Create a Frog-Friendly Garden with These 4 Expert-Approved Tips

Frogs and toads are some of the most charismatic wildlife in the garden. Their calls mark the arrival of spring, their presence indicates a healthy ecosystem, and their antics bring joy. However, many species are in serious decline from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. Fortunately, our yards can help them. 

To learn how to make yards more amphibian-friendly, we spoke to two experts: Jessica Hua, an ecologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Greg Pauly, curator of herpetology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Their advice can help turn any garden into a safe haven for frogs and toads.

Why Attract Frogs and Toads?

Beyond their charm, frogs and toads are fantastic for your garden. They’re both prey and predators—feeding birds and mammals while also helping to control insect pests, says Hua. “A single toad can eat up to 1,000 insects a day,” she notes. That’s a lot of grasshoppers, crickets, earwigs, and caterpillars.

Just as importantly, they remind us to slow down and reconnect with nature. “It’s not just increasing biodiversity in your yard,” says Pauly, “it’s increasing the time dedicated toward observing and appreciating it, which are all things that are very beneficial to people.”

Watching a toad emerge from a pile of leaves or hearing a frog call at dusk can be a lovely experience—one that reminds us to pay attention and delight in the small wonders right outside our door.

Tips for Attracting Amphibians

Worried that your yard isn’t big enough to attract frogs and toads? Even small spaces can support amphibians and serve as important corridors that connect to larger green spaces, says Hua. Here’s how to make your yard more amphibian-friendly. 

1. Provide Shelter and Shade

Frogs and toads need quiet, cool, shady spots to hunt, rest, and overwinter. Moist garden beds, long grass, leaf piles, compost heaps, rocks, logs, and overturned pots can all provide shelter while also supporting insects amphibians feed on, says Hua. One of the easiest and most effective ways to create this kind of habitat is simply to let part of your yard grow a little wild. “Leave an area that isn’t perfectly manicured,” she advises. 

2. Think in Layers

In addition to ground-level shelter, amphibians benefit from vegetation at various heights. Layer low plants, shrubs, and small trees to create vertical spaces to support amphibians—especially tree frogs—and allow them to move safely through your yard.

“Having vegetation at various levels is important,” says Pauly, particularly in regions where amphibians rely on both ground cover and elevated foliage for protection and foraging. This kind of planting also boosts insect biodiversity and adds texture and visual interest to your garden. A win all around.

3. Add Native Plants

Native plants are the best choice for amphibians, note our experts. They provide familiar habitat, attract a diversity of insects for frog food, and avoid the hidden risks some invasive plants can pose. In her lab, Hua found that certain invasive plants can make amphibians more vulnerable to pollution​. When those invasive plants drop their leaves, it can change water chemistry, causing all sorts of effects on the amphibians that live there. 

New to native plants?  Even adding one or two can make a difference. “The simple act of planting one native or climate-appropriate plant can increase insect biodiversity in your yard,” says Pauly​.

4. Install a Water Feature

A water feature is one of the best ways to attract frogs and toads since “most of the North American species are pond breeders,” explains Pauly. That includes common visitors like tree frogs, green frogs, leopard frogs, spring peepers, and toads, depending on your location.

Luckily, you don’t need a fancy setup. A shallow basin or a kiddie pool can work fine. Just make sure the water is clean and free of chlorine. If you’re using tap water, let it sit out for 24 hours or treat it with a dechlorinator from a pet store, says Hua.

To make your water feature amphibian-friendly, our experts recommend the following:

• Sloped Edges: Toads aren’t great swimmers, so they need gently sloped edges or ramps (some rocks or a small board works) to climb out easily.
• Add vegetation: Adults and tadpoles need places to hide from predators like birds and dragonfly larvae. Add native plants around the edge of the water feature and aquatic plants in the water for cover.
• Avoid fish (generally): People often add fish to ponds to control mosquitoes, but many frogs will avoid ponds with fish, which often eat amphibian eggs and tadpoles. If you do want fish, choose a native species that eats mosquito larvae but won’t harm frog tadpoles or eggs. 
• Let a little algae grow: Tadpoles feed on algae, so avoid scrubbing your water feature clean. 
• Use pumps with care: If you add a pump for water movement, make sure it’s gentle and won’t suck up tadpoles or eggs.

You can even cover your small pond or basin with a loose shade cloth once eggs are laid, which Hua says helps protect against predators like dragonfly larvae since the cloth will keep dragonflies from laying eggs in the water. Just remember to uncover the pond once the tadpoles are big enough to start leaving the water​.

What to Avoid

Creating habitat is important, but so is making sure your yard is a safe place for frogs and toads.  Here’s what to watch out for, according to our experts:

• Don’t Use Chemicals. “No pesticides,” says Pauly. They’ll reduce your insect populations, including beneficial insects and insects that frogs are eating. Hua adds that even when herbicides and insecticides aren’t designed to harm amphibians, the additives in these products—like surfactants—can still be dangerous since frogs and toads can absorb these substances through their sensitive, permeable skin.
• Remove common yard hazards. Uncovered swimming pools or deep basement window wells are pitfall traps for many amphibians. So, if you have a pool or window wells, add a board or a frog ladder as an escape route that allows them to get out safely​ if they fall in.
• Place water features away from the home. If you’re adding a water feature, place it a little ways away from your home. Frog calls can be loud, and not everyone wants to hear them right outside their bedroom window.
• Be patient. If frogs don’t appear right away, be patient. Let native species find your pond naturally—and don’t introduce non-native amphibians.
• Don’t pick them up. If you spot a frog or toad in your yard, enjoy it from a distance and don’t pick it up. Their skin is sensitive to the oils, lotions, and bug spray that might be on your hands. “Think of them as your hands-off neighbor,” says Pauly, “it’s best to just not touch them.”

Supporting Conservation Efforts

Once you’ve attracted frogs and toads, why not take the next step and help scientists learn more about them? “The simple act of taking a photo with your phone and uploading it can support conservation work for decades to come,” says Pauly, who recommends uploading sightings to iNaturalist.

Want to get even more involved? Consider joining a local amphibian monitoring program—many of which can be found throughout the country. Hua runs Friends of Amphibians, a community science project in Wisconsin where participants log the frog calls they hear using a simple app.

By welcoming frogs and toads into your yard, you’re not just creating habitat—you’re helping protect at-risk wildlife and building a deeper connection with the natural world right outside your door. “I want people to know that they actually can make a difference,” says Hua.