The Best 12 Mosquito Repellent Plants to Grow

The best 12 mosquito repellent plants that I use every summer are easy to grow. It’s easy to get rid of mosquitoes and other flying or biting insects by spraying an insecticide. As we all know, these chemical insecticides are more toxic to us and are not very respectful of the environment.

There are, however, repellent plants against insects like mosquitoes and wasps. These plants called “insect repellents” are not unknown to us, but we have forgotten their properties in favor of insecticides that poison us as much as the critters. Even though they may not eliminate all mosquitos but they are very helpful in cutting down on them!

We have therefore drawn up a small list of anti-mosquito and anti-wasp plants that are easy to grow in pots, planters, or beds, whose smell disturbs undesirable pests and keeps them away. You will see these insect repellent plants are formidable ecological insecticides.

Ways to Grow Mosquito Repellent Plants

Do you have a bad back? I have one, that is why I love to plant in Hügelkultur Raised Beds, (as seen above), would you like to read that blog post? That post can be found in Hügelkultur Raised Beds.

Another great way to plant is in containers. I have written a whole post on container gardening Guide to container gardening.

Try mixing it up and adding a few of these plants together in one pot or planter. Have you ever thought about planting plants vertically? You can find information on vertical gardening Vertical Gardens for small spaces.

The Difference Between Vermiculite vs Perlite

Have you ever wondered how to use vermiculite and perlite? What are they and how to incorporate them in the garden? Vermiculite and perlite are different as to how they aid in gardening. Sorta like baking soda and baking powder does. I am sure not everyone knows the possibility of using these materials for their purposes.

Despite the fact that perlite and vermiculite for plants are somewhat similar, there is a difference.  Check out this post and how you can incorporate them into your garden Vermiculite vs. Perlite.

The Best 12 Mosquito Repellent Plants

What’s worse than mosquitoes ruining your summer nights? The problem is that commercially available repellents are loaded with chemicals that are not very good for your health …

Fortunately, there are several natural solutions to keep mosquitoes away, and one of them is to use plants. If you need help with gardening, I have a whole blog post, gardening tips for beginners, that can be read Gardening Tips for Beginners.

Print the Mosquito Plants Chart

Enjoy this beautiful plant PDF chart that would great in a picture frame on your porch, in your kitchen, or where a little reminder of all the lovely plants we can grow this year can be admired. You may send the file to Staples or a print shop to print on heavy paper and have it professionally framed for a beautiful work of art!

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is probably one of the best-known mosquito repellents. But do you know that lemongrass is also a plant that you can grow in your garden? In addition, this plant is perennial, you can enjoy its benefits all year round. Its lemony scent masks odors and keeps mosquitoes away.

Moreover, a bunch of lemongrasses emits much more perfume than a product that contains lemongrass, it’s really the right choice! Lemongrass grows easily and propagates itself. 

To enjoy it, you can put it in pots around your terrace. If not, plant the lemongrass directly in the soil of your garden. If you live in a zone higher than 9, you will need to bring it indoors for the winter. It will be best to plant the lemongrass in a pot.

I adore lemongrass so much, I dedicated a whole post to it, you may read about Growing and Using Lemongrass.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is extremely effective in keeping mosquitoes away. This plant is part of the family of mints. But no need to have a green thumb to enjoy lemon balm, it is a resistant plant (even during drought or in the shade). Lemon balm spreads quickly, that’s why it is advisable to grow it in flower pots.

As a bonus, its leaves exhale a sweet and lemony fragrance. You can dry the leaves to make a delicious herbal tea too!

Catnip

This aromatic plant contains repellent oil for mosquitoes. Moreover, a study concluded that catnip was 10 times more effective than products in commercial repellents. The catnip plant grows easily in gardens or in pots.

And there is a small bonus, your cats will also be able to enjoy! Indeed, cats love to roll in catnip. So, be careful not to plant the catnip next to your flowers, vegetables, or herbs because cats may damage them!

