Mosquitoes are a nuisance that no one likes to deal with. Whether you’re an experienced gardener who wants to tend to their garden or a host who is looking for a new way to keep your guests bite-free in your backyard, mosquito-repelling plants can help you enjoy your landscape more.
Mosquito repelling plants might not be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to getting rid of mosquitos, but they should be! They’re inexpensive, do no harm to your environment, and can make life outdoors much more pleasurable if you find yourself bothered by mosquitos. However, if you want the natural oils within these plants to do their job and keep mosquitos away, you do have to rustle the leaves, or brush by them occasionally.
Meanwhile, here’s a list of Mosquito Repelling Plants I swiped from a local nursery’s website www.buchanansplants.com. Buchanan’s Native Plants is a great haven not just for Texas Native Plants, but plants just like these that organic gardeners love to work with, especially if they don’t want to spray any chemicals for mosquito control!!!
Artemisia
Lemongrass (shouldn’t that be Lemmongrass?!)
Marigolds
Copper Canyon Daisy
Rosemary
Lemon Verbena
Lavender
OTHERS TO CONSIDER, NOT ON BUCHANAN’S LIST
Citronella (huge caveat for this one: the leaves need to be crumpled for an oil release)
Catnip
Basil
Sage
P.S. By the way, I’ve become a big fan of a newer organic formula for the body. There are several on the market, but those which contain Citrus & Eucalyptus oils, smell good and work great. Look for that combination when you don’t like the idea of covering yourself with DEET.