5 Pond Plants to Attract Dragonflies
One question we hear often is “will mosquitos be a problem with my new pond?” and we’re here to put your mind at ease!
Mosquitos are drawn to stagnant or slow-moving water. A well-designed pond is designed with circulation as a priority, with the total pond volume being turned over in regular intervals. This much water movement is not ideal for mosquitos, so it’s highly unlikely they will want to make your new pond their home or nursery.
Additionally, most types of pond fish will eat larvae and mosquitos if they do venture to your pond! Another type of insect that views mosquitos as a tasty snack are dragonflies. Not only are dragonflies interesting and beautiful, they also serve an important function in your backyard ecosystem eating up to hundreds of mosquitos per day!
Depending on where you live, you may get dragonflies just by installing an ecosystem pond with water lilies and marginal plants. Here is a list of 5 plants that can attract even more dragonflies,
Water Lily (Nymphaea) - The jewel of the water garden. Water lilies provide the perfect space for dragonflies to lay eggs and shelter the small nymphs. Every pond should have at least one water lily!
Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) - The arrowhead plant features heart shaped leaves and beautiful white flowers. Plant an arrowhead plant in shallow, damp water to give dragonflies a chance to lay eggs in the plant.
Cattails (Typha latifolia) - One of the most common pond plants is the cattail. Dragonflies like to lay eggs in the cattails, giving their young a place to climb on the stems to rest!
Pickerel Rush (Pontederia cordata) - This plant features beautiful purple/blue flowers on long, glossy green stalks. Dragonflies love resting on this showy plant.
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) - These water loving plants can be planted near a pond in marsh like conditions. Black Eyed Susans commonly attract butterflies, dragonflies, and other pollinators.