Mosquito Repellent Plants

Ageratum

As summer fast approaches, I would like to suggest plants that will repel mosquitoes in your landscape and how to use these plants to enjoy the outdoors during summer. In addition to the plants that repel mosquitoes I would like to suggest additional, eco-friendly ways to keep mosquitoes from your outdoor living spaces. The picture on the left is Ageratum.

Some areas of the southeast have had drought busting rainstorms and even 

Basil

with the tremendous amounts of rainfall, these areas are still considered to be under drought conditions. With the severe amounts of rainfall that comes into an area, and the warmer temperatures of the season that is a sure sign the pesky mosquito is not far behind. The picture on the right is Basil.

The plants that I am suggesting will repel mosquitoes from your outdoor living space. There are a few suggestions when planning to use the plants mentioned to enhance the natural repelling abilities:

v Use the plants in containers around your patio, deck, or outdoor living space such as patio tables and chairs.

v Use the plants in containers or planted in the ground by your front door and your back door.

v Lemon Grass is the #1 recommended plant to grow in the landscape and in containers to use around your patio, deck or outdoor living spaces to repel mosquitoes during the summer.

v Before having outdoor activities brush the Lemon Grass to release more of its fragrance.

v Lemon Grass can be used in cooking.

Here are a few suggestions recommended to do in addition to using the recommended plants:

v Fix all outdoor facets that drip.

v Drain your birdbath twice a week and refill your birdbath.

v Turn your empty outside pots and containers upside down to prevent the containers from collecting water.

v Drain your plant saucers that collect water once a week, mosquitos lay their eggs in stagnant water.

v To reduce numerous other flying insects, including mosquitoes, plant marigolds in containers or in the landscape.

Cadaga Tree

There are additional benefits to adding mosquito-repelling plants to your landscape. A few of the benefits are that the mixture of plants listed can be used in addition to repelling mosquitoes, but also used as herbs in cooking, the trees listed will attract additional wildlife such as birds to the garden to give natural predators of mosquitoes a safe heaven, the majority of the plants are nectar and larval food plants for butterflies in your area, and the Silver Dollar Tree can be used in your fresh cut flower arrangements as greens. The picture on the left is Cadaga Tree.

Ageratum or Floss Flower: Ageratum houstonianum. Type: Annual. Height: 6-12”. Spacing: 6-8” apart. Light Requirement: Full sun to partial

shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly nectar plant.

Basil: Ocimum basilicum. Type: Annual. Height: 2 feet. Spacing: 18-24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial 

Basil

shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly nectar plant, the leaves are used in cooking.

Cadaga Tree: Eucalyptus torelliana. Type: Tree. Height: To 80 feet. Spacing: 20-30 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Attracts wildlife to the garden.

Catmint: Nepeta faassenii. Type: Perennial. Height: 2-3 feet. Spacing: 12-18 “

Catmint

apart. Additional Uses: Butterfly nectar plant, and your cats will love it. The picture on the right is Catmint.

Catnip: Nepeta cataria. Type: Perennial. Height: 2-3 feet. Spacing: 12-18 “ apart. Additional Uses: Butterfly nectar plant, and your cats will love it.

Catnip

Citronella Grass: Cymbopogon nardus. Type: Perennial in USDA Zones 9 and 10, annual outside zone 9. Height: 5-6 feet. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: The oil from the plant is used in citronella candles. The picture on the left is Catnip.

Clove Tree: Syzygium aromaticum. Type: Tree. Height: 20-30 feet. Spacing: 25 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: The flower buds are the spice of commerce, and attracts

Clove Tree

wildlife to the garden.

Horsemint or Lemon Beebalm: Monarda citriodora. Type: Perennial. Height: 12-30”. Spacing: 12-24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: The flowers can be used in fresh cut arrangements, nectar plant for butterflies and hummingbirds.

Lavender: Lavandula angustifolia. Type: Perennial. Height: 18-24”. Spacing: 12-18” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Nectar plant for butterflies, flowers can be dried, in potpourris, and sachets.

