Want Fireflies in Your Garden? Add These 6 Plants in Spring and Your Yard Will Be Glowing Come Summer
Add these six plants in spring and your backyard will be glowing all summer... fireflies included
There’s nothing quite so magical as a summer evening lit by the soft glow of fireflies. Watching these tiny lanterns drift among garden plants is a ritual that feels almost otherworldly, a reminder of childhood summers and the slow magic of nature.
It helps, too, that firefly larvae are beneficial predators. So, yes, there are more than a few reasons to carefully fill your garden with those plants that actually encourage fireflies to visit your yard.
By planting a selection of native, pollinator-friendly species in spring, (and avoiding the sort of artificial light pollution that drives firefly populations down), then you can create a glowing haven come summer, where fireflies feel welcome and abundant.
So, let's set to work, shall we?
How to Attract Fireflies to Your Garden
I’ve long been fascinated by how certain plants naturally attract insects, butterflies, and other wildlife. The idea that someone could manipulate their own garden to create these moments – without harsh chemicals or complicated tricks – is... well, it's a form of magic in itself.
Some plants are simply irresistible to fireflies, providing shelter, moisture, and even food sources for their larvae (or babies, if you prefer to keep things cute). Whether that means you lean towards a moon garden of night blooming flowers, or something a little closer to earth, is up to you.
With a little thought and planning, then, a typical backyard can become a firefly paradise. All you have to do is stick to the golden duo: variety and timing.
6 Plants that Fireflies Love
Adult fireflies feed on plant nectar in the garden, so planting a mix of flowers (depending on your USDA Planting Zone) that bloom at different heights, times, and intensities ensures your garden has constant activity, giving fireflies reasons to linger.
Think bold red blooms, tall grasses swaying in the evening breeze, low-growing flowers that provide cover, and a garden that feels alive with movement, color, and light long after the sun has set.
Graceful, airy seed heads provide shelter and vertical structure, perfect for fireflies to perch and hover around.
Vibrant red spikes attract pollinators and insects, providing both a food source and visual magnet for fireflies.
Opens its pale yellow blooms at dusk, providing night-time nectar and encouraging nocturnal visitors.
These tall, airy, mauve flower clusters that bloom in mid-to-late summer, attracting pollinators and providing cover for fireflies.
Round clusters of white blooms in wetlands or moist areas attract insects and create safe resting perches for fireflies.
Shenandoah Switch Grass adds graceful movement and deep red tips that catch the evening light, giving fireflies the perfect backdrop to flicker among.
Sweet scented jasmine is also a brilliant option for those hoping to make fireflies feel at home, or even the potent moonflower. Whatever you choose, we promise that watching fireflies emerge among these plants will prove almost hypnotic.
Each and every flicker will feel deliberate, as though the garden itself is performing a light show. Indeed, even the most urban garden can sparkle, so long as you plant carefully (and include some moss or shade-tolerant plants for good measure). Positioning these blooms in clumps or along naturalistic borders, water lightly, and avoid pesticides (you won't need them; in their larval form, fireflies feed on other insects in the soil – such as slugs, snails, and caterpillars), then you will find it easy to create a thriving habitat.
Best of all? Well, by springing into action now, you’ll get to enjoy summer nights alive with fireflies, a living, glowing reminder of the magic of nature right outside your door. What could be better, eh?
