Best Flowers to Attract Beneficial Insects to Your Garden

January 6, 2026 Bill Hageman

The Best Flowers to Attract Predator Beneficial Insects to Your Garden - Grow Organic

Introduction

Roll out the floral carpet in your garden to attract beneficial insects and keep them there. In this video Tricia talks about releasing predator beneficial insects into your garden as organic pest control. To make those beneficials happy you need to have some bad bugs present for them to munch on, and also flowers they will enjoy at various stages of their lives.

Flowers & Food for Beneficial Insects

In general, beneficials like flowers that look like daisies (for example: Rudbeckia) or Queen Anne's Lace, according to Cornell University. Choose flowers in those families from our huge selection of open-pollinated flower and wildflower seeds and organic herb seeds. Make your garden a great place to stay when you welcome them with our Good Bug Food, and repeat that during dry spells.

Flowering Cover Crops

We have flowering cover crops designed to make the beneficial insects say, "Yum!" and stick around. Our special cover crop, the Good Bug Blend, has been field-proven for over a decade in large and small scale growing areas. Since the mix blooms nearly year-round, Good Bug Blend should be planted in areas which can go a little wild, such as field borders, ditch banks, and fence rows. Typically, you need to plant only 1% to 5% of your land with this mix for good results. We also created a mix that will grow only 2 feet tall (perfect to tuck under trees or grape vines, or in the home garden) -- our Low-Growing Good Bug Blend. Both mixes are full of clovers, wild carrots, sweet alyssum, yarrow, and parsley -- attracting our admiring eyes along with the beneficial insects.

What Ladybugs Like

We have ladybugs to release in your garden. Put up a Ladybug House to make them comfortable. Their favorite flowers include alyssum, buckwheat, coriander, dill, fennel, Rocky Mountain penstemon, Queen Anne's Lace, sunflowers, and common yarrow.

Where Mantids Pray

Expand your Praying Mantid population with one of our cases of egg sacs. Mantids will hover in some cover, waiting for their prey to wander by. The drawback to praying mantids? They will eat any bug, whether it's one we think is "good" or "bad". So don't put the egg case in your butterfly garden or near your bee hives. The plants that mantids prefer are any with bugs on them, or plants with green stalks and leaves that will serve as cover.

What Green Lacewings Love

The sparkly and decorative green lacewings enjoy many of the same flowers as the ladybugs. Their menu list includes angelica, caraway, coriander, cosmos, dill, fennel, Queen Anne's Lace, and sunflowers.

Books About Good & Bad Bugs

This is a crucial topic for organic gardeners and farmers, so we bring you as much information as we can. We have a whole category of books on Pest Management. * Favorites are the handy Landscape Pests ID Cards to carry outdoors. * Prefer just one book on both pests and diseases? Try Rodale's The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control.

Grow plants for predator beneficial insects and enjoy a flowery, balanced garden.

Conclusion

Creating a garden that attracts and supports beneficial insects is a powerful step toward natural, effective pest control. By planting nectar-rich flowers, incorporating flowering cover crops, and providing habitat and food sources, you can encourage helpful insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and even mantids to thrive. With the right balance of plants and prey, your garden becomes a self-sustaining ecosystem—reducing pests while promoting healthy, vibrant growth all season long.

FAQs About Attracting Beneficial Insects to Your Garden

What flowers attract beneficial insects?

Beneficial insects are especially attracted to small, nectar-rich flowers such as dill, fennel, alyssum, yarrow, and Queen Anne’s lace. Research from universities like Cornell shows that umbrella-shaped (umbel) and daisy-like flowers provide easy access to nectar and pollen.

Do you need pests in your garden to keep beneficial insects?

Yes. Many beneficial insects, such as ladybugs and lacewings, rely on pest insects like aphids as a food source. Without prey, they are less likely to stay in your garden long-term.

Are ladybugs and lacewings good for pest control?

Yes. Ladybugs and green lacewing larvae are highly effective natural predators that feed on aphids, mites, and other soft-bodied pests, making them valuable for organic pest management.

Can praying mantids harm beneficial insects?

Yes. Praying mantids are generalist predators, meaning they will eat both harmful and beneficial insects. Because of this, they should be placed carefully and not near pollinator habitats like bee hives or butterfly gardens.

How can I keep beneficial insects in my garden year-round?

Plant a variety of flowering plants that bloom throughout the seasons, provide water, and include habitat areas like hedgerows or cover crops. Continuous food and shelter encourage beneficial insects to stay and reproduce.

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Planting for Beneficial Predators

Include these nectar-rich flowers to lure green lacewings and other helpful insects into your garden:

The Best Flowers to Attract Predator Beneficial Insects to Your Garden – Lists plants like dill, fennel, and cosmos that attract lacewings, ladybugs, and more.
Releasing Green Lacewing Eggs – Introduces how to deploy eggs to encourage beneficial insect populations.
Releasing Green Lacewing Larvae – Shows how to use larvae for immediate pest control.

Habitat Creation with Hedgerows

Discover how hedgerows can serve as natural insectaries, boosting biodiversity and pest control:

How to Attract Beneficial Insects with Hedgerows – Details building habitat strips with beneficial flowering shrubs and grasses.
Native Plants in Washington State: A Haven for Beneficial Insects – Focuses on the role of native hedges and perennials in supporting beneficial bugs.