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Nasturtium as an aphid trap crop: does it work?
Sources (0)
Folklore-unproven Popular claim without supporting field evidence, or tested and not supported.
Widely recommended, and plausible as a trap plant, but we found no controlled field study showing it protects nearby vegetables.
- Ben-Issa R., Gomez L., Gautier H. (2017). Companion Plants for Aphid Pest Management. Insects 8(4):112 (peer-reviewed review).
- Chalker-Scott L. (2023). Gardening with Companion Plants. WSU Extension EM128E.
Mechanism
Claimed: aphids prefer nasturtium and are drawn off crops.
What the research found
- The peer-reviewed aphid companion-plant review (Ben-Issa et al. 2017) does not report a field test of nasturtium protecting a crop.
- WSU Extension cautions that many companion claims lack documented benefits (Chalker-Scott 2023).
Caveats
A trap crop that hosts aphids can also become a source of aphids if not managed.
How to try it
If you try it, plant it away from the crop and remove heavily infested plants.
Other Folklore-unproven pairings (4)
- Marigolds interplanted with tomatoes to stop nematodes
- Tomato and basil
- Tomato and Brussels sprouts ("bad neighbors")
- Mint to repel garden pests
Evidence summary checked 2026-10-14. We cite only peer-reviewed studies, university extension and USDA/ARS sources; results may differ in your region. Not professional advice.