The Beneficial Insects Lavender Attracts

Lavender is not only beautiful but also attracts beneficial insects.

Lavender is a perennial, evergreen shrub prized for its colorful blooms and fragrance as well as its culinary and medicinal qualities. It also attracts beneficial insects that provide natural protection against damaging pests.

Features

Lavender, from the genus Lavandula, originated in the Mediterranean region but is now grown around the world. Explorers brought it to North America in the 1700s. In addition to many shades of purple, lavender also comes in white, blue, pink and even yellow.

Significance

Beneficial insects are sometimes known as "good bugs" because they kill pests that feed on garden plants. Some beneficial insects are predators that eat their prey while some are parasites that lay eggs in other insects. Another class of beneficial insects are pollinators, which don't harm other insects but spread pollen among plants, producing successful seeds and quality fruits.

Types

"Lavender is one of many plants that attracts many beneficial insects, including bees, hoverflies, and butterflies," according to Master Gardener Erika Yigzaw B.Com of the American College for Healthcare Services. The larvae of hoverflies are predators that feed on aphids, small caterpillars and thrips. Bees and butterflies are pollinators, helping in the formation of seeds and fruits for other wildlife to eat and the crops that humans rely upon for food, medicine, fibers and other goods.

References

• Colorado State University Extension; Herbs: Growing Lavender in Colorado; K. A. Kimbrough et al.
• American College of Healthcare Sciences; Organic Herb Gardening; Erika Yigzaw B.Com
• Get Growing with Farmer Fred: Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects
• Fine Gardening; Attracting Beneficial Insects; Joe Queirolo; 2011
• Pollinator Partnership; What is pollination and who are the pollinators?
• Cooperative Extension Service-Integrated Pest Management Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; The Good Guys - Natural Enemies of Insects; Michael R. Jeffords et al.