Plants that repel mosquitoes smell a lot like your spice cabinet. That’s because many of the scents that we love, mosquitoes hate. And I can tell you that most of them are easy to grow but difficult to accidentally kill, including citronella grass, lavender, marigolds, basil, peppermint, lemongrass, sage, geraniums, thyme, and many more.
Of course, plants are just one strategy for thwarting these pesky blood suckers. For a complete rundown, check out How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes in Your Yard.
Citronella grass
Citronella grass ranks high on the list of insect repellants, which is why it is distilled into citronella oil and used in more than a dozen commercially available pesticide products.
Colton Bond, Natural Resources specialist at Oregon State University, says, “Oil of citronella repels target pests rather than killing them by masking scents that are attractive to insects. Thus, insects find it difficult to locate their target to feed.”
There’s bad news for those of you in Northern climates: Because citronella is native to Africa and Southeast Asia, it is a warm-weather plant that only does well in the Deep South.
| Plant type: Ornamental grass Size: 5 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide Bloom time: Summer Sun: Semi-shade, partial sun Soil: Moist, well-drained loam Soil pH: 5.8 to 6.3 Maintenance: Low. Water during drought to prevent yellow leaves. Weedy if unmanaged. Toxicity: Can irritate skin; causes digestive problems if ingested by humans and pets. |
Lavender
Lavender’s mosquito defense is linalool, which is overwhelmingly unpleasant for mosquitoes. It’s hardy, drought-tolerant, and versatile.
Lavender is a bushy, ornamental shrub with hairy, silvery, smooth-edged, pointed leaves. Flowers are small, tubular, and 2-lipped and arranged in a whorl-like pattern. Flowers are in clusters of 6-10 along a spike that pokes out from the foliage. Blooms are typically purple, but can also be blue, pink, or white.
Unlike citronella, lavender grows well in most places, except the very coldest Northern regions near the Canadian border.
| Plant type: Perennial shrub Size: 1 to 3 feet tall and wide. Bloom time: Early to mid-summer Sun: Full sun Soil: Moist, well-drained loam, chalk, and sand. Tolerates rocky soil. Doesn’t tolerate soggy, waterlogged soil. Soil pH: 6.5 to 7.5 Maintenance: Low once established. Supplement with irrigation in times of drought, and fertilize once per year. Requires pruning to half size after flowering is done. Susceptible to weeds, Phytophthora root rot, grasshoppers, and deer. Toxicity: Toxic to dogs and cats in large quantities. |
Marigolds
Marigolds serve two great roles: they boast gorgeous spring and summer blooms available in yellow, orange, and red, while also repelling mosquitoes with their strong-smelling pyrethrum.
I plant them after the first frost around the perimeter of my vegetable garden to deter pests and critters from eating my plants. And clustered around outdoor seating areas, they create a pretty effective barrier against mosquitoes.
| Plant type: Annual Size: 1 foot tall and 1.5 feet wide. Bloom time: Late spring to first frost Sun: Full to partial sun Soil: Most soil types, including occasionally dry clay, sand, and loam, with good drainage. Soil pH: 6 to 7 Maintenance: Low. Occasional supplemental water; remove dead blooms; and apply little to no fertilizer. It is resistant to disease and pests, but can be susceptible to powdery mildew, Botrytis, leaf spot, and rots, as well as spider mites and thrips. Toxicity: Edible in moderation, but overindulgence causes stomach discomfort. The sap can cause dermatitis. It’s not toxic for pets. |
Rosemary
Rosemary contains cineole, camphor, and limonene, which repel mosquitoes. It’s deer, rabbit, salt, and drought-tolerant. It has dark green, needle-like leaves with silvery-white undersides that generously form along woody spikes. The flowers are small clusters of pale blue, pink, or white blooms.
