If you’ve noticed an increase in wasp activity around your yard, the culprit might be a common weed called figwort.
This unassuming plant can attract wasps to your outdoor spaces, creating a potential stinging hazard for you and your family.
What Is Figwort?
Figwort (Scrophularia) is a genus of about 200 species of coarse herbs in the Scrophulariaceae family. These rather tall plants are native to open woodlands in the Northern Hemisphere. They have purple, greenish, or yellow flowers in large branched spikes.
Some common species include:
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- Scrophularia nodosa (woodland figwort)
- S. chrysantha
- S. marilandica (Maryland figwort)
Figwort gets its name from an early use in treating hemorrhoids, once known as “figs”. The Romans were fond of eating figs which was also their slang for piles. They named this plant after the swollen nodes of the rhizomes and for its application to tumors as much as to piles.
Why Does Figwort Attract Wasps?
The leaves, tubers, and flowers of figwort exude an unpleasant smell that attracts wasps. This odor makes the plant unpalatable to humans and animals. However, the nectar-rich flowers are very attractive to wasps and other pollinators.
Figwort blooms attract wasps, which may be beneficial to the plant but undesirable in a yard. Wasps seem to forage around figwort at random, often revisiting the same flowers. They struggle a bit to reach the nectar in the flowers, having to curl their tail right underneath and hug the flowers to force their wedge-shaped heads in.
How to Identify Figwort in Your Yard
You can identify figwort in your yard by looking for these characteristics:
- Inconspicuous yet unique round, red-yellow flowers
- Grows in similar fashion to mint, reaching heights of around 3-10 feet tall
- Found in damp, soggy areas like riverbanks, ditches, woodlands and moist forests
- Related to and resembles the mullein plant
- Unpleasant smell coming from the leaves, tubers and flowers
Risks of Having Figwort & Wasps in Your Yard
While wasps attracted by figwort can help pollinate certain plants, you likely want to keep them out of your yard. Wasps sting when they sense a threat, but it’s not always easy to know when they perceive you as one. You might fear that wasps swarming around figwort in your yard could randomly sting you or your family.
This is particularly dangerous for those with wasp allergies. Wasp stings can cause severe reactions in some people. Wasps may also build nests in nearby structures like sheds, decks, or play equipment, making your outdoor spaces unpleasant to use.
How to Get Rid of Figwort & Deter Wasps
To avoid attracting wasps to your yard, identify and remove any figwort plants. Here are some steps to get rid of figwort and deter wasps:
- Physically remove any figwort plants you find growing in your yard. Figwort grows from rhizomes which can be uprooted as a clump without much difficulty.
- Apply an herbicide to the leaves or stems of figwort to kill the plant. Glyphosate is a systemic herbicide that will be taken down to the roots.
- Trim back other dense vegetation where wasps may nest near the figwort. Maintain or repair common wasp nest locations like broken siding, panels, rain gutters and window sills.
- Set out wasp traps to capture and remove them from the area. Wasp traps feature a liquid that attracts wasps. When they crawl in, they get stuck and drown.
- Consider planting wasp-repelling herbs and plants around your yard instead. Certain fragrant plants like mint, citronella, thyme, eucalyptus and wormwood are known to naturally repel wasps.
If you have plants that would benefit from wasp pollination, you can transplant the removed figwort to an area further from your home and outdoor living spaces. Alternatively, if your garden is too close to where you and your family gather, it’s best to remove the figwort completely to reduce the risk of stings.
Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles.