used as an aphid-attracting decoy plant.


Other Plants that Attract Ladybugs

Dandelion, Tansy, Fennel, Butterfly Weed, Common Yarrow, Bugleweed, Cosmos, Maximilian Sunflower, Caraway, Angelica, Statice, Feverfew, Coreopsis, Chives, Coneflowers, and Mint are some of the plants you can grow easily to attract ladybug in your garden.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. Now, how about a list of native plants that attract aphid enemies? Not just lady beetles but all the other aphid eaters: syrphid flies, Aphidoletes, parasitic wasps, lacewings, predatory stink bugs, etc. All of them together do a better job than lady beetles all alone. The problem is most people don’t notice them because they are rather plain and not as colorful as lady beetles. Some stay out of sight and feed only at night. All these insects are extremely important aphid enemies.
    Most of the aphid enemies I mentioned benefit from a variety of native plants.

  2. Hops plants also attract ladybugs – they like to lay their eggs on them! I have two hops plants specifically for ladybugs. The eggs are difficult to see because of the massive amounts of leaves, but when the sun is bright on the plants you will find ladybugs. If you look underneath the leaves, you might even see the clusters of eggs. Please don’t spray the plants, ladybugs will appear and lay their eggs.
    Sincerely, Ruth

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