Continuing my series on attracting pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds into your aromatic garden, this week I am looking at the benefits of attracting bats to your scented garden. Bats do not have the greatest fan base, but they do have something to offer the aromatic gardener. Bats are important pollinators of certain flowers and, as such, are vital to the ecological cycle of your garden. They also control the mosquito, beetle, and moth population as part of their nightly eating habits.

Types of Aromatic Plants for Bats

Bats are nocturnal and will arrive in your garden as dusk falls. Consequently, you need to plant night-scented flowers or plants that continually give off an aroma, if you want to attract bats to your aromatic garden. Species of bats vary from region to region, so you may want to research the best type of aromatic plants that will grow in your area in order to attract bats. In general, bats are attracted to many traditional herbs and aromatic flowers, in addition to specific night-scented flowers.

Aromatic Herbs That Attract Bats

Bats find the following aromatic herbs attractive:

• lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

• spearmint (Mentha spicata)

• sage (Salva spp.) – there are many different species of sage to choose from

• thyme (Thymus vulgaris)¹

• lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

• marjoram (Origanum marjorana)

• borage (Borago officinalis).²

Other Scented Flowers and Plants That Attract Bats

In addition to traditional aromatic herbs, there are other scented flowers and plants that may entice bats into your garden. These include:

• phlox (Phlox spp.)

• goldenrod (Solidago spp.)¹

• evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)

• night-scented stock (Matthiola longipetula)

• tobacco plant (Nicotiana spp.)

• honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.)

• white jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum).²

Adding Trees to Your Garden for Bats

Bats like somewhere to hang out – literally. Some of the aromatic tree species that are attractive to bats include the pine species (Pinus spp.). They also enjoy spruce trees and non-aromatic trees such as elm and maple.¹ Trees provide shelter and cover for bats when they are not pollinating your aromatic garden.

Learn More About Aromatherapy with Sedona Aromatherapie

If you are interested in learning more about the aromatic plants used in aromatherapy, consider the Sedona Aromatherapie home study aromatherapy program. To learn more, visit the courses home page.

References:

1. Canadian Wildlife Federation website, Go to Bat for Bats, accessed April 25, 2016

2. Suffolk Wildlife Trust website, Attracting Bats Into Your Garden, accessed April 25, 2016

• Author is a UK-certified aromatherapist, published author in aromatherapy, an approved education provider for the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), an aromatherapy business owner, and Chief Editor for the NAHA Aromatherapy Journal.