31 Best Flowers To Grow In vegetable gardens to attract beneficial insects

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What are the best flowers to grow for vegetable gardens to attract beneficial insects?

This was the first question I asked after my epic failure in year 1 of vegetable gardening. It was a huge failure for me, and I quickly learned a very valuable lesson!

I was super excited and planted lots of vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, beets, and goodness knows what else.

But it was just bad, lots of lush green plants and very little fruit production. Trying to figure out what I did wrong, I decided to take a gardening class at the local extension office.

The night it came to vegetable gardening, I reluctantly shared my failure with the class and learned that one big thing I was missing was beneficial insects and pollinators.

I needed to grow flowers for the vegetable garden to attract things like bees, butterflies, beetles, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects.

Why are flowers important to vegetable Gardens?

For vegetables and fruit to produce, they have to be pollinated.

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Pollination

Pollination is when pollen from a male flower’s sexual organ, the stamen, comes into contact with a female flower’s sexual organ, the stigma. The pollen can be dislodged from one to the other by wind, beneficial insects, or hand pollination.

And then all the questions began – What flowers are best to grow with vegetables? What are some pollinator-friendly flowers? What are the best companion flowers for the garden?

So many questions come to mind when thinking about growing flowers in the garden, much less attracting beneficial insects.

So I started making a list of flowers to plant in the vegetable garden to attract bees and deter pests.

Thankfully I met a new friend in the gardening class, and she was very helpful in assisting me with a flower and vegetable garden layout.

Honestly, at this point, I had never grown a flower in my life and had never had a flower bed in our landscape.

She was wise in teaching that the best flowers to grow for vegetable gardens are native plants. They were much easier to grow and would again attract bees and other pollinators.

What are Pollinator-friendly flowers?

• Pollinator-friendly flowers produce lots of pollen and nectar that feed beneficial insects.
• They have been grown with NO neonicotinoids and other harmful pesticides.
• They have large single-head flowers such as marigolds and cone flowers to use as “landing pads.”

Should Flowers be Inter-planted with garden vegetables?

Not necessarily. They can be planted outside the garden on the borders surrounding the garden.

But of course, there are annual flowers that make great companion flowers for planting with vegetables. And they can be inter-planted among the vegetable plants themselves.

I’ve been working on a pollinator garden next to my vegetable garden, which is 13 ft x 35 ft, for a couple of years now. I add new native plants to it each year.

This bed is full of the perennials that spread. And I save the annuals to plant inside the garden beds themselves.

This year among the vegetables I’ve planted is Calendula, Borage, Curry, Marigolds, Zennia, and Basil so far.

I start most of my annuals from seeds indoors, and when the time comes, they can be planted outside.

Of course, all of them are not native, but they are beneficial in the garden and help to deter pests as well.

Best Annual Flowers To Grow For Vegetable Gardens

These are all prolific nectar and pollen producers. Some can be planted directly into the rows of vegetables to attract beneficial insects and help to ward off and deter pests.

Many of these self-seed which is great for your vegetable garden too. And, of course, they can be planted elsewhere in the vegetable garden too.

1. Borage (Borago officinalis)

Grows to 2-3 feet tall. Produces blooms in about 6 weeks after planting. This is an edible plant.

2. Coriander or Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)

Cilantro grows to about 3 feet tall and produces white blooms. Edible as well.

3. Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)

Grows to about 2 feet tall and has these gorgeous white blooms. This annual flower is also edible and used to make cereals. Buckwheat is also an excellent cover crop for your whole garden.

4. Fava Bean (Vicia faba)

The plant gets from 2-5 feet tall. Both the leaves and the bean are edible.

5. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Fragrant low-growing carpet-like flower. Very drought and heat tolerant.

6. Phacelia (Phacelia tanacertifolia)

Grows to about 3 feet tall and blooms from early March until the end of May

7. Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Grows to be about 1 1/2 feet tall; has large wispy yellow flowers, and bees land on them easily. Also edible.

There are, of course, many other annuals that are great for growing in the garden, but these are readily available at most garden centers, are simple to grow, and most of them are edible, too. Win-Win!!

