Club Benefits
The key to any balanced garden design is to place plants in the right place. And although we shouldn’t discourage pests completely from our yards, there are plants that are pest magnets, and careful placement is needed.
Insects are beneficial to our yards and the wider environment, but placing a plant that attracts pests near your house, on decking or on a patio can make the summer unpleasant.
I’ve called on plant experts to share the top 5 plants you should never place on your patio, and what to plant instead to ensure you can relax outside in peace.
1. Bamboo
Bamboo can serve as a screen and is a good choice for creating a private zone, but it can attract pests. “Some varieties create dense, damp environments attractive to mosquitoes, slugs, and rodents. Running bamboo varieties can also become invasive and difficult to manage,” says Elizabeth Waddington, garden designer and writer at First Tunnels.
For this reason, and because bamboo is an invasive plant, if you do decide to place bamboo in your yard, it’s best planted in a container.
Best alternatives
For an alternative screen, Waddington suggests planting clematis, Star jasmine and climbing roses.
2. English ivy
“You are likely to find English Ivy growing in many older gardens, as this fast-growing evergreen can be used to cover walls, fences and trellises, as well as making an effective weed-suppressing ground cover,” says Lucie Bradley at Easy Garden Irrigation.
However, she advises against planting this perennial vine near your patio. “The dense, damp mat which its leaves create is the perfect environment for insects, especially mosquitoes, which thrive in its thick canopy.”
And she adds, “You don’t want to create a haven for these irritating insects, which can cause itchy, painful bites close to where you will be sitting.”
Apart from mosquitoes, Waddington shares that ivy will attract spiders, wasps and rodents, as the dense evergreen growth reduces airflow and creates a cool, sheltered hiding place where unwanted pests hide out.
Best alternatives
As above, Waddington suggests planting clematis, Star jasmine or climbing roses. “They can soften walls and fences in a similar way while remaining easier to manage and less likely to harbor pests close to seating areas,” she says.
3. Roses
Roses may be a traditional favorite, especially around seating areas where you can enjoy the fragrance, but Waddington says they can attract a surprising number of pests.
“Aphids, thrips, spider mites, and beetles are all commonly drawn to roses, particularly in warm, sheltered conditions with limited airflow. Dense rose growth can also create hiding places for insects and make nearby seating areas less comfortable during peak summer months,” she explains.
However, roses are well-suited in a wildlife-friendly garden. “They can be extremely valuable for pollinators and beneficial insects. But they are often best positioned slightly farther from outdoor dining spaces, where they can contribute to biodiversity without concentrating pest activity where people gather.”
Best alternatives
Instead of planting roses, Waddington recommends lavender, catmint and salvias, which are all low-maintenance, more resilient and provide long-lasting color and fragrance.
4. Yarrow
Yarrow is an attractive, hardy, herbaceous, native perennial that is often included in gardens for its low maintenance, as it thrives in poor soil and is extremely drought-tolerant. However, bees love it.
“Its dense clusters of tiny yellow flowers make stable, flat platforms full of rich, easily accessible nectar which are attractive to us but virtually irresistible to bees,” says Bradley.
And it flowers from late spring through to early fall. While it’s a useful addition to your garden, Bradley says, “These bee ‘magnets’ shouldn’t be planted near your patio area as they will be in full bloom during the best of the summer weather when you could be sat relaxing or eating, and you don’t want them buzzing around.”
Best alternatives
Swap yarrow with giant hyssop; it will add structure to your patio, while the scented foliage acts as a pest repellent. You could also opt for the beautiful purple flowers of salvia, which are usually ignored by pests.
5. Untended fruit trees
“Fruit trees are enormously valuable in productive gardens and sustainable systems, but they do require maintenance,” says Waddington.
The problem happens when fruit trees are neglected or planted too close to a seating area. “Fallen and rotting fruit can quickly attract wasps, fruit flies, ants, and rodents. Dense canopies may also reduce airflow and contribute to pest problems,” she explains.
However, fruit trees are not the only issue; strawberry plants positioned close to your patio can also cause problems, especially if the ripe fruit isn't picked, attracting fruit flies, ants and wasps.
Fruit trees can still have a place within the garden, but she suggests they are often better positioned slightly farther away in a dedicated orchard or food forest zone. And if you do have patio fruit trees, she advises ensuring they are well maintained to avoid any issues.
Best alternatives
Waddington suggests replacing fruit trees and bushes with bay laurel, an olive tree or rosemary, as they can provide structure and greenery with fewer issues.
Pest resistant plants to grow instead
When planting around your patio, Kyle Turner, founder, president and CEO of Pro Active Pest Control, suggests choosing pest-resistant plants.
He says lavender is a good all-rounder as it “repels mosquitoes, moths and fleas and smells great on a patio.”
Other top pest-resistant plants include marigolds, as they deter aphids, mosquitoes and whiteflies. Rosemary is one of the best herbs to grown on a patio as it is hardy and fragrant, and bugs mostly leave it alone.
Turner also recommends chrysanthemums, “They contain pyrethrin, which is actually used in natural insecticides,” he explains.
And if you are looking for a companion plant, he says, “Petunias are one of the best companion plants for deterring a wide range of common garden pests without attracting new ones."
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