Mosquito Repellent Plants

Though small, mosquitoes are indeed annoying creatures. A mosquito can make you run helter-skelter for cover! There are better ways to get rid of those little creatures than toxic chemicals or futile clapping! An easy, and environment-friendly way to get rid of mosquitoes, is with the help of plants that repel mosquitoes. Plants have innumerable uses, and all of us are well-versed with them. But, there is one use of plants which very few of us know, which is, some plants have the property of being mosquito repellents. Given below, are names of these mosquito repellent floras, along with some more information on them.

Famous Mosquito Repellent Plants

Citronella Plant
This plant is so famous for deterring mosquitoes, that it is known as the mosquito plant! Pelargonium species is the botanical name for this plant. It grows to a height of two feet, and blooms annually. The flowers of citronella plant are lavender in color. It requires warm weather to grow, so you need to protect it from frost. Plant it after the frost season, and bring it indoors during the frost season. Citronella plant is also used to make oil, which is used in perfumes and other herbal products. However, you may want to reconsider planting Citronella in your garden if you have a feline pet, as Citronella oil also repels cats!

Rosemary
Next on the mosquito repelling plants list, is rosemary. Rosemary is a shrub, but larger than the usual shrubs we see. It grows 4-5 feet tall, and has blue flowers. Rosemary grows really fast, and is known to be a drought-tolerant shrub. This shrub is used in some fish recipes as well. So, planting it will surely serve multiple purposes.

Marigolds
You might already have marigolds in your garden, but did you know that they repel mosquitoes? Marigolds owe their mosquito repellent properties to their peculiar smell! There are two types of marigolds - the African and the French. Both of them are mosquito repellent plants. This plant grows 6 inches to 3 feet tall. They have to be grown in sunny areas, as their growth is slowed down when planted in the shade.

Lemon Grass
The green color of lemon grass will not only make your patio look bright and full of life, but this plant will also ward off mosquitoes. Lemon grass contains citronella oil, and this oil is the actual mosquito repellent. Lemon grass is found mainly in India. It is a perennial plant which grows up to two feet tall and requires a warm climate. Not only the plant, but even lemon grass oil is very useful. This oil is used as a pesticide, and as a preservative.

Lavender
Our 5th pick is lavender, which belongs to the family of Lamiaceae. Known for increasing the beauty of one's garden, this plant also happens to be a mosquito repellent. Growing lavender plants is considered an easy job. This means, you won't have difficulty while planting it. It grows up to 4 feet tall, and requires a sunny climate. Caring for lavender is easy as it hardly requires any attention.

Catnip
Botanically called nepeta cataria, the catnip plant contains nepetalactone, which has recently been declared as an insect repellent. Catnip belongs to the mint family and grows about 3 feet tall when planted in a sunny area, or an area of partial shade. It has white or lavender blooms, and is a perennial plant. The most unique feature of catnip, apart from being a mosquito repellent, is that cats love it! In fact, cats are so crazy for this plant, that you will need to put a fence around the plant to protect it! Catnip oil, extracted from the catnip plant, is used in the preparation of mosquito repellents.

Horse Mint
Horse mint is another plant that repels mosquitoes. This plant will grow well in the sun, and doesn't need any special care as such. It has pink blooms, and is a perennial plant like catnip. Butterflies are said to have an affinity for horse mint. Just like lavender, this too belongs to the family of Lamiaceae.

Garlic
Though garlic is a herb that is well-known for its culinary uses, very few people know that garlic is a mosquito repellent plant as well. The reason as to why garlic repels mosquitoes is unknown as of now. However, some say it is the strong smell of this herb that wards off the mosquitoes. The bulbs of garlic are specifically used as mosquito repellents.

There are others, such as basil, penny royal and ageratum, which are also well-known mosquito repellent plants. So, if you thought that getting rid of mosquitoes was a costly and smelly affair, this article should have definitely made you think twice! Growing these plants in your backyard or garden will give you a double benefit - freedom from mosquitoes and a beautiful, colorful garden!