Plants that Attract Dragonflies to the Garden

Summer is here, and the bloodsuckers are out in full force. If you’re the romantic sort, you might conjure notions of blooming crepe myrtles and cypress trees under the sweltering sun, set against the backdrop of languid, humid parties. But gardeners know that a more noxious pest comes to mind when they think of bloodsuckers: mosquitoes. Mosquitoes flock in droves, seeking the warm pulse of blood. 

“It’s like a crowded bar,” said David Hu, professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Mechanical Engineering. “Customers aren’t there because they followed each other into the bar. They’re attracted by the same cues: drinks, music, and the atmosphere. The same is true of mosquitoes. Rather than following the leader, the insect follows the signals and happens to arrive at the same spot as the others. They’re good copies of each other.”

There are plants that ward off mosquitoes, but gardeners are forgetting one of nature’s most efficient vampire hunters. Dragonflies can nab up to a hundred mosquitoes in the span of a single day. And while they might not make a dent in mosquito dense places, they are still fine insects to have around. 

 

The Folk of the Air

Of the class of carnivorous ‘assassin bugs,’ in the loosest sense of the term, dragonflies are ruthless executioners that make their living by eating and killing insects while looking good. They are the gossamer-winged folk of the air, and it’s easy to see why Irish myth implies that certain dragonflies were actually the fey in disguise. Like dragonflies, damselflies, the less ornate cousins, are vital to the aquatic ecosystem and eliminate a slew of bothersome insects. 

While they frequently hunt during the day, their natural-born instincts activate at dusk as they take to the skies at sunset to hunt for abundant prey – among them, loathsome mosquitoes – that become active as the light dims. Dragonflies may have no use for flowers as gardeners and pollinators would, but a teeming ecosystem benefits all. Dragonflies rely on tall vantage points from which to perch and locate their prey. These flat-structured blooms become a smorgasbord for dragonflies to feast upon.  

The Best Plants to Attract Dragonflies

Dragonflies flit along the water’s edge, so incorporating water-dwelling plants and a pond is a good idea. Raised garden beds can help divide your garden into different sections. Black bamboo, which can be curbed with planters, can be grown as a screen of privacy. 

1. Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

Its common name is hardly romantic, but the flower itself has a rustic charm. It quickly gains height with its dusky rose-colored flower heads that tower above other plants. They bloom through fall, acting as a bridge to assuage the melancholy as summer wanes. Its nectar-rich blooms attract a multitude of frail-bodied insects, including flies, beetles, and bees, which are the dragonflies’ preferred prey.  

2. Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)

At times, it seems that dragonflies are as swift as the arrow flies. Drawing upon this metaphor, it is fitting to plant Arrowhead flowers. They grow at the water’s edge, offering a poetic fringe of white flowers. Dragonfly nymphs shelter among the submerged portions of the plant, while emerging adults use the broad, sturdy leaves for purchase, drying their newly formed wings. 

3. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Some gardeners view these golden-yellow daisy-like flowers as a staple, while others consider them dour and old-fashioned. But as prairie plants, they reign, and in a pasture, provide wonderful groundcover. Deadhead with a hori hori knife throughout the summer to ensure continuous growth. The wide, flat center cones of Black-Eyed Susans offer excellent, stable landing pads. Because they attract a vast array of small insects, dragonflies will frequently patrol these flower beds trawling for a living quarry. 

4. Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Another plant with an unfortunate name, swamp milkweed is a native milkweed that grows in moist wetlands. It is invariably ashamed of being associated with insidious tropical milkweeds – aggressive invaders that are linked to Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE), a debilitating protozoan parasite that infects monarch butterflies. Those that make it to adulthood, carrying milder strains, display wing deformations and live shorter lives. To reduce its occurrence, turn to native milkweed. Unlike tropical milkweed, which may become toxic to monarch caterpillars as temperatures surge due to climate change, encouraging OE spore buildup, native milkweed naturally dies back. It displays the same reliable growth, colorful flowers, and easy cultivation as most milkweeds. 

5. Water Lily (Nymphaeaceae)

Pondwater attracts a wild swarm of mosquitos, and in turn, dragonflies. The water lily, with its shapely blooms, have made it a worthy crown of the garden. It can be grown as tubers in pots beneath the water’s surface. To further decimate the mosquito population at their larval stage, be sure to add mosquito dunks to ponds containing lilies.

6. Cattails (Typha latifolia)

Along freshwater marshes and estuaries, cattails flourish, their browned stalks retaining an almost melancholy contemplation. Though cattails offer a safe haven for fish and dragonfly larvae, trouble is lurking on the horizon – they can create dense, choking mats that crowd out ponds. If you love cattails, opt for dwarf varieties or plant them in containers to keep them from taking over.