While rosemary is very low-maintenance, I recommend you trim it. I neglected it last year, and while it thrived without care, it became woody and difficult to cut.
| Plant type: Perennial shrub, evergreen in southern regions. Size: 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Bloom time: Spring and summer. Sun: Full sun Soil: Sandy or loam with high organic matter and good drainage. Soil pH: 6 to 7 Maintenance: Low. Requires minimal watering and occasional pruning. It is highly pest and disease-resistant. Susceptible to aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, and spider mites, and can develop powdery mildew and root rot. Toxicity: Causes stomach upset if consumed in large quantities by humans and pets. |
Catnip
Catnip repels mosquitoes with nepetalactone, a substance that triggers the pain receptors in mosquitoes, making them avoid the area. Studies suggest catnip can be even more effective than DEET. It’s drought-resistant, hard freeze-tolerant, and adaptable.
To make your own bug spray, I recommend combining 2 cups of chopped catnip, 2 cups of boiling water, and 1 tablespoon of vodka. However, these homemade sprays are short-lived, and you should always patch-test before applying all over your body.
| Plant type: Herbaceous perennial Size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Bloom time: Late spring through fall. Sun: Full sun Soil: All soil types with good drainage. Soil pH: 6.1 to 7.8 Maintenance: Low. Water only in times of drought; no fertilizer is required, but it benefits from yearly organic or inorganic application. Prune and remove spent blooms to encourage bushy growth and prevent overgrowth. Toxicity: Non-toxic. |
Basil
Basil’s strong aroma is a natural mosquito repellent. It tolerates short drought spells and deer. Basil grows quickly, and it has leaves that are 1-3 inches wide and long, ovate, hairless, glossy, unserrated, and bright green.
Last year, I ignored my basil, and it thrived, went to seed, and the seeds fell. Now, they’re sprouting. So, you can collect seeds to replant in the following years for easy-to-grow, free basil.
| Plant type: Herbaceous annual in cold climates, perennial in warm climates Size: 4 inches to 3 feet tall and 4 inches to 1 foot 2 inches wide Bloom time: Mid to late summer. Sun: Full sun or partial shade Soil: Prefers rich, moist, well-drained loam Soil pH: 6 to 7.5 Maintenance: Low. Requires watering in times of drought (check your soil moisture), and pruning to encourage bushy growth and abundant leaves. Doesn’t require fertilizer but benefits from yearly organic fertilizer. Typically, it’s disease and pest-resistant, but aphids, Japanese beetles, fusarium wilt, and basil downy mildew are occasional problems. Toxicity: Non-toxic to humans or pests. |
Peppermint
Peppermint repels mosquitoes with its strong scent and menthol. It’s cold-hardy and heat-tolerant. The leaves are green, lanceolate, serrated, hairy, and 1 to 2 inches long. Moreover, flowers are small, pink to lavender, tubular, have extended stamens, and are clustered on spikes.
At our previous home, we had a peppermint plant that didn’t need any attention. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance option, I can attest that peppermint is a great choice. Bonus: you can snip a few leaves for your morning tea, blend them into a syrup, or garnish desserts.
| Plant type: Herbaceous perennial Size: 1 to 3 feet tall, 1 to 2 feet wide Bloom time: June through September Sun: Full sun or partial shade Soil: All soil types except dry. Soil pH: Tolerates 5.5 to 7.5, but 6 to 7 is best. Maintenance: Low to moderate. Requires regular watering and pruning to prevent weedy growth. Easy to establish, doesn’t require fertilization, and is disease and pest-resistant. It can be susceptible to Verticillium wilt, rust, and powdery mildew as well as aphids, thrips, spider mites, leafhoppers, cutworms, and flea beetles. Toxicity: Toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Generally non-toxic to humans, but may cause allergic reactions in some people. May cause vomiting or diarrhea if ingested in large quantities. |
Bee balm
Mosquitoes abhor bee balm’s scent. It contains compounds like thymol and geraniol, which release a strong smell that discourages mosquitoes. It’s heat, cold, and frost-tolerant, but it needs moderate watering.