Lemon Balm: Melissa officinalis. Type: Perennial. Height: 2-3 feet. Spacing: 12-18” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: All leaves can be used in potpourris, flavor hot and iced teas, and used as a substitute for lemon peel in cooking.

Lemon Grass: Cymbopogon citrates. Type: Perennial to USDA zone 8, treat as an annual elsewhere. Height: 2-3 feet. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: The leaves are used in cooking.  

Lemon Grass

Lemon Scented Geranium: Pelargonium crispum. Type: Perennial. Height: 2-3 feet. Spacing: 12” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Nectar plant for butterflies, leaves are used in cooking, in potpourris, and sachets. The picture on the right is Clove Tree.

Lemon Verbena: Aloysia triphylla. Type: Perennial to USDA zone 8, treat as an annual elsewhere. Height: To 4 feet. Spacing: 18-24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: The oil is used in perfumes; the leaves are used in flavoring teas and jellies. The picture on the right is Lemon Grass.

Mexican Marigold Mint: Tagetes lucida. Type: Perennial. Height: 24-30”. Spacing: 12-18” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly nectar and larval food plant, fresh flowers are used in salads, leaves are used as a substitute for French tarragon.  

Mexican Marigold Mint

Mindanao Gum Tree: Eucalyptus deglupta. Type: Tree. Height: To 225 feet. Spacing: 30 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Attracts wildlife to the garden, fragrant leaves and colorful bark.

Mindanao Gum Tree

Pitcher Plant - Nepenthes alata. Type: Herbaceous perennial. Zones: 10-11. Height: To 14 feet, usually grown in a hanging basket. Spacing: N/A. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Will attract and capture all types of pesky insects from your garden. The plant is available at local garden centers in hanging baskets and can be placed in tree limbs or placed on patio plant stands. The plant uses the insects it captures as fertilizer.

Pitcher Plant

Prostrate Rosemary: Salvia rosmarinus 'Prostrates'. Type: Perennial shrub or groundcover. Height: 12-18”. Spacing: 2

feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: The leaves are used in lamb and fish dishes,

butterfly nectar plant, drought tolerant plant.

Prostrate Rosemary

Red-Flowering Gum Tree: Eucalyptus ficifolia. Type: Tree. Height: 25-30 feet. Spacing: 20-25 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: After      establishment in the landscape the tree is very drought tolerant, the leaves are fragrant, attracts wildlife to the garden, very showy red flowers in spring and summer. 

Red-Flowering Gum Tree

Roman Wormwood: Artemisia pontica.
Type: Perennial. Height: 18-24”. Spacing: 12” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Nectar and larval food plant for butterflies, drought tolerant plant, ground cover, beds, and containers.

Roman Wormwood

Rosemary: Salvia rosmarinus. Type: Perennial shrub. Height: 4 feet. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full 

Rosemary

sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: The leaves are used in lamb and fish dishes, drought tolerant plant, and butterfly nectar plant.

Silver Dollar Tree: Eucalyptus cinerea. Type: Tree. Height: To 20 feet. Spacing: 25 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Attracts wildlife to the garden, the foliage is used in fresh cut flower arrangements as greens, and dried floral arrangements.

Silver Dollar Tree

Tansy: Tanacetum vulgare. Type: Perennial. Height: 3-4 feet. Spacing: 12-18” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to 

Tansy

partial shade. Additional Uses: Nectar food plant for butterflies. The picture on the left is Prostrate Rosemary, and the picture on the right is Pitcher Plant.

Wormwood: Artemisia absinthium. Type: Perennial. Height: 2-3 feet. Spacing: 18-24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Nectar and larval food plant for butterflies, drought tolerant plant.

Wormwood: Artemisia 'Powis Castle'. Type: Perennial. Height: 2-3 feet. Spacing: 3 feet apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Nectar and larval food plant for butterflies, drought tolerant plant.

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All photographs and digital images are ©Cheryl Ann Meola 2009. All Rights Reserved.

©Cheryl Ann Meola 2009.

All photographs and digital images displayed in this article are for viewing purposes only and cannot be duplicated. Place your cursor over the picture for the plant name.