Springtime is a delightful season welcomed by many, except for the unwelcome guests that it brings - mosquitoes. These pests buzz in, emerging from stagnant water across the region, bringing annoyance and potential health risks with them. However, there are natural ways to combat them, including interrupting their life cycle by dumping out containers and refreshing water in birdbaths. Adding Mosquito Dunks to wet areas that can't be easily drained can also help. Another useful tip is to sit on your porch or deck with a fan blowing in your direction, as it can help blow weak-flying mosquitoes away.
But did you know that mosquitoes can also be repelled by bug sprays with strong scents derived from common plants in the garden? Surrounded by carefully chosen plantings that you can crush to release their oils, you can rub them on your skin as a natural repellent. Alternatively, throwing a few sprigs on the grill to emit a fragrant smoke that chases mosquitoes away is also effective.
To help you get started, we've compiled a list of 10 mosquito-repelling plants with fragrant foliage that have been known, either anecdotally or scientifically, to repel mosquitos and other bothersome insects. Some are herbs with multiple uses, making them do-it-all plantings in the garden and the kitchen, too.
1- Basil Plant
Basil is an easy-to-plant herb that thrives in hot and humid climates, making it perfect for Southern landscapes. It requires full sun and regular watering. Lemon basil (Ocimum x citriodorum) has a fresh fragrance that has been known to ward off mosquitos in the garden.
2- Catnip Plant
Catnip, also known as catmint, is a low-maintenance plant that tolerates full sun or partial shade and moderate to regular watering. Nepeta cataria x Citriodora is a good choice for mosquito repelling, as its fragrant foliage has a citrusy, lemony scent.
3- Citronella Grass
Citronella Grass is a tropical perennial that's widespread in Asia and the coasts of the Pacific. It's also the origin of the known mosquito repellent citronella, the essential oil derived from the plant's tall grassy stalks, that's widely marketed in candles and repellent sprays.
4- Garlic (Allium sativum)
Plant bulbs garlic, and provide them with full sun and regular water to encourage them to thrive in your garden. The potent oily, smelly allicin compound created when cloves of garlic are broken down makes it a potential mosquito repellent.
5- Lavender
Lavender has origins in the Mediterranean region and is prized for its downy leaves, purple blooms, and strong, heady fragrance. Not all lavender can thrive when planted outdoors in the South, but with appropriate care and planting in well-draining, gravel-heavy soil, they have the potential to become perennial garden fixtures. Mosquitos are rumoured not to love the scent of lavender.
6- Lemon Balm
Lemon balm, also known as sweet balm, has heavily perfumed foliage, which is used in various dishes, drinks, and potpourris. The additional use of potentially warding off mosquitos makes it an ideal choice for your garden.
7- Lemongrass
It's a tender perennial that thrives in full sun with regular water. According to The Southern Living Garden Book, "All plant parts are strongly lemon-scented and are widely used as an ingredient in Southeast Asian cooking." Its powerful, citrusy aroma is also used to repel mosquitos, as it is akin to the fragrant oils found in citronella-scented products.
8- Marigold
Marigold foliage is finely divided, ferny, and usually strongly scented. When touched, copper canyon daisy (Tagetes lemmonii) leaves emit a very strong aroma, as does the foliage of Mexican mint marigold (Tagetes lucida), which smells strongly of tarragon. Growing marigold plants provides showy garden colour as well as an easily identifiable fragrance, one that is known to repel mosquitos.
9- Pennyroyal
Pennyroyal, a type of mint, gives off a strong fragrance in the form of a classic mint scent. It requires regular watering in a cool climate and is safe as a flavouring, but poisonous if consumed in large quantities.
10- Peppermint
Peppermint offers a strong, fresh fragrance from tall columns of deep green aromatic leaves and can grow to over three feet tall. Peppermint has also been known to repel mosquitos and is
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