15 Best Plants to Attract Dragonflies & Deter Mosquitoes
Plants that attract dragonflies serve a dual purpose, beautifying your garden while helping control mosquito populations.
These best selections offer a natural and picturesque way to enjoy your outdoor spaces more comfortably.
Consider planting a few in your garden; you'll love the lively ambiance and pest-free environment they help create.
Arrowhead
Arrowhead plants thrive in water features, providing a perfect resting spot for dragonflies.
Their vibrant, arrow-shaped leaves not only brighten your garden but also invite these beautiful insects to take a break.
With delicate white flowers blooming each spring and the ability to withstand various climates, this plant becomes an excellent addition for both beauty and natural mosquito control.
Black-Eyed Susan
Bright yellow blooms of black-eyed Susans catch the eye and invite dragonflies into your garden.
These flowers provide a cozy haven for dragonflies to lay eggs, ensuring their nymphs thrive among the lush green leaves.
Hardy and resilient, these plants flourish even in colder climates, thriving best in sunny spots that will brighten up any outdoor space.
Borage
Borage thrives in tough climates, making it a resilient choice for your garden.
Bright-blue flowers with pointed petals bloom beautifully, inviting dragonflies to flit around your space.
Those feathery stems not only attract these helpful insects but also add a fresh flavor to your summer meals with their edible leaves.
Cattail
Cattails, with their impressive height and lush foliage, serve as a natural barrier against pesky mosquitoes while inviting dragonflies to your garden.
These plants flourish in sunny, humid areas and can reach up to 10 feet tall, creating a stunning visual along pond edges.
By providing ample hiding spots for dragonflies, they encourage these beneficial insects to linger and help keep mosquito populations in check.
Dwarf Sagittaria
Dwarf Sagittaria is a small but mighty addition to your water garden.
At only 6 inches tall, this plant fits perfectly in compact ponds or pools, creating a serene atmosphere.
With its lush green blades providing shelter for dragonflies, you’ll notice fewer mosquitoes buzzing around while enjoying the beauty of nature right in your backyard.
Swamp Milkweed
Swamp milkweed thrives in wet conditions, making it a fantastic choice for those soggy spots in your garden.
The lovely clusters of pink flowers not only brighten up your landscape but also invite dragonflies and butterflies to flutter about.
With its impressive growth, this plant quickly fills space while helping keep pesky mosquitoes at bay.
Water Horsetail
Water horsetail adds a beautiful touch to your pond while inviting dragonflies to lay their eggs.
Its slender, bamboo-like stalks rise gracefully above the water, creating a serene atmosphere.
As this plant flourishes in various zones, it becomes an essential ally in reducing pesky mosquitoes around your outdoor space.
Water Lily
Water lilies capture attention with their layered petals and broad leaves, creating a serene atmosphere in any garden.
These aquatic beauties serve as a nursery for dragonflies, whose larvae feast on pesky mosquitoes.
Even without a pond, you can cultivate them in containers filled with soil and water to enjoy their elegance while keeping your outdoor space free from unwanted bugs.
Yarrow
Yarrow adds a splash of color while inviting dragonflies to your garden, creating a lively atmosphere.
Growing easily in sunny areas, this hardy plant thrives with minimal effort and can be started from seeds or established plants.
Regular trimming keeps it manageable in smaller spaces, ensuring you enjoy its vibrant blooms without overwhelming your yard.
Joe-Pye Weed
Joe-Pye weed, with its stunning light-purple blooms, creates a welcoming environment for dragonflies while also helping to keep pesky mosquitoes at bay.
Growing up to 12 feet tall, this plant adds a striking vertical element to your garden that catches the eye and draws in beneficial insects.
Planting it in well-drained soil allows you to enjoy its beauty without the fuss of constant upkeep; what could be better than that?
Wild Celery
Wild celery thrives in water, providing the perfect sanctuary for dragonflies to lay eggs and raise their young.
Its long, slender leaves create a cozy environment that these beautiful insects love.
Planting this aquatic wonder not only enhances your garden but also helps keep pesky mosquitoes at bay.
Sweet Coneflower
Sweet coneflower brings a burst of sunshine to your garden with its striking yellow petals and dark centers.
Planting it in zones 4-8 not only attracts graceful dragonflies but also keeps pesky mosquitoes at bay.
This resilient flower thrives in sunny spots, ensuring your outdoor space remains lively and vibrant throughout the season.
Meadow Sage
Meadow sage adds a splash of purple to your garden while inviting dragonflies to dance among its tall spikes.
These lovely flowers not only create a wildflower feel but also help keep pesky deer away from your vegetables and fruits.
Position them in sunlight, and watch as nature’s helpers flutter nearby, enhancing both beauty and pest control in your outdoor space.
Giant Coneflower
Giant coneflower brings a striking presence to your garden with its impressive blooms that can reach up to six inches wide.
These tall, cone-shaped flowers thrive in sunny spots and quickly become a favorite resting place for dragonflies, nature's little pest controllers.
With their vibrant display and ability to keep mosquitoes at bay, you’ll find yourself enjoying your outdoor space even more.
Fanwort
Fanwort, with its delicate green leaves, adds beauty to any pond while inviting dragonflies to your space.
Those fascinating insects find a perfect nursery in the plant's underwater foliage, ensuring their young have a safe start.
Enjoying the charm of water plants becomes even better when you realize they help keep pesky mosquitoes at bay.
