The warm summer months bring with them one of the season’s most notorious pests—mosquitoes. These pesky insects can really make you reconsider spending time in your garden, yard, or patio. Luckily, there’s a natural solution to keep mosquito populations in check—dragonflies.
Dragonflies are natural predators. As adults, they scavenge the skies looking for prey such as mosquitoes, wasps, and moths. In their larval stage, dragonflies consume large numbers of mosquito larvae. You can attract these helpful predators to your outdoor space by thoughtfully planning your landscape. Incorporating plants into outdoor containers or planting them directly are practical strategies, providing the necessary habitat for dragonflies right where you need them. Below, you will find a list of land and shoreline plants that are known to attract these helpful insects.
Land Plants
Although the five plants listed below aren’t aquatic or traditional breeding grounds for dragonflies, they play a crucial role in creating a diverse ecosystem. By nurturing a variety of plant life, you will attract insects to your backyard, providing a stable food source for dragonflies in all stages of life.
1. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Black-eyed Susan, with its bright yellow blooms, thrives in warmer climates, typically lasting about two years. In cooler areas, however, these wildflowers will die off when winter hits. Black-eyed Susan is very adaptable and can flourish in nearly any soil type. For optimal growth and bloom, these plants require full sunlight and regular watering.
2. Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Swamp milkweed, a perennial favorite, produces a stunning display of white and pink flowers every year. The eye-catching blossoms are great for attracting dragonfly prey like wasps and bees, making it an essential addition to any garden aiming to support local wildlife. As the name implies, swamp milkweed grows best in wetland areas, favoring moist, clay-rich soil.
3. Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)
Joe-Pye weed flowers from mid-summer to fall with a display of pink-purple blooms. It attracts a variety of pollinators—a dragonfly feast. This pretty plant can reach heights between 3 and 12 feet, so it’s perfect for dragonflies that prefer tall perches. Additionally, its flowers give off a light vanilla fragrance, adding a pleasant aroma to your outdoor space. Joe-Pye weed grows best in full or partial sunlight and is commonly found in moist woods or meadows.
4. Meadow Sage (Salvia nemorosa)
Meadow sage is a stunning perennial that boasts striking purple flowers and thrives in full sunlight. Once planted, meadow sage requires minimal watering, making it a great choice for drier climates. This plant’s drought-resistant qualities and its ability to flourish with little maintenance make it a practical and beautiful addition to any landscape aiming to enhance biodiversity.
5. White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
White yarrow is a robust perennial with a multitude of large, flat clusters, each about 5 inches across and packed with 20-25 creamy-white blossoms. These clusters attract insects such as tiny parasitic wasps, which dragonflies love to eat. This plant does best in full sun and well-drained soils ranging from dry to medium moisture. White yarrow is easy to grow, so you don’t need a green thumb!
Note: White yarrow can resemble poisonous hemlock. You can distinguish yarrow by its fern-like leaves and flat clusters of small white flowers. If needed, consult a reliable guide to stay safe.
Pond & Shoreline Plants
If you have a pond or are thinking about adding a water feature to your landscape, consider planting these five types of plants in and around such features. These plants will enhance the aesthetic appeal of your pond or water feature and create an inviting habitat for dragonflies, helping to naturally control the insect population in your outdoor space.
6. Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)
Arrowhead, or duck-potato, is a versatile aquatic perennial that grows to heights of three feet. Its leaves are distinctively shaped like arrowheads (surprise, surprise) with tiny white flowers growing from the top of the stem. This marsh plant is a favorite among dragonflies for gathering and laying eggs. One trick with planting arrowhead—you’ll need to anchor the plant down, as it tends to float when placed in underwater soil. Don’t worry if the leaves are completely submerged. They will quickly rise above the water’s surface as they grow.
7. Wild Celery (Vallisneria americana)
Wild celery is a type of tape grass that provides an excellent aquatic habitat for dragonflies. This plant is fully submerged and grows upwards until it reaches the water’s surface. When planting wild celery, make sure that there is at least eighteen inches of water and plenty of sunlight penetrating the surface. Like planting arrowhead, wild celery needs to be anchored so it remains at the pond’s bottom long enough to take root.
8. Water Horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile)
Much like arrowhead and wild celery, water horsetail roots itself to the pond floor and produces leaves that penetrate the water’s surface. This plant is critical for dragonfly larvae, helping them reach the surface as they grow into adults. Water horsetail is typically grown from nursery plants, not seeds, and loves partial to full sunlight. Once established around the perimeter of your pond, this plant is fairly resilient and can withstand short periods of dry weather.
9. Cattail (Typha latifolia)
Cattails, or bull rushes, love moist soil, swampy environments, and full sunlight. These plants are particularly appealing to dragonflies, which often gather around them to lay eggs. Cattails are very hardy and fairly easy to transplant. This is especially useful if you want to expand your existing pond, install a new one, or even if you’re seeking a cost-effective option by sourcing cattails from a local water body (with permission, of course!) and relocating them to your own backyard pond.
10. Water Lily (Nymphaea spp.)
A classic floating plant, water lilies provide an ideal habitat for dragonfly larvae. These plants grow from tubers planted beneath the pond’s surface. Once again, to ensure they stay submerged, it’s helpful to weigh them down with rocks or other heavy materials. As water lilies mature, the tubers send up leaves that produce beautiful star-shaped blossoms.
By attracting dragonflies to your backyard, you will create an ecosystem where these natural predators help maintain balance, allowing you to enjoy your outdoor areas without the annoyance of mosquitoes. Embrace the beauty and utility of these plants, and transform your outdoor space into a vibrant, pest-free retreat this summer.
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