Marigolds

The marigold contains pyrethrin, another ingredient found in commercial repellents. Its brightly colored flower exudes a scent that keeps insects away. It is also a beautiful flower, it perfectly embellishes the borders of your flower bed. If you plant it all around your house, mosquitoes should leave you alone.

A bonus benefit of planting marigolds with tomatoes that research has found, the flowers protect root-knot nematodes in the soil that are harmful to the tomatoes.

Basil

Basil is an anti-mosquito that appeals to people who like to cook. Not only is it an effective repellent, but you can also use it to decorate your dishes. Know that there are several varieties of basil.

Most gardeners believe that the best way to keep mosquitoes away is lemon basil and cinnamon basil. Basil is very hardy, be sure to keep it snipped. In the winter, snip some good stems and put them in bulb planters. You can read How to Regrow Plants from Clippings at my post which refers to basil and other plants that are good for regrowing.

Lavender

Everyone knows lavender for its pleasant fragrance with relaxing effects. But do you know that it is also an effective mosquito repellent? You can easily grow lavender on the edges of your windows, in pots. To protect the garden from mosquitoes, plant it in your garden or flower bed. As a bonus, you can use the flowers to scent the house or to prepare herbal tea.

I have a more detailed blog post dedicated to Growing Lavender, Health Benefits, and Uses, please check it out.

Peppermint

Most insects hate the smell of peppermint. Therefore, this plant is particularly effective in keeping mosquitoes away from your home. Peppermint’s sweet minty scent is an ideal amenity for fresh food and drinks, especially hot and cold teas.

As a bonus, it can also help you if, by unfortunate chance, you get stung. Just rub the leaves on the sting to relieve you instantly, follow up with a spritz of witch hazel. Amazing Benefits of Witch Hazel has many more uses than just a soothing bug spray.

Sage

Sage is used in different cultures for different things besides cooking. Burning sage has different meanings too. It’s also called smudging during an ancient spiritual ritual. But if you want to repel mosquitoes, burning the sage bundle or the stems will definitely help in repelling those pesky mosquitos outside.

Pennyroyal

This herbaceous plant gives a beautiful flower that keeps fleas, mosquitoes, and gnats away. But there are other benefits to planting in your garden. Indeed, Pennyroyal is an ideal plant to use as a vegetal cover.

Crush several leaves and spread them around the tabletop or around the foot under the chairs to aid in mosquito relief. However, crushing leaves and scattering them is NOT recommended if you have human babies or fur babies in the area. Pennyroyal is toxic to cats and dogs. Also note, it is recommended not to consume pennyroyal in teas. Do your research if you are even considering using this plant for human consumption.

If you like butterflies, know that they love this plant. I have a video showing how I Attract Butterflies to My Garden, be sure and watch, share and comment on YouTube!

Rosemary

Rosemary is a beautiful plant with blue flowers. It is perfect for lamb or fish dishes. But do you know that rosemary is also an effective mosquito AND fly repellent? This is a must for your garden, t keeps insects away and attracts butterflies.

And it’s so simple to cut a small branch to season your favorite dishes! And if cabbage is one of your favorite foods, it will keep the cabbage moth and carrot flies away too in the garden!

Scented Geranium 

Scented geraniums are an excellent choice for keeping mosquitoes away. This plant grows easily in hanging flower pots. The flowers fall naturally cascading. This is a beautiful visual effect and an effective mosquito repellent. The best scent for this is the lemon-scented geranium. It’s closely related to the scent as the citronella listed next.

Citronella

I saved my favorite for last. I always plant citronella in a pot on the porch. When I sit outside after dark, I crush a leaf and rub it on my arms. I keep it close by and will pick it up sporadically and crush it and rub it on my hands during the evening. (Always do a patch test on your skin before doing this), you may have an irritation to the oils.

It is not recommended to rub the plant with your hands before eating unless you would like your food to taste like citronella as the oils are very strong in scent and oil.

Natural Mosquito Repellent for Babies?

