Looking for a way to rid your garden and outdoor space of mosquitoes without using chemical mosquito repellents or a bug zapper? Outsmart mosquitoes by using plants that repel or confuse them.
Sage
Used strategically, plants can help repel mosquitoes while adding color and texture to your outdoor spaces.
Use fresh sage as a mosquito repellent by crushing leaves and rubbing them on your skin or clothing. Or tie a bundle of sage stems (fresh or dried) and toss them into your fire pit or chiminea to create a cloud of mosquito-repelling smoke. No fire pit? Light one end of a sage bunch and let it smolder on a fire-resistant tray. Grow sage in pots, or use it to edge planting beds in full sun with well-drained soil.
Continue to learn more about our favorite mosquito-repelling plants and how to use them in your garden.
Bee Balm
Beloved for its ability to beckon bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, bee balm (Monarda) also earns rave reviews for its mosquito-repelling qualities. For many insect-deterring plants to work, you have to crush leaves or blooms to release the plant’s volatile oils — the chemical compounds that give the leaves their scent and repel insects. Bee balm is an exception to that rule.
As it grows and blooms in your garden, it releases fragrances mosquitoes dislike. Bee balm is a perennial that flowers in a variety of colors and plant sizes. This beauty is Balmy Rose monarda, which is a compact type growing to a foot in height. It’s a great choice for edging beds or tucking into containers.
Marigolds
Cheerful and bright, marigolds make an easy-to-grow addition to any garden plan — in pots or planting beds. These perky annuals bring terrific color all season long. What you might not know is that marigolds pack a punch to many insects, including mosquitoes, thanks to chemical insecticides they release. That’s why marigolds have such a strong odor when you touch them. Both flowers and leaves release the chemicals, but blossoms deliver the strongest dose. Tuck marigolds into pots on the patio to make summer evenings less buggy, or use them in the vegetable garden to help repel pests while you tend plants.
Lavender
Include beautiful lavender in your garden plans to help keep biting mosquitoes at bay. Varieties with higher camphor properties are the most effective insect repellents. This includes ‘Provence’ and ‘Grosso’ lavender. On a sunny day, lavender releases its aromatic oils naturally. In the evening, reap its bug-busting benefits by crushing flower buds and leaves and rubbing them on your skin. Tuck lavender into pots or planting beds. Grow lavender topiaries if your outdoor seating areas have a formal flair.
Variegated Plectranthus
If you’ve ever grown variegated plectranthus, you know how smelly this plant is. Just brush it gently or splash water onto leaves, and the odor is released. That odor is what helps repel mosquitoes — and a host of other insects. This plant goes by many names, including Madagascar spur flower, Swedish ivy and mintleaf. Botanically, look for Plectranthus madagascariensis ‘Marginatus’ — or just ask for variegated plectranthus. You’ll know you have the right one by the felted leaves with the strong odor.
Scented Geranium
Few plants offer as much sensory appeal as scented geraniums. The group includes a wide variety of foliage forms and plant sizes. Flowers tend to be smaller than traditional bedding plant geraniums. When crushed or rubbed, scented geranium leaves release those chemical compounds that insects don’t like. Fragrances include citrus blends, rose, peppermint, nutmeg, apple and cinnamon. The lemon-scented varieties seem to possess the strongest skeeter-repelling characteristics. Scented geraniums make beautiful container plants. In cold zones, move plants indoors for winter or root cuttings to keep plants alive until spring.
Catmint
Catnip essential oil has been scientifically proven to repel mosquitoes 10 times more effectively than DEET. Catmint is the ornamental cousin of catnip, unfurling scented leaves and beautiful flowers. Less attractive to cats than catnip, catmint also possesses mosquito-repelling qualities. It’s a perennial in Zones 4 to 9. Plant it near outdoor seating areas and entry doors to help repel mosquitoes. This pretty variety is Nepeta faassenii ‘Purrsian Blue’.
