The Spider-Attracting Plant You Might Not Want To Grow In Your Yard

When planning out a home garden, chances are you are not doing so to purposely attract spiders. Most types of spiders are harmless to humans. They're an important source of food to certain species, and they feed on the types of pests you may not want on your property. Still, if you are actively trying to avoid spiders in your yard, you may want to steer clear of certain plants they might favor. Corn (Zea mays) is one such plant that may attract spiders when grown in your yard.

If your family loves to eat corn, you could be interested in growing sweet corn in your yard for easy access. But, as it turns out, certain types of spiders, such as the black-and-yellow garden spider, love corn plants too. However, it's not the ears of corn they're after. Aptly nicknamed the "corn spider," the black-and-yellow garden spider appreciates the tall corn stalks, which are perfect for building webs to catch prey. It's nearly impossible to prevent spiders from building webs on such prime real estate. So, if you have an aversion to arachnids, consider not planting corn altogether.

Most arachnids, such as black-and-yellow garden spiders, are not aggressive towards humans; however, not everyone wants them living in their plants and weaving webs. Corn attracts these spiders because it grows tall, but it's not the only plant that draws spiders in with lofty, web-friendly stalks. There are other tall plants you might want to avoid planting if you wish to reduce the number of spiders inhabiting your yard.

For example, another species that attracts spiders is the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Not only do spiders appreciate the height and natural structure of these plants as excellent supports for their webs, but they also get access to easy prey — insects that come to pollinate the flowers. In particular, the crab spider is notorious for hiding out in sunflowers and can even camouflage within them — keep this in mind if you're deciding whether to plant sunflowers in your garden. Other common tall plants that might attract spiders to your yard include foxglove and hollyhock, as well as some vegetable garden staples such as cucumbers and pole beans. Now that you know which species draw the arachnids to your property, also consider growing these plants to keep the spiders away.