The Fast-Growing Plant That'll Attract Ladybugs And Butterflies To Your Garden

A home garden can be an awarding experience, especially if you want to bring more pollinators into your yard and garden. There are many flowering plants that can attract these species, and it's always good to have a variety to meet the diets of pollinating insects and birds. If you want to benefit both butterflies and ladybugs more specifically, you might consider planting fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). Not only will fennel grow relatively quickly, but it can even help attract these types of pollinators to your garden.

Fennel is perhaps best known as a food flavoring agent for Italian and Mediterranean dishes. If you regularly use fennel in your own cooking, it can be helpful to have fresh fennel on hand in your home garden. On top of this, this member of the carrot family can also add a sweet licorice-like scent in your garden while also offering some aesthetic appeal thanks to its pretty yellow flowers. The aroma is attributed to anethole compounds, which may also attract pollinators and help the plant thrive. Thanks to its qualities, growing fennel may be a great alternative to ornamental grass, too. While the exact growing timeline can vary based on cultivar, it takes an average of 60 to 90 days for fennel to mature from seed.

Ladybugs and butterflies are said to be attracted to the pollen of the small yellow flowers of the fennel plant. These grow in clusters of between 20 and 50 tiny flowers on small stalks that tend to bloom in the summer months. It's not just butterflies and ladybugs that might appreciate fennel in your garden, though. The flowers are also likely to attract other pollinating insects, such as bees, lacewings, and wasps.

Fennel can be either an annual or perennial, depending on your climate. When grown as a perennial, the plant may be grown in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9. It's important to know that if you are planting fennel for its flowers and pollinator-attracting capabilities, it doesn't bloom during its first year. When properly cared for, the perennial may start producing flowers in its second season and beyond. Ideally, fennel should be planted in an area of your garden that receives full sun. The plant also thrives in loamy, well-draining soil of a pH between 6.5 and 8. Fennel can tolerate drought, but it needs regular watering within the first two months of planting until it's established. As a final note of caution, you might think twice before planting this common herb in your garden due to its invasive qualities. Planting fennel in containers may help remedy this problem.