Dragonflies are thought to symbolize a change of perspective, a deeper meaning of life and a sense of hope. Typically seen in the heat of the day during the summer months, they’re a colorful and welcome addition to any home garden.

Bountiful Benefits

Not only are dragonflies beautiful to look at, they also come with a variety of benefits. One of the most beneficial aspects of attracting dragonflies is their ability to control pests in your garden. Dragonflies eat mosquitoes, moths and other small pests that live in your garden. While they are predators themselves, they can also be food for birds that visit bird feeders or bird baths. Additionally, dragonflies work as pollinators in a small way as they fly from flower to flower.

Creating the Right Environment

To attract dragonflies, it’s important that you tailor your garden to accommodate their needs. For example, dragonflies are aquatic insects and require a freshwater source to breed. This means if you have any type of freshwater source, such as a small pond, a water fountain or feature or even a birdbath, dragonflies will be attracted to your garden. Dragonflies have also been known to travel up to a mile away from their water source, so if you live a reasonable distance from a freshwater source, you have the potential to create a dragonfly garden.

Once you’ve figured out your freshwater source, you need to attract small insects for the dragonflies to eat. One of the easiest ways to do this is to have a variety of plants in your garden. A diverse environment boosts the surrounding ecosystem, including the small insects that call your garden home.

Let It Grow

These colorful flowers grow well in Missouri weather and help create a diverse ecosystem within your garden.

Coneflowers

Grown best when planted in full-sun and well-drained soil, coneflowers are a colorful addition to your garden. Somewhat drought tolerant, these flowers can handle rainy springs and dry summers.

Cosmos

These hearty annual flowers bloom from the summer to the fall and are able to survive in poor soil conditions. These are best planted once the last frost of the winter has passed and can take around seven weeks to bloom once planted. To keep new blooms coming, be sure to deadhead the plants (pruning off dead flowers) and water regularly until the new plant is fully established.

Geranium

Geraniums love to be in the full-sun with a regular watering schedule. These plants require little fertilizer and prefer well-drained soil. They are annual flowers and typically are done growing after the first freeze of the year.

Columbine

Known for their long stems and five elongated petals, these flowers bloom from April through July. These plants thrive in moist soil with light to moderate shade. Columbine flowers are another variety of plants that benefit from deadheading dead blooms to promote new growth.

Purple Milkweed

Otherwise known as butterfly weed, these flowers do best in light shade and dry to average soil. The plants grow up to three feet tall and are known for their fragrant purple flowers. Milkweed is known for attracting butterflies and pollinators, a great option for gardeners looking to encourage activity within their garden.

All A Buzz!

1. Dragonflies eat between 30-100 mosquitos a day!

2. Due to their huge eyes, dragonflies have nearly a 360-degree field of view.