44 Insectiary Plants For Your Fruit Tree Guild

A vital part of a healthy garden is the insect population. While insects get a bad reputation, many of them are essential for a healthy ecosystem. Here are 33 insectiary plants that will benefit the “good” bugs or discourage those you don’t want around.

Insectiary Plants To Attract Pollinators

Most of us know how important it is to attract pollinators to our fruit trees and gardens. Insectiary plants are the plants that help support beneficial insects. Sometimes that’s providing nectar or pollen. Other times it’s providing shelter or a host plant for reproduction.

Here are 31 plants that will attract these beneficial insects to your food forest:

• Alyssum
• Aster
• Basil
• Bee Balm
• Borage
• Bronze Fennel
• Calendula
• Chives
• Comfrey
• Cornflowers
• Dahlia
• Daylily
• Delphinium
• Dill
• Echinacea
• Echium
• Fennel
• Fuschia
• Hosta
• Kniphofia
• Laburnum (Golden Chain Tree)
• Lamb’s Ear
• Lavender
• Lupine
• Milkweed
• Mint
• Poached Egg Plant
• Salvia
• Sunflowers
• Thyme
• Yarrow

Plants That Repel Pests

While many insects are useful to have in a fruit tree guild or food forest, there are some insects that can cause damage to your crops. Instead of spraying pesticides try planting more plants that will attract their predators. Thankfully, there are also plants that will make those nuisances less likely to settle into your garden as their new home.

Here are 14 insectiary plants that will reduce obnoxious bugs:

• Basil
• Citronella
• Coriander
• Dill
• Fennel
• Garlic/Onion family
• Lavender
• Lemongrass
• Marigold
• Mint
• Nasturtium
• Peppermint
• Sunflower
• Thyme

By making space for as many of these plants as you can in your fruit tree guild you can help create a healthy eco-system within your property. You will have great bio-diversity, and your plants will be healthier and happier. Not to mention many of these plants are beautiful too!