Note--Trap plants will not cause you to have pests that you would not other wise have in your garden. They are there in place when the pests are forced to come down during their migration or are washed, blown or brought into your yard.

Trap Plants:

*Sunflower [any variety-native multi stem sunflower-my favorite] # one trap plant for all sucking rasping insects. Sunflowers [any variety] are irresistible to grasshoppers and leafhoppers. Sunflowers are full of juice and seldom damaged by the pests. You usually have several of the native sunflowers pop up every year throughout the garden-leave one or two that happen to be placed strategically in your beds as the ultimate trap plant. You only need one every 2000 square feet.
*Marigold [good summer annual-- my favorite is French marigold ] Spider mite trap. Plant them around your tomatoes or any other problem areas. If they get spider mites so badly that the damage is unsightly, spray them with a teaspoon of dish soap [for the sink ] and a teaspoon of canola oil to a quart of water [shake well]
*Oleander --Large evergreen shrub [red is the best in terms of cold damage]. The Oleander is a trap plant for all aphids including and especially the large yellow Mexican aphids. Hang a bird feeder by them.

*Tropical Milk weed [large annual with tall red and yellow flowers] Aphid trap.
* Variegated Chinese Ligustrum [large silver shrub or small tree] White fly trap. If damage shows it means that you need to release lacewing larva.

* Mint [any variety-chocolate mint is a less aggressive one]. I allow it to flourish during the spring to trap the four lined plant bug. In early June, when the heat ends this insects stay, I rip out the mint-the heat keeps it from growing and it returns in the early spring to do its job.

Larval plants---to attract adult butterflies to so they won't lay their eggs on other plants. You will need to plan for these plants to be eaten back when they are populated by the caterpillars. They will grow back. Here are my favorite ones.
*Bronze Fennel [3'x3' bronze-purple hairy. like foliage that smells like licorice] This will be up spring-fall. Plant parsley in the fall to fill in as a larval plant over the winter. Eastern Black Swallowtail.
*Asian Blue Passionflower Vine [Large vine with blue and green flowers and passion fruit] Gulf Fritillary.
*Rue [2'x2' perennial-Blue-green leaves with yellow flowers] Yellow swallowtail and Painted Lady.

Host Plants--to attract and hold beneficial insects in the garden. These plants provide habitat, or pollen for different beneficial insects. Note-trap plants that attract the most favorite food of beneficial insects-bad bugs are also host plants to the beneficial insects. Here are some of the ones that I use most.

*Big Ear Lambs Ear [Large fuzzy silver leaf ground cover] Host to Mealybug predator
*Sunflower [Any variety]
*Wildflowers
*See the list of trap plants