Ladybirds are a great ally to gardeners. These are the plants and blooms that will encourage them to visit
Ladybirds may be small, but they're among the most valuable visitors your garden can attract. These natural pest controllers can eat dozens of aphids – including greenfly and blackfly – every day, helping to protect your plants without the need for chemicals. Better still, their presence is a sign of a healthy, thriving garden ecosystem.
'I always say that ladybirds are one of a gardener's best allies,' Luke Newnes, gardening expert at Hillarys and cottage garden enthusiast, explains. 'Both adult ladybirds and their larvae feed on aphids, which can quickly damage flowers, vegetables and young plants if left unchecked. By encouraging ladybirds, I'm letting nature do some of the hard work.'
Ladybirds are surprisingly strategic, instinctively choosing to lay their eggs on plants where there’s a bigger food source. Expert gardener and sustainability advocate Claire Smith explains, 'Plants that are aphid-prone, such as beans, nasturtiums and cherry trees, are often the sites the ladybirds choose to mate and lay eggs.'
So, how do you attract more ladybirds to your garden? While adults mainly feed on nectar and pollen, planting nectar-rich flowers and fragrant herbs will encourage them to visit. Better still, you'll boost biodiversity and fill your garden with colour and scent at the same time.
'I always make sure there's a good mix of nectar-rich plants,' Luke explains. 'Ladybirds are fantastic natural pest controllers, but they still need food, shelter and somewhere to breed. The more diverse your planting is, the more likely you are to attract them and keep them around.'
Claire adds: 'We need to provide them with flat-topped, pollen-rich flowers where they can easily land and refuel. A good rule of thumb is any umbellifer (umbrella-shaped) flower is a good starting point, including plants like fennel, dill, yarrow (Achillea) and wild carrot. Once you have these plants, they will happily self-seed, and you can thin out any plants you may not want.'
We asked gardening experts to recommend the best plants for attracting ladybirds, helping your garden thrive by naturally keeping aphids at bay.
Aromatic dill is a welcome addition to any herb garden, with an intense fragrance that can deter pests and attract ladybirds. 'Ladybirds are drawn to its clusters of tiny yellow flowers, and it's incredibly easy to grow from seed,' explains Luke.
While dill can work well in a container, Luke recommends planting it directly into the ground. 'I like to sow it directly outdoors in spring in a sunny spot with well-drained soil, then simply keep it watered during particularly dry periods,' the gardener tells us.
Direct sowing usually produces healthier plants that are relatively low maintenance once established.
Similar to dill, fennel will also help attract ladybirds with its strong scent. 'Fennel is another favourite of mine,' Luke explains. 'Its delicate flower heads seem to attract all sorts of beneficial insects, including ladybirds.'
It's important to give fennel the room it needs to grow, Luke explains, telling us, 'I'd plant it somewhere sunny with plenty of space, as it can become quite large once it's established.'
'Calendula is a great option if you're looking for colour as well as wildlife benefits,' says Luke. 'I often recommend it because it's easy to grow, flowers for months and provides a reliable source of nectar throughout the summer.'
It's best to plant calendula in the spring for summer blooms, or late September for the following spring. Once it's established, Luke advises that 'keeping spent blooms removed will encourage even more flowers'.
Don't let its delicate flowers fool you – yarrow is a powerhouse in the garden. As well as attracting bees and butterflies, it draws in beneficial insects like ladybirds, which provide natural pest control by feeding on aphids. Its deep roots also help improve soil health by bringing essential nutrients closer to the surface, making it a valuable companion for surrounding plants.
'Yarrow is one of those plants that works hard without demanding much attention,' says Luke. 'Once it's settled in, it's very drought-tolerant and produces flat flower heads that ladybirds and other beneficial insects love to visit.'
Yarrow thrives in full sun, planted in well-drained soil.
Angelica is a striking plant that will add height to borders and suit a naturalistic garden, bringing in pollinators with its nectar-rich blooms. 'For something a little different, I'd recommend angelica. Its large, architectural flower heads are incredibly attractive to beneficial insects,' suggests Luke.
To get the best out of Angelica, Luke explains, 'I find it performs best in soil that stays reasonably moist, especially while the plant is getting established.'
Don't forget about ladybirds in the winter months when they'll need shelter from the cold. 'It’s worth considering where the ladybirds will hibernate,' Claire explains. 'Many of ours choose to spend their winter in the gaps in our wooden window frames, but a more practical choice might be in evergreen shrubs like ivy, holly or broom.
'They also like ornamental grasses (left untrimmed) and fennel or wild carrot plants that we haven’t cut back after flowering. These plants can look spectacular in a frost over winter too, so we all benefit.'
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