There are herbs I use that both attract and repel insects in my garden space.

Not many plants look very healthy in my garden right now except for the herbs that I planted. Insects have eaten the leaves of many of my flowering potted plants on my patio.

I have been planting herbs for years and wouldn’t consider having a garden without them planted in it. They are both aromatic and pungent, depending on the plant.

Plus many herbs produce a lemon-scented oil in their leaves that helps to repel leaf-eating insects.

In Herbs That Both Attract & Repel Insects, I have listed herbs that do one or the other in your garden.

Five Herbs That Attract Insects:

  • Yarrow
  • Borage
  • Fennel
  • Comfrey
  • Anise hyssop

This is a short list of course, as there are many others. But for the purpose of this post, we’ll stick to these five herbs.

Yarrow: This perennial herb attracts the widest variety of beneficial insects.

I miss the big clump of yarrow I had to leave behind at my former apartment.

Borage: This self-seeding annual is sometimes called the bee plant and is often included in pollinator gardens. Bees can’t seem to get enough of its nectar.

Fennel: This herb is a host plant for the swallowtail butterfly.

Comfrey: Comfrey is one of the most useful perennial herbs.

Anise Hyssop: Many beneficial insects find anise hyssop, with its long-blooming flowers, irresistible. But other insects are repelled by it. This is why it’s often planted between vegetables. This herb can also tolerate shade.

Various mints are always on my list of plants each year. And they come back year after year. They are quite hardy and can become invasive.

Five Top Herbs To Repel Insects:

  • Garlic
  • Basil
  • Mint
  • Sage
  • Lemongrass

Garlic: It is a common companion plant because garlic takes up little space in your garden. Garlic will help to deter fungus gnats, spider mites, and cabbage loppers.

Basil: You might want to plant basil in your tomato garden. It tastes wonderful in pasta sauce. Also, basil will help to deter fungus gnats, spider mites, and cabbage loppers.

Mint: Spearmint and peppermint are known for their ability to repel flies, fleas, and spiders. However mints can be invasive, so you might want to plant them in pots.

Sage: It would be wise to plant sage near your cabbage plants. Sage also has a powerful repellant effect on moths and some butterflies.

Lemongrass: The perennial lemongrass contains citronella and thus helps to repel mosquitos. That alone would make it a popular plant for your yard. There are also many uses for lemongrass leaves in your kitchen.

Once lemongrass is minced or pounded down, it can be added to marinades or grilled meats. It will give your meat a sweet citrusy flavor.

Herbs have been used for centuries for therapeutic properties. They can be used in dietary supplements, sold as tablets, capsules, etc. Herbs are used to flavor food.

A healing herb, also known as a medicinal plant, has been used for thousands of years to treat ailments, pain, and disease.

1Shares

I'm Brenda, creator of Cozy Little House. I live with my cat, Ivy, who keeps me laughing. I graduated from journalism school with a degree in professional writing and won awards for feature writing. I practice gratitude and enjoy my solitude. The glass is always half-full.

Similar Posts

13 Comments

  1. Basil is good for arthritis and has proven to be very helpful for me with my rheumatoid arthritis. I chop up the leaves and sprinkle it on salads and use it in a variety of dishes– soups, anything Italian, omelettes, or as edible garnishes. Interesting to me was before I knew it was helpful for arthritis, I seemed to crave it once I began experimenting with growing some of my own herbs. After a bit of research on its medicinal uses, I was fascinated by the fact I had cravings for it without realizing how it could help my condition. I am going to try lemongrass–I had no idea it had so many uses! Thanks for the information!

  2. Great info. I always seem to learn something from your posts! I love planting herbs. I think I’ll look for Borage – anything to help the bees! And Anise Hyssop is new to me – I like that it can tolerate shade.

    1. Yes, we certainly want to give the bees, the priceless bees, something to sustain them.

  3. Hey gal!! Could it have been possible the your wonderful kitty ate alittle of an indoor plant that caused her death?? Dr. Laura

    1. No, there were no house plants indoors when she lived with me. They all went to my friend Teri’s house, the sweet lady who helped pack me up to move and then helped me move. So no. I did the same when I got Ivy, then tested her later after a year with house plants indoors, but she never seemed interested in them.

  5. I put more herbs in that usual this year. We used an old rusty wheelbarrow and it has worked out beautiful for a raised type bed and right near my back door so I can cut off basil, parsley, pineapple sage, and I also love Thai basil that I got this year….I have to find a recipe to use that it in as all my herbs are flourishing. Mint has taken over near my strawberry bed so it’s been a battle digging it out. I need to take your advice and start it in pots to place around.

  6. For some reason the flies are horrendous this year. So will go buy a mint plant and put at the back door!!

    Wen to Hobby Lobby yesterday and put some 4th of July items in my cart — a cute flag banner and two plates not realizing they were 40% off. That made me so happy. Going to go back and find a table runner. Thanks for all
    of your good tips Brenda!!

    We have a new family member we are picking up Sunday site unseen! One of my paint friends passed away two weeks ago. She’s been sick for like 7 mths. She had adopted a kitty a couple of yrs ago and would tell us stories about how she loved Irish which was her first ever kitty! Well her daughter put out a request to find Irish a home and several friends notified me. I talked to the daughter last night and told her we’d love to have her. So picking her up Sunday afternoon! She’s all Black with short hair and GREEN eyes!

    1. A new furry member of the family! How exciting! Let me know about her once she’s living with you.

  7. I have been planting herbs for many years and just got lemongrass for the first time this season. I am planting Irish moss today for the first time. My lilac bush looks healthy but only ever flowers with a few branches. My peony and hydrangea also look good but not many blooms. I know my hydrangea blooms on old wood I guess I must had dried too many flowers off of it last year. I have a few beautiful dark blue flowers on it now. It makes me laugh because I get many color variations on that bush! Last night’s dinner was corn on the cob and peaches for dessert right from the Eastern shore of Maryland. I am anticipating some tomato sandwiches soon! Have a great day everyone!

Comments are closed.