Sheri Bethard, Texas Certified Master Gardener, says, “For many insect-deterring plants to work, you have to crush leaves or blooms to release the plant’s volatile oils. Bee balm is an exception to that rule. As it grows and blooms in your garden, it releases fragrances mosquitoes dislike.”
| Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial Size: 2 to 4 feet tall, 2 to 3 feet wide Bloom time: June and July Sun: Full sun, partial shade Soil: Tolerates any well-drained soil, but prefers rich loam with high organic matter Soil pH: Tolerates acidic, neutral, and alkaline soil, but prefers a pH of 6 to 7. Maintenance: Moderate. It has moderate to high watering needs, but avoid overwatering. Prune in late spring to early summer to encourage bush growth and prevent overcrowding. It can become weedy. Particularly susceptible to powdery mildew, but also watch for rust, southern blight, aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. Toxicity: Non-toxic for humans and pets. |
Sage
Mosquitoes hate sage’s scent when burned. Add a bundle of sage to a campfire to keep mosquitoes away while you’re roasting marshmallows, or light one end of a bundle and let it slow burn in a fire-resistant ashtray.
This plant can handle light frost, salt, and drought. It is bushy, with an upright growth habit. Leaves are 2 to 4 inches long, pointed, oblong, silvery-green, and covered with tiny hairs that give it a velvety appearance.
| Plant type: Perennial shrub, evergreen in warm climates Size: 1 to 3 feet tall and wide Bloom time: early to mid-summer Sun: Full sun, can tolerate partial shade Soil: Prefers nutrient-rich, loamy soils but tolerates most soils as long as they’re well-drained. Doesn’t tolerate waterlogged soil. Soil pH: Tolerates 5.6 to 7.8 but prefers 6 to 7 Maintenance: Low to moderate. Requires regular watering and annual pruning. Benefits from yearly or twice-yearly fertilizer, but it is not required. Typically disease and pest resistant, but can be susceptible to nematodes, whiteflies, aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites, rust, powdery mildew, stem rot, and fungal leaf spot. Toxicity: Edible for humans. Non-toxic for pets; however, large doses may cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and lethargy. |
Scented geraniums
Scented geraniums emit a lemony scent that mosquitoes dislike. Their leaves contain aromatic oils like citronellol and geraniol, so when you crush the foliage, they release a scent that discourages mosquitoes.
They’re heat, drought, salt, and cold-tolerant, so they’re generally easy to maintain. However, just having pots of scented geranium around your yard won’t repel mosquitoes, so think of them as a gentle, very local nudge, not a stand-in for on-skin repellent.
| Plant type: Perennial shrub Size: 1 to 3 feet tall and wide Bloom time: Mid-spring until fall Sun: Full sun Soil: Tolerates all well-draining soil, but prefers nutrient-rich loam. Soil pH: Tolerates 6 to 8 but prefers 6.5. Below 6, they’ll intake too much iron. Maintenance: Low to moderate. Keep soil slightly damp, but not dry or too wet; apply annual fertilizer twice annually; and regular deadheading and semi-regular pruning. Toxicity: Toxic to pets and humans. |
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums can help repel mosquitoes because they contain a substance called pyrethrum, which attacks their nervous systems, deterring them. This substance is the same as that used in many insect sprays.
These plants are bushy, multi-stemmed, and have an erect growth habit. Flowers come in a variety of colors, including various shades of gold, white, red, orange, and pink, so your garden will be looking beautiful and mosquito-free.
| Plant type: Herbaceous perennial Size: 2 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Bloom time: Late July to October Sun: Full sun, partial shade Soil: Well-drained, fertile, loamy or sandy soil. It can also tolerate clay soil as long as it’s well-drained and fertile. Soil pH: Prefers 6.5, but can tolerate as low as 6 and as high as 8. Maintenance: Low. Water when the soil is dry, typically weekly. It doesn’t require fertilizer, but 1 to 2 applications will benefit your mums. Deadhead spent blooms, and prune back and cover for winter. Typically disease and pest-free but susceptible to aphids and nematodes as well as powdery mildew if overwatered. Toxicity: Toxic to humans and pets. |
Allium
Alliums include plants like garlic and onions. Mosquitoes hate alliums’ sulfur compound, allicin, which emit a smell they don’t like.
