Plants that Attract Beneficial Insects

Most beneficial insects use flowers as a food source for at least part of their cycle, or are simply attracted to flowers. And some plants are more attractive to beneficial insects than others. Here are a few you might want to plant to attract or encourage “good insects”.

1. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) perennial zone 3
2. Allium, onion (Allium spp.) bulb zone 3-8
3. Amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) annual
4. Aster (Aster spp., now Symphyotrichum and others) perennial zone 4
5. Basket of gold (Aurinia saxatilis, syn. Alyssum saxatile) perennial zone 3

   

6. Bee balm (Monarda spp.) perennial zone 3
7. Betony (Stachys spp.) perennial zones 3-8
8. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) tree zone 4b
9. Buckwheat (Fagopyron esculentum) annual grain
10. Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) shrub zone 6b
11. Candytuft (Iberis spp.) annual or perennial zone 4
12. Caraway (Carum carvi) annual herb
13. Cinquefoil (Potentilla spp.) perennial zone 3
14. Coneflower, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) annual or perennial zone 3
15. Coreopsis, tickweed (Coreopsis spp.) annual or zone 3
16. Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) annual herb
17. Corn cockle (Agrostemma githago) annual

    

18. Cosmos (Cosmos spp.) annual
19. Creeping bugle (Ajuga reptans) perennial zone 3
20. Crocus (Crocus spp.) bulb zone 3
21. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) perennial zone 2
22. Dill (Anethum graveolens) annual herb
23. Dwarf morning glory (Convolvulus tricolor) annual
24. Echinacea, purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) perennial zone 3
25. Edging lobelia (Lobelia erinus) annual
26. Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) biennial zone 4

    

27. False Queen Anne’s lace (Ammi majus and A. visnaga) annual
28. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) perennial herb zone 5
29. Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) perennial zone 4
30. Golden marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria) perennial zone 3
31. Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) Zone 3
32. Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) annual or tropical shrub
33. Houseleek, hens and chicks (Sempervivum spp.) perennial zone 3
34. Korean angelica (Angelica gigas) perennial zone 3

    

35. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) herb zone 5
36. Marigold (Tagetes spp.) annual
37. Masterwort (Astrantia spp.) perennial zone 3
38. Melilot (Melilotus alba) biennial zone 3
39. Melissa (Melissa officinalis) herb zone 4
40. Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) perennial zones 3-10
41. Mint (Mentha spp.) herb zones 3-7
42. Orach (Atriplex hortensis) annual
43. Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) biennial zone 3
44. Penstemon (Penstemon spp.) perennial zones 2-7

    

45. Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) annual
46. Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) annual
47. Purple Poppymallow (Callirhoe spp.) annual or perennial, zones 3-6
48. Red clover (Trifolium incarnatum) Zone 3
49. Rose campion (Lychnis coronaria) perennial zone 3
50. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) herb zone 7
51. Rue (Ruta graveolens) herb zone 5
52. Sage, salvia (Salvia spp.) annual or perennial zones 3-10
53. Sedum (Sedum spp.) perennial zones 2-10

    

54. Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) perennial zones 3 to 5
55. Silver lace vine (Fallopia baldschuanica, syn. Polygonum aubertii) perennial climber zone 6
56. Snow-in-summer (Cerastium spp.) perennial zone 3
57. Snowberry (Symphoricarpos spp.) shrub zones 2-5
58. Speedwell (Veronica spp.) Zones 2-7
59. Statice (Limonium spp.) annual or perennial zone 3
60. Sunflower (Helianthus spp.) annual or perennial, zones 3-6
61. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) annual
62. Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) perennial zone 3

    

63. Thyme (Thymus spp.) herb zones 3-8
64. Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) perennial zone 2
65. Vervaine (Verbena spp.) annual
66. Wild carrot (Daucus carota) biennial zone 2
67. Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) perennial zone 3
68. Yarrow (Achillea spp.) perennial zone 3
69. Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) annual

Note that most of the above plants are common ornamentals you can easily find in the average garden center, while others are somewhat more obscure herbs you might need to visit a specialist nursery to find.

Also, some of the plants listed are generally considered weeds… but even weeds can have a good side!