Bushes That Attract Flies

If you’re looking to boost biodiversity or support beneficial insects, you might consider planting bushes that attract flies. While it sounds counterintuitive, many flies are important pollinators, and their favorite fragrant blooms play a key role in a healthy garden ecosystem. This guide will help you understand which shrubs draw them in and how to manage your garden effectively.

Not all flies are pests. Hoverflies, bee flies, and tachinid flies are actually garden allies. They pollinate flowers and, in many cases, their larvae eat aphids and other bugs. By planting the right bushes, you can invite these helpful species.

It’s all about balance. You want to support the good flies without creating a nuisance. The secret lies in choosing the correct plants and placing them strategically. Let’s look at how to do that.

This list focuses on shrubs known for their strong scents and blooms that are particularly attractive to various fly species. Remember, location is key—plant these away from your main sitting areas and doors.

1. Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)

This native North American shrub is a powerhouse for pollinators. Its late-summer spikes of white or pink flowers have a sweet, spicy fragrance that many flies find irresistible.

Bloom Time: Mid to late summer.
Sun Requirements: Full sun to part shade.
Why Flies Love It: The intense, heavy fragrance is a strong attractant for hoverflies and bee flies seeking nectar.
Garden Tip: Excellent for wet, shady spots where other shrubs might struggle.

2. Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

Buttonbush is a wetland native with unique, pincushion-like white ball flowers. Its honey-sweet scent pulls in a huge variety of insects, including many beneficial flies.

Bloom Time: Summer.
Sun Requirements: Full sun to part shade.
Why Flies Love It: The nectar is easily accessible, and the scent travels far. It’s a favorite of syrphid flies.
Garden Tip: Perfect for rain gardens or pond edges.

3. Elderberry (Sambucus spp.)

Elderberry bushes produce large, flat clusters of tiny, creamy flowers. The scent is strong, musky, and sweet, often described as “heady.” This aroma is a major draw for flies.

Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer.
Sun Requirements: Full sun to part shade.
Why Flies Love It: The large flower clusters offer a big nectar reward. The fragrance is particularly effective at attracting tachinid flies and others.
Garden Tip: You get a double benefit: flowers for pollinators and berries for birds (and for you to make syrup, if you wish).

4. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

Common privet is often used for hedging. In early summer, it blooms with small, white flowers that have a very strong, some say unpleasant, fragrance. This smell is highly attractive to many fly species.

Bloom Time: Early summer.
Sun Requirements: Full sun to shade.
Why Flies Love It: The overpowering scent acts like a beacon. It’s known for attracting not just beneficial flies but also houseflies, so placement is crucial.
Garden Tip: Consider native alternatives if possible, as some privet species are invasive in certain areas. Plant it far from windows.

5. Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

The classic lilac’s beautiful purple, white, or pink panicles are famous for their scent. While loved by people, that same perfume also attracts a significant number of flies, especially hoverflies.

Bloom Time: Mid to late spring.
Sun Requirements: Full sun.
Why Flies Love It: The strong, sweet fragrance is easy for flies to detect from a distance. The flower shape provides a good landing platform.
Garden Tip: Prune immediately after flowering to ensure good blooms the next year.

6. Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’)

A compact cultivar of Sweet Pepperbush, ‘Hummingbird’ offers the same benefits in a smaller package. Its fragrant spikes are just as appealing to pollinating flies.

Bloom Time: July to August.
Sun Requirements: Full sun to part shade.
Why Flies Love It: Same as its parent plant—intense fragrance during a time when nectar can be scarce.
Garden Tip: Ideal for smaller gardens or foundation plantings where you want to attract pollinators.

7. Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)

This tough evergreen shrub has clusters of bright yellow flowers in early spring. They have a light, sweet scent that attracts early-emerging flies looking for food.

Bloom Time: Early spring.
Sun Requirements: Part shade to full shade.
Why Flies Love It: It provides a critical early-season nectar source when little else is blooming.
Garden Tip: Its holly-like leaves and blue berries add multi-season interest.

How to Manage Flies in Your Garden

Attracting flies intentionally requires some management. You don’t want to create a problem. Here’s how to do it smartly.

Strategic Placement is Everything

Never plant these highly fragrant bushes right next to your patio, front door, or kitchen windows. Place them at the periphery of your property, near a compost area, or in a dedicated “pollinator zone” away from high-traffic human areas.

Encourage Natural Predators

A balanced ecosystem keeps populations in check. Encourage birds, bats, frogs, and predatory wasps. Installing birdhouses, a small water feature, and leaving some leaf litter can help these predators thrive.

