Don’t buy these plants-they can attract bed bugs into your home.

Houseplants can brighten a room, calm the mind, and clean the air-but some come with one truly unwelcome side effect.

As spring approaches and people fill their homes with green leaves and colorful blooms, pest experts offer a quiet warning. Certain plants don’t just decorate your living room-they can make bed bugs and other insects feel surprisingly at home.

Why Some Plants May Help Bed Bugs Settle In

Bed bugs do not eat plants. They feed on blood. So the idea that a sunflower on the windowsill might somehow “attract” them sounds absurd at first. The connection is elsewhere: in the small ecosystem that builds up around some plant species.

Several plants widely sold as cheerful, low-maintenance options share a few traits that bed bugs and other household pests appreciate:

• They shelter insects that travel on clothing, pets, or secondhand furniture.
• They create dense foliage that conceals crevices and cracks.
• They may raise humidity in corners of a room where pests like to rest.

Certain decorative plants do not lure bed bugs in from outside, but they can make your home a much easier base for them once they arrive.

Three Popular Plants You Might Want to Think Twice About

European pest advisors have flagged three species that often appear in living rooms and on balconies: sunflower, chamomile, and dandelion. None are “bad” plants, but their biology and structure can indirectly support bed bug issues.

Sunflowers: Bright Blooms, Hidden Guests

Sunflowers attract aphids, beetles, and other tiny insects. Those insects-and the soil and pots that come with them-move through homes via gardening tools, textiles, and storage boxes. Bed bugs may hitchhike on these items, then settle into the nearest sofa seam or bed frame.

The size of potted sunflowers also matters. Large containers placed against walls or under windows often conceal narrow gaps. Bed bugs like these tight spaces for daytime hiding, especially when they’re near curtains or upholstered chairs.

Chamomile: Soothing Tea, Dense Growth

Chamomile plants stay shorter and bushier. Their fine leaves and small flowers can support small insect populations. Gardeners often place chamomile near beds or nightstands because they like the scent. That habit reduces the distance between any pests and where people sleep.

Loose chamomile taken from homegrown plants-dried and stored in cloth bags, cushions, or sachets-can also create extra fabric layers. Bed bugs hide in these folds, just as they do in mattress piping or pillow seams.

Dandelions: Harmless Weeds, Insect Magnets

Dandelions brought indoors for herbal use or decoration can carry soil and insect eggs on their roots and leaves. When people repot them or rinse them in sinks, material can end up spread around drains, countertops, or cloths used for drying.

Every plant brought in from a garden, balcony, or roadside carries a small load of soil, organic matter, and potential hitchhikers. Bed bugs need only a crack five millimeters wide to disappear from sight.

Plants That Help Repel Bed Bugs and Other Insects

Not all greenery is bad for pest control. Some fragrant plants release volatile compounds many insects dislike. They don’t provide perfect protection, but they can support a broader strategy.

Lavender and Citronella: Strong Scents, Fewer Pests

Lavender is the classic example. Its essential oils disrupt many insects’ sense of smell. Placed near windows, doors, or the edge of a bed, lavender pots may help reduce how many wandering bugs linger in those areas.

Citronella, often sold as a patio plant, works similarly against mosquitoes and flies. For bed bugs, the effect is weaker, but a strong scent barrier may still make movement less comfortable.

Plant	Main Effect on Pests	Best Location
Lavender	Repels many insects with a strong aroma	Window sills, near bedroom doors
Citronella	Discourages mosquitoes and some flying insects	Balconies, near open windows in summer
Sunflower	Can host other insects and conceal crevices	Preferably outdoors, away from upholstered furniture
Chamomile	Dense foliage and textile use add hiding spots	Far from beds and upholstered furniture

Indoor Plants: Real Benefits, Not Just Decoration

Despite the concerns, indoor plants still offer clear benefits. Some species absorb volatile organic compounds from paint, cleaning products, and furniture. Palm varieties such as Areca are often cited for improving perceived air quality in enclosed rooms.