Mint
Mint is a workhorse in the garden when it comes to deterring insects. To release the strong mint oils in leaves, brush against plants or crush leaves and rub on skin or clothing. Try tucking lightly bruised leaves (still attached to stems) into pockets or bouquets on your porch or patio to confuse and repel mosquitoes.
This minty beauty (foreground) is variegated pineapple mint, but you can also use any mint, including spearmint, lemon mint or peppermint. Mints spread aggressively in the garden. Always plant it in containers, even in beds, keeping the edge of pots elevated at least an inch above soil. When mint flowers, the blooms attract beneficial insects, including ones that sting, like yellow jackets. If you don’t want these insects near seating areas, keep plants trimmed so blooms don’t form.
Mum
Chrysanthemums contain chemical compounds that act as natural insecticides. These compounds are processed and sold as pyrethrum. It’s a go-to natural pesticide for dealing with fleas, ants, ticks, silverfish and bedbugs. Certain types of mums do a better job at repelling insects than others. The ones used commercially for extracting pyrethrums include painted daisy (Chrysanthemum coccineum) and Dalmatian daisy (Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium). Use perennial garden mums in planting beds to add daisy-like flowers to planting designs.
Thyme
Thyme, including red creeping thyme (shown), possesses excellent mosquito-repelling properties. The secret is to crush the leaves to release the volatile oils. You can simply place crushed stems around outdoor seating areas or rub the leaves on skin or clothing. Burning thyme leaves also shows skeeters the door, providing 85 to 90 percent protection for up to 90 minutes. Silver thyme, English thyme, creeping thyme — all types offer some degree of mosquito protection. Tuck them into pots, or use them to edge planting beds.
Eucalyptus
Prized for the silvery beauty it adds to cut flower arrangements, gray eucalyptus also makes a stunning container plant that’s low-maintenance and fragrant. That classic eucalyptus odor is what makes it so effective in keeping mosquitoes at bay. To unleash its bug-repelling properties, warm leaves to release terpenoid compounds. Achieve this by keeping plants in full sun or by burning leaves.
For containers, a great choice is ‘Silver Drop’ eucalyptus (Eucalyptus gunnii), which grows 24 to 36 inches tall and 12 to 16 inches wide. You can even line up several pots to create a living wall of mosquito-deterring beauty. ‘Silver Drop’ is hardy in Zones 9-10; treat it as an annual in other zones.
Lantana
Brush against lantana, and you’ll understand why it’s effective at keeping mosquitoes away. It smells! Leaves contain aromatic compounds that release when sunlight warms the plants. By placing a few pots of lantana around your outdoor living areas, you have a natural barrier against mosquitoes that provides between 27 and 42 percent protection. Better still, this bug-chasing plant opens beautiful blooms that beckon butterflies. Give it full sun and regular moisture in pots. In planting beds, it withstands poor soil, drought and heat. This variety is Luscious Berry Blend lantana.
Lemon Thyme
Lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus) offers the easy-care nature of thyme and a burst of citrusy sweetness every time you touch it. It’s a snap to care for in a pot or planting bed. Give it quick draining soil with a gravel mulch, and you’ll be rewarded with plenty of sprigs for the kitchen and homegrown bug repellent. To keep mosquitoes away, cut a stem or two, crush the leaves in your fingers and rub on your skin. Or tuck a sprig of crushed leaves into a buttonhole or belt loop. Crushed lemon thyme has 62 percent of the mosquito-repelling activity of DEET. Lemon thyme has shiny, bright green leaves, or look for a variegated type sold as golden lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus ‘Aureus’). This herb is hardy in Zones 5-9.
Hummingbird Mint
Also known as anise hyssop, hummingbird mint (Agastache) does what its name suggests: attracts hummingbirds, along with butterflies, bees and all kinds of beneficial insects. You can find this plant in a variety of colors including purple shades, like this ‘Blue Boa’ anise hyssop. The entire plant smells of licorice. Some gardeners rub leaves on skin to keep mosquitoes at bay. Use this perennial (Zones 5-9) in drifts in planting beds, or grow it as a thriller plant in a container garden. Dry leaves and blooms to flavor tea, cakes or cookies.