Maintain Excellent Garden Hygiene

This is the most important step. By removing what attracts nuisance flies, you ensure the ones visiting your blooms are the beneficial types.

Secure compost bins with tight-fitting lids. Turn compost regularly to speed up decomposition.
Remove rotting fruit from the ground promptly.
Keep garbage and recycling cans clean and closed.
Avoid using fresh animal manure as fertilizer unless it’s well-composted first.
Eliminate standing water where mosquitoes and some flies breed.

Use Companion Planting

Plant herbs and flowers that deter nuisance flies near your sitting areas. Strong-smelling herbs like basil, mint, lavender, and rosemary can help mask attractive scents and repel some fly species.

Why Attract Flies? The Benefits Explained

It might seem strange to want flies in your garden, but the advantages are significant for a healthy, productive space.

Pollination Power

Many fly species are excellent pollinators. They often visit flowers in cooler, wetter weather when bees are less active. Plants like carrots, onions, and some fruit trees rely heavily on fly pollination.

Natural Pest Control

The larvae of hoverflies (syrphid flies) and tachinid flies are voracious predators. A single hoverfly larva can eat hundreds of aphids during its development. By attracting the adults with flowers, you ensure they lay eggs in your garden, providing free pest control.

Supporting the Food Web

Flies are a crucial food source for birds, bats, spiders, and other beneficial insects. By supporting a healthy fly population, you support the entire garden ecosystem, encouraging more wildlife to visit.

Step-by-Step: Adding Fly-Attracting Bushes to Your Garden

Step 1: Assess Your Space

Look at your garden map or yard. Identify a suitable area away from your house and entertainment zones. Check the sunlight, soil type, and moisture levels in that spot.

Step 2: Choose Your Bush

Select one or two shrubs from the list above that match the conditions of your chosen spot (sun/shade, wet/dry). Consider the mature size to ensure it will fit.

Step 3: Prepare the Planting Hole

Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Loosen the soil around the sides to help roots expand easily. Mix some compost into the native soil you removed.

Step 4: Plant and Water

Place the bush in the hole, making sure the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. Backfill with your soil-compost mix, gently firming it down. Water thoroughly to settle the soil and eliminate air pockets.

Step 5: Mulch and Maintain

Apply a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around the base, keeping it away from the stem. Water regularly during the first growing season. Prune as needed for the specific plant, usually after flowering.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Planting too close to the house. The fragrance will bring flies near your windows.
Neglecting garden cleanup. If you attract flies with flowers but also with garbage, you’ll get too many of the wrong kind.
Using broad-spectrum insecticides. These will kill the beneficial flies and insects you’re trying to encourage.
Forgetting to water new plants. A stressed shrub won’t produce abundant, fragrant flowers.
Planting invasive species. Always check if a plant is considered invasive in your region before planting.

FAQ Section

What smells are flies most attracted to?

Flies are most attracted to strong, sweet, fermenting, or decaying odors. In the garden, heavily fragrant blooms like those of privet, elderberry, and clethra mimic these scents, drawing them in for nectar.

How do I stop flies from swarming my bushes?

If flies become a nusance, you can try gently spraying the bush with a water hose to disperse them. Ensure there are no other attractants like trash nearby. As a last resort, you might need to replace the bush with a less fragrant variety.

Are flies good for my garden?

Many are! Pollinating flies help flowers produce fruit and seed. Predatory fly larvae consume large numbers of common garden pests. They are a vital part of the ecosystem.

What is the best bush to attract hoverflies?

Hoverflies are particularly fond of flat, open flowers or small clustered blooms. Excellent choices include sweet alyssum (an annual), dill, and from the shrub list, Buttonbush and Elderberry are top picks for attracting these beneficial insects.

Will these bushes also attract bees and butterflies?

Absolutely. Most of these shrubs are excellent all-around pollinator plants. The fragrant blooms that attract flies are also very appealing to bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, making them a great addition to any wildlife garden.

Can I plant these in a small garden?

Yes, choose compact cultivars like Summersweet ‘Hummingbird’ or dwarf varieties of lilac. Just be extra mindful of placement, keeping them at the far end of your space from seating areas.

Adding bushes that attract flies is a smart strategy for the ecologically minded gardener. It’s about working with nature, not against it. By selecting the right fragrant shrubs and managing your garden space wisely, you can support a hidden world of pollinators and pest controllers. This contributes to a more resilient and vibrant garden overall. Remember, the goal is biodiversity—a mix of many creatures where no single species becomes a problem. With these plants and tips, you can create a space that is both beautiful and functionally robust, teeming with life at every level.