Grow Tansy: The Essential Companion Plant for a Thriving Garden

Tansy belongs to the chamomile and ragwort family. The plants can be tall, reaching up to 2.10m in my garden this summer. The flowers are yellow, and the foliage, when crushed, exudes a lovely scent. Tansy is a good source of nectar for pollinators, and the dried foliage was traditionally used to smoke honey bees.

The plant can be divided in October and during its dormant season, and it will self-seed happily.

Tansy is a potent plant that has been used traditionally to deter insects, lice, and fleas. A tincture made with cider vinegar can be applied before and during infestations to control head lice. You can also make small bags with dried leaves and flowers to protect your linens against moths.

Moreover, the flowers are very accessible to insects, and it is a prime companion plant because it attracts a large number of hoverflies, which help regulate greenflies.

Some people make infusions or fermented extracts to control insects and tomato blight. Tansy will produce a good amount of woody stalks, which are very useful for raising the carbon content of your soil.