They’re drought, salt, heat, frost-tolerant, and they also add showy purple globe blooms that pollinators love, so they pull double duty: prettier beds with fewer mosquitoes hanging around.
| Plant type: Herbaceous perennial Size: 1 to 3 feet tall, 0.5 to 2 feet wide Bloom time: Late spring to early summer Sun: Full sun, partial shade Soil: Well-drained soil of all types. Soil pH: 5.5 to 6.5 Maintenance: Low. Water when dry, but do not overwater or it will die. Yearly supplemental fertilizer is beneficial but not required. Remove spent blooms and manage growth, or it becomes weedy. Overwatering can cause bulb rot, white rot, rust, and mildew. Resistant to many pests but susceptible to cutworms, leaf miners, and thrips. Toxicity: Edible in small amounts, but causes intestinal distress if ingested in larger quantities. Toxic to pets, with smaller pets being more heavily affected. |
Fennel
Fennel’s feathery foliage smells of anise thanks to compounds like anethole, so if you bruise or crush the leaves, you’ll release an aroma that can help discourage mosquitoes.
It’s a drought and lightly frost-tolerant, that will self-seed aggressively in some climates if you don’t deadhead it.
| Plant type: Herbaceous perennial USDA Hardiness zone: 4 to 9 Size: 4 to 5 feet tall, 1.5 to 3 feet wide Bloom time: Summer Sun: Full sun Soil: Prefers fertile, well-draining loam, but tolerates clay, chalk, and sand provided it is well-draining. Soil pH: 6.5 to 8 Maintenance: Low to moderate. Needs regular watering; benefits from fertilizer but is not required; can become weedy, and is not a good companion plant. High pest and disease tolerance but susceptible to rabbits, aphids, slugs, and stem and root rot. Toxicity: Edible to pets and humans. High doses can react with some medications; they’re not safe for pregnant women, and may cause intestinal problems in pets. |
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus leaves are loaded with aromatic oils, especially eucalyptol, and PMD in the case of lemon eucalyptus. Crush the foliage and the scent intensifies, which can make seating areas a little less inviting to mosquitoes.
Just note that the commercial oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) is a proven repellent, but it’s not the same thing as straight essential oil from the plant.
| Plant type: Perennial tree or shrub Size: Averages 87 to 133 feet, but can range from 6 to 200 feet Bloom time: Summer Sun: Full sun Soil: Well-draining, nutrient-rich loam is best. Tolerates poor, rocky soils. Soil pH: 6 to 7 Maintenance: Low to moderate. Water in drought and clean up shedded leaves and bark. Fertilizer isn’t required, and high-phosphorus is detrimental. While highly pest and disease-resistant, it can be affected by long-horned borers, red gum lerp psyllid, and tortoise beetle, as well as anthracnose, root rot, sap rot, and powdery mildew. Toxicity: Toxic if ingested by humans and pets. |
Thyme
Thyme’s fragrant leaves are rich in thymol and carvacrol, which are compounds that mosquitoes don’t love, since it inferes with their scent receptors.
It’s drought, heat, frost, and poor soil resistant. The appearance varies by type, but leaves typically hairy, glossy, and 1 to 1.5 inches long. They can be green blue-green, gray-green, and variegated.
| Plant type: Herbaceous perennial, groundcover Size: 6 to 12 inches tall, 6 to 16 inches wide Bloom time: June to September Sun: Full sun Soil: Tolerates most well-draining soils, but may not thrive in clay soil. Prefers well-drained loam or sandy soils Soil pH: 6 to 8 Maintenance: Low. Water only as needed; it doesn’t require fertilizer, and over-fertilization is detrimental, but it will benefit from organic fertilizer in spring. Strong pest and disease resistance, but can be susceptible to aphids, spider mites, and root rot if overwatered. Toxicity: Edible for humans and pets. Used widely in culinary dishes. Medicinally, it’s known for its anti-bacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties and aids respiratory and skin health. |
When should I hire a professional?
Plants won’t wipe out mosquitoes on their own, but they can make your yard a little less inviting to these pests, while also making it look pretty.
Want help turning these ideas into reality? Bring in a gardening pro to help you plant these mosquito-repellent plants, and hire a pest control professional to apply stronger repellents around your home.
Read More:
– How Much Does Mosquito Control Cost?
– How to Keep Pests Out of Your Compost Pile
– Integrated Pest Management for the Garden
– Best Organic Pest Control Products
Main Image: Mosquito-repellant plants, pictured clockwise from top left, are thyme, citronella, marigolds, and basil. Photo credit: Illustration by Whitney Lehnecker / Lawn Love
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