After attending a container gardening workshop, I discovered an article based on the findings by Agriculturalist Research Service, horticulturist, Eric Brennan that organic lettuce growers like to use alyssum in their fields of lettuce to help control aphids.

photos by Karen Norton

Lettuce growers in California central coast use it because alyssum attracts a beneficial insect, the hoverfly. Hoverflies lay eggs nearby, then when hatched, the larvae hop on over to the lettuce to prey on current lettuce aphids.

Alyssum means “worth beyond beauty” and can make a beautiful companion to spring lettuce planted in your vegetable garden, in containers, or as a decorative and edible border in other parts of the yard.

Research information: www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jan14/lettuce0114.htm