First, it is strongly discouraged to apply essential oils directly to a baby’s skin, or even to spread them around him or her. To prevent an infant from being attacked this summer, the most suitable solutions, therefore, remain the fans – a good distance from the cradle – and mosquito nets, ideal for keeping out the insects that fly and crawl and can potentially bit or infect the baby.

I used to dab essential oil on a cotton ball and tie it on the fan so when the fan would oscillate, it would disperse the scent around the room. Word of obvious caution-never neglect the baby and leave it unattended when using netting.

Light Color Clothes that Protect from Mosquitoes

Look after your wardrobe! Because mosquitoes are attracted by dark colors, a light outfit, especially in the evening when they are the most active, should be your best ally for the summer. Using white or light-colored clothing also helps to see ticks more easily, especially once returning inside the home.

You can also impregnate your clothes with all the natural mosquito repellents mentioned above. This will have the effect of keeping mosquitoes away. Finally, to sleep peacefully this summer, hang on the ceiling a mosquito net that will cover your entire bed.

A Garden Without Mosquitoes

Our ancestors knew how to use nature to keep unwanted pests away long before anti-mosquito chemicals were invented. In the past, on farms, there was always a hazel tree not far from the pile of manure to repel mosquitoes and horseflies. The smell of essential oils was also used for flying insects.

In the garden, mosquitoes largely bypass the plants emitting essential oils and citrus scents. All plants that protect you from mosquitoes on the balcony are therefore also of great use in the garden. Not to mention that in the garden, you have an even bigger space to erect a shield against these unwelcome bloodsuckers!

You can also attract natural predators of mosquitoes. For example, installing nest boxes for birds or a pond for fish and frogs! Try not to have stagnant water lying around, this is a haven for mosquitos! Moving water, like a water fountain or water-spray, is best to help the water to keep moving.

Other Tips to Avoid Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are attracted by body odor, perspiration, and carbon dioxide in the exhaled breath. But, harnessed from head to toe and freshly showered, you will not be able to prevent these little annoyances from visiting you, sooner or later, on your balcony. In addition to fragrant plants, be aware that you can also keep mosquitoes away by spraying a fragrance that is unpleasant.

Essential oils as found in hazel, catnip or lavender, are also available in spray bottles or in the form of drops that it is for example possible to spread on clothes to keep mosquitoes away. Another option is to use a scent burner. It’s even more effective than oil alone! The oils, spray and scented candles with citrus notes are also an excellent weapon against mosquitoes.

Dehydrating Herbs and Flowers

After you have done all the work to grow these plants, don’t forget that many are useful in the kitchen to use in cooking and baking. Dehydrating is very easy. Even if you do not own an electric dehydrator.

If you have been following me for some time, you’ll know I will dehydrate anything I can get my hands on! I have several posts on this. Drying herbs 101 blog post can be found Drying herbs 101.

In Conclusion

Growing mosquito repellent plants may not be necessary but they are beautiful and useful just to have around this summer.

Have you successfully tried any of these plants to repel mosquitos or other pests, we would love to hear about it in the comment section? 

Please read Mosquito-borne disease in Wikipedia about the mosquito-borne diseases and over 100 million deaths have occurred from mosquitos. Another interesting read is found at Ob.Org, Medical Care.

It’s very real that each year more and more people are getting sick and dying from mosquito bites. Educate yourself and do your best to prevent getting bit while maintaining a natural way to repel mosquitos and other pests this summer.

If you are new to our community you may want to follow our whole journey from the beginning, please start with this introduction to our log cabin turned farmhouse on the mountain Log Cabin Farmhouse Introduction.

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DISCLAIMER:

I cannot guarantee any of these plants will ward off a mosquito from attacking you. These are some of the ways that I find helpful. Use your own judgment and see advice from a professional for more ways to repel mosquitos this summer.

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Thank you for stopping by and reading our blog. If you haven’t signed up for our newsletter, please take a moment and do so. We will not sell, share, or use your contact information. We are also ad-free and will not inundate you with unnecessary emails. Click the button below to join our community and receive our newsletter.

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