All these annuals grow relatively short and will blend nicely among your vegetable plants.

Best Perennials Flowers To Grow For Vegetable Gardens

1. Giant Hyssop (Agastache)

2. Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum)

Aromatic leaves that grow low to the ground. Has dense white clusters of flowers that butterflies flock to. Gets about 3 feet tall and is great for cottage gardens and butterfly gardens too. Buy Mountain Mint Seeds

3. Lobelia (Lobelia)

4. Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)

Great for clay soils. Deep bluish-purple flowers that bloom late spring and into early summer. Grows to around 2-4 feet tall. Buy Spider Wart Seeds

5. Milkweed (Asclepias)

6. Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)

Bees and butterflies love this flower. It’s named for its stem. It is tough and strong to hold up large clusters of deep purple flowers without slouching. Gets to be about 4-6 feet tall, so it would be wonderful on the border of a vegetable garden. Buy Iron Weed Seeds

7. Asters (Aster)

8. Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)

Gorgeous yellow flowers grow to about 10 feet tall. The flower holds rainwater and is, therefore, excellent for birds. Butterflies and songbirds will both devour the seeds. Buy Cup Plant Seeds

9. Goldenrod (Solidago)

10. Bee Balm (Manarda)

Perfect for bordering a vegetable garden. It will grow to about 3 – 5 feet tall. Hummingbirds are super attracted to this flower. Does need moisture during the heat of the summer, so watering may be necessary. Blooms June – August. Buy Bee Balm Seeds

11. Sunflower (Helianthus)

12. Rabbitbush (Chrysothammus)

13. Blue Sage (Salvia Azurea)

Brilliant blue flowers that bloom almost all summer long. Grows to a height of about 3 – 5 feet. Buy Blue Sage Seeds

14. Joy Pye Weed (Eupatorium)

15. Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum)

Elegant white flowers in a vertical accent. Blooms from late July thru August. Grows to about 6 feet tall. Native bees and butterflies will flock to it. Buy Culver’s Root Seeds

16. Coneflower (Echinacea)

17. Blazing Star (Liatris)

18. Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Height to around 2-5 feet. Hummingbirds and butterflies love this! Blooms July thru September. It may need to be replanted every few years, but so worth it! Buy Cardinal Flower Seeds

19. Beardtongue (Penstemon)

20. Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Honeybees and other native bees will cover it. It’s a spring favorite. Long-lived blooms that expand to form nice large clumps. Height is 1-2 feet. Buy Wild Geranium Seeds

21. Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)

Deep blue flowers, deep-rooted and very long-lived. Forms a bush-like appearance at maturity. Native bees and hummingbirds enjoy it. Gets to be about 3 – 5 feet tall and blooms in June and July. Buy False Indigo Seeds

22. Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium)

Bees and butterflies will flock to the gorgeous white foliage. And it blooms for a long time – June to September. Grows to approximately 3 – 5 feet tall. Buy Wild Quinine Seeds

23. Prairie Onion (Allium Stallatum)

These are ideal for attracting native bees. They produce a light-colored lavender flower and grow to approximately 1-2 feet tall. They bloom from July – August. Buy Prairie Onion Seeds

24. Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

A durable plant that attracts songbirds and native bees alike. Even the butterflies will visit often. Has a deep golden-yellow bloom that is 2 – 3 inches wide. So they make a great landing pad. Grows to 1 – 2 feet tall and blooms from early June to late July. Buy Lanceleaf Coreopsis Seeds

I could just go on and on talking about the best flowers to grow for vegetable gardens. But I think I have given you a great list!

Remember, vegetable plants need to be pollinated so they can grow huge yields of vegetables for your family.

And, of course, when they are in full bloom, your garden will be filled with beneficial insects and lots of gorgeous colors!

What are your favorite flowers to grow for your vegetable garden? I’d love to know.

More Pollinator Gardening Tips

• Is Your Yard Bee Friendly?
• How to Feed Pollinators into Late Fall
• How to Naturally Get Rid of Yellow Jackets
• Garden Spiders, Are they Harmful?
• Garden Mapping: Learn How to Best Use the Space You Have

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