Feverfew

Description

Feverfew is the sort of plant that quietly does a bit of everything—pretty enough to pass as a daisy, helpful enough to earn its place in the herb patch, and resilient enough to thrive with very little fuss. You’ll find it in the pages of old herbals, where it’s listed as a go-to for everything from aches to insect bites.

It bears cheerful white flowers with sunny yellow centres, blooming generously across a dense, mid-sized bush. The plant itself has a compact habit, forming a soft clump of serrated green leaves that can fill in spaces around pathways or in between taller herbs and vegetables. Typically growing to about 20–30cm tall, it is ideal for the front of borders, in pots, or as a filler in companion plantings.

It’s not just a pretty face, though as the whole plant, especially the flowers, contains pyrethrin, a naturally occurring compound that acts as a gentle insect repellent. This makes feverfew a fantastic companion plant for your veggie patch or flower garden. The scent and chemical composition deter mosquitoes, aphids, leafhoppers, whitefly, and spider mites.

A weak infusion of the leaves and flowers can be sprayed around the garden to help with persistent whitefly and mite problems, while dried and crushed blooms can be sprinkled to repel other soft-bodied pests. It’s a useful trick for gardeners trying to limit their use of harsh chemical sprays.

Feverfew is often planted around the edges of outdoor seating areas, near doorways, or alongside windows. Not only does it help keep flying, biting insects away from us humans, but its compact shape and regular blooming habit make it a visually pleasing addition wherever you place it.

For even better results, try pairing it with lavender—a classic garden combination that looks great and doubles down on mosquito deterrence. The lavender’s strong scent works in harmony with feverfew’s pyrethrin content, creating a sort of aromatic shield around your favourite garden sitting spots.