Marigolds & the Best Varieties for Attracting Beneficial Insects

Types of Beneficial Insects

• There are three types of beneficial insects that are attracted to your marigolds. Pollinators help in the fertilization of the plant and include insects such as bees. Predator insects feed on the pests that damage your plants. A few examples of predator insects are soldier bugs, hoverflies and ladybugs. Braconid wasps lay their eggs in pest insects; when the larvae hatch, they eat the pest insect.

Lemon Gem Marigolds (Tagetes Tenuifolia)

• Lemon gem marigolds have lemon-yellow flowers which bloom from late spring into fall. Lemon gem marigolds attract a whole horde of beneficial insects to your garden. They attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, minute pirate bugs, damsel bugs, big eyed bugs, parasitic wasps and hoverflies. These insects keep pests like aphids and hornworms off your plants.

African Marigolds (Tagetes Erecta)

• African marigolds are also known as Aztec marigolds because they originate from South America. They grow up to 3 feet tall with yellow to orange pom-pom type flower heads. The strong odor keeps nematodes away and attracts insects like lacewings which prey on aphids and mites. African marigolds are also deer and rabbit resistant. Often, the strong odor of the African marigold will keep animal pests away from the other plants in your garden.

French Marigolds (Tagetes Patula)

• French marigolds grow up to 16 inches tall and have carnation-like flowers. French marigolds repel aphids, nematodes, cabbage moths, flea beetles, Colorado potato beetles and white flies. The single-flower varieties are better at repelling pest insects than the double-flower varieties because the single flowers have more pollen and nectar to attract beneficial insects like hoverflies.