Greenery also affects mood. A few well-placed pots in a kitchen or living room soften hard surfaces and reduce visual stress. People often feel calmer and more focused when surrounded by natural shapes instead of bare walls and screens.

Plants influence indoor air, light, noise, and mood all at once, which is why many people now see them as part of their basic home setup-not a luxury.

Some choices can even support pest management. Strong-scented herbs around window frames can slow down flying insects that show up in warm months when windows stay open late into the evening.

Hidden Downsides: Toxicity, Humidity, and Mold

Houseplants come with trade-offs that often get less attention. Some familiar favorites, such as ficus or holly, are toxic if chewed. Adults rarely eat their leaves or berries, but curious children and pets sometimes do. That can trigger digestive issues, drooling, or more serious symptoms depending on the dose.

Another overlooked factor is humidity. Every plant releases water vapor during transpiration. In a modern, well-insulated apartment with limited ventilation, a dense collection of plants can raise moisture levels. That increase may encourage mold growth behind furniture or along colder exterior walls.

Mold and bed bugs don’t depend on each other directly, but both benefit from cluttered, poorly ventilated corners. The more objects, fabrics, and pots you pack into a small space, the more hiding places you create.

How Plants and Bed Bugs Cross Paths in Real Homes

Most bed bug infestations start with travel or secondhand items, not plants. Still, once the insects reach a home, the layout and residents’ habits affect how quickly they spread.

• Plant stands near beds or sofas act as “stepping stones” for bugs moving between hiding spots.
• Hanging planters near curtain rods add extra fabric and rope where bugs can rest.
• Frequent watering brings people close to baseboards, outlets, and cracks-areas they rarely inspect otherwise.

This combination can make certain corners of a home both lush and vulnerable. A colorful pot near a fabric headboard may look harmless, but it shortens the distance between any hitchhiking insect and your sleeping area.

Practical Steps for Plant Lovers Who Fear Bed Bugs

Giving up plants entirely is drastic for most people. A few simple habits can reduce risk without clearing your shelves.

Check Before You Bring Plants Home

Inspect leaves, stems, and the soil surface at garden centers or markets. Look for tiny black spots, shed insect skins, or clusters of eggs. If the pot sits inside a decorative outer pot, lift it out and check underneath.

Once home, keep new plants in a “quarantine” area for a couple of weeks, away from beds and sofas. This pause gives you time to spot any insects before they reach fabric.

Manage Where and How You Place Your Pots

Avoid pressing pots directly against walls, beds, or upholstered chairs. Leave a visible gap so you can inspect baseboards and floor seams. Use trays you can remove and clean instead of heavy decorative containers that never move.

Trim dense foliage occasionally to reduce dark, tangled areas. Cleaning around and behind pots during regular vacuuming removes dust and small debris that can shelter insects.

Combine Greenery With a Basic Bed Bug Prevention Routine

Plants are only one part of the bigger picture. A simple routine lowers the chance that a few stray bugs turn into a major infestation:

• Check mattress seams and bed frames monthly with a flashlight.
• Wash bedding on a regular schedule at high temperatures.
• Be cautious with secondhand furniture, especially sofas and headboards.
• Use protective mattress encasements in high-risk urban apartments.

When You Should Talk to a Professional

If you notice rusty stains on sheets, tiny dark droppings along baseboards, or live insects near the bed, houseplants shouldn’t be your main concern. At that stage, many experts recommend a full inspection by a licensed pest control professional.

Professionals check not only beds and carpets, but also commonly overlooked items such as plant stands, woven baskets, and the undersides of pots. They can determine whether your plants play any role-or simply share the same corners.

Think of Plants as Part of Your Home’s Microclimate

Once you view houseplants as part of a small indoor ecosystem rather than simple decor, decisions about what to buy and where to place it start to change. A large sunflower in a small bedroom with heavy curtains creates a different environment than a few aromatic herbs on a bright kitchen windowsill.

Before your next trip to the garden center, it helps to picture your home as a map of humidity, fabric, and hiding spots. That mental picture can guide you toward plants that freshen the air and lift your mood-without accidentally rolling out the green carpet for bed bugs and their tiny companions.