Top 13 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

When adoring your home with some greenery or foliage, looking for indoor mosquito repellent plants or even shrubs can present you with multiple choices. Putting together a small vegetable farm and pairing them with certain plants can help keep them protected from bugs and insects, too. There are a bunch of plants that can not only keep mosquitoes away, but also lift up the look and feel of your home in a wonderful manner.

List of Mosquitoes Repellent Plants That You Can Grow at Home

Generally, many flowering plants and herbs with great flavours and smells are a popular choice to be planted in your garden, since they also have insect repelling capabilities. We’ve put together a list of some great ones that can grow easily in your home.

1. Rosemary Plant

Rosemary is usually well-known for its usage in seasonings and meal preparations. But the fact that rosemary repels mosquitoes may not be as widely known to many. It has a particularly strong smell which works wonders on mosquitoes as well as other insects.

What It Needs

Depending on the variety of rosemary that you choose to plant, some prefer a constrained space like a container, which allows them to grow steadily. Other variants could be more superfluous, requiring a larger flower bed to sustain themselves.

How It Helps

Any kind of moths or flies tend to keep away from areas which have rosemary due to its smell. Boiling some dried rosemary in water and using it as a spray to repel bugs is possible, too.

2. Allium Plant

Planting rosemary might help keep the mosquitoes at bay. But, a lot of us prefer having wonderful flowers to shape up the aesthetic, and alliums can help you achieve that while controlling the mosquitoes.

What It Needs

Most allium plants tend to grow quite large and tall, some reaching as high as six feet. Therefore, it is necessary to plant them in an area that has as much open space as possible.

How It Helps

The allium flower is known to be a wonderful natural repellent for a large variety of insects as well as worms. Planting them along with other garden shrubs can help keep your vegetables protected as well, by being closer to them.

3. Lemon Balm Plant

The wonderful citric smell and the lovely white flowers that adorn its glory are found on none other than the lemon balm plant. What many do not know is that this mint variety of plant does a fantastic job of keeping away insects as well.

What It Needs

Just like many other plants that fall under the same family, the lemon balm plant also tends to invade the spaces occupied by other plants. So, strategic planning when planting it in your garden bed is a necessity.

How It Helps

On the first look, having this plant may look like it is taking up a good amount of space for nothing. However, it has a great capability to keep insects that bite (such as mosquitoes and wasps) far away from your home, helping you keep safe and trouble-free.

4. Wormwood Plant

Wormwood, or afsantin as it is known in many parts of our country has its place in our garden for sure. When looking for anti-mosquito plants for shade, this one’s your best bet with the wonderful foliage it provides, for a cool space under it on a sunny day.

What It Needs

Since wormwood has large foliage, it is best to plant it in an open area that receives good sunlight and allows it to grow fully. However, care should be taken to not rub against the bark of wormwood with your bare skin.

How It Helps

The scent of wormwood is extremely strong for many flies, mosquitoes, wasps, fleas, and numerous other insects, making them change their paths and keep away from your home at all times.

5. Lemon Thyme Plant

With the previous mention of the lemon balm plant, seeing the lemon thyme plant being a part of this collection won’t be surprising. Most plants that tend to have a strong identifiable aroma to them, are potentially good solutions to wade away any insects and mosquitoes in general. And also, thyme is a wonderful ingredient for your meals as well.

What It Needs

Again, since this plant belongs to the citrus family, it does need its space to grow properly and allow its leaves to flourish, so that the smell can reach out to multiple areas.

How It Helps

Its usual smell is not strong enough to keep insects at bay. Therefore, crushing a few leaves around evening time can help accentuate it and act as a natural mosquito repellent.

6. Geranium Plant

Back to basics, we all want our balconies or porches to look welcoming and beautiful from an aesthetic perspective. In that regard, to have a plant that keeps insects away and manages to enhance the beauty of your home, geraniums are one of the most popular choices for it.

What It Needs

The geranium flowers tend to bloom wonderfully in large numbers and the plant itself prefers warm and sunny temperatures, so planting it in an outside area is your best bet.

How It Helps

Just like many other citrus plants, the geranium flowers tend to have a slight citrusy smell to them. This is quite pungent to the insects which keeps them away while making it a wonderful fragrance for us.

7. Basil Plant

When it comes to outdoor plants that repel mosquitoes, basil is one of the primary choices that any household will adhere to. Not only does it have traditional roots in our country and is considered a holy plant in many cultures, but its inclusion in meals can help enhance the flavours of multiple dishes in unexpected ways.

What It Needs

In most homes throughout India, basil is usually planted near the outside verandah or the porch. It is best if the plant receives a lot of sunlight and enough water to keep the soil damp at all times.

How It Helps

Basil leaves tend to have a pretty strong smell irrespective of their variety that keeps bugs away. There are natural ways of making your very own bug repellent using basil leaves as well.

8. Catnip Plant

As the name of the plant itself suggests, this mint variety is usually popular for being a preferred scent by the feline family. However, planting this in your yard is beneficial since it is one of the most potent plants to keep bugs and insects away.

What It Needs

The catnip plant doesn’t require any special conditions and can be planted in a container or a bed just like any other plant. Make sure to keep it away from your vegetables, since it might attract cats that can ruin your other plants and make a mess.

How It Helps

The chemical that attracts cats and keeps bugs away is the same, nepetalactone. This has a similar fragrance to that of citrus plants, but has been observed to be around ten times powerful in keeping away insects.

9. Peppermint Plant

There’s a good reason why peppermint is a major ingredient in multiple mouth fresheners. That aroma is also a powerful reason why many bugs and even rats tend to keep away from it. To have this plant in your yard allows you easy access to mint leaves, too.

What It Needs

The thumb rule for planting any kind of plant from the mint family is to understand that they have the potential to grow rapidly and take over the entire space. Therefore, plant them in a separate flower bed, or specific containers which can be kept closer to other plants to keep bugs away.

How It Helps

The aroma of peppermint is the primary element that shoos away any kind of insects. Homemade repellents that are made from concentrated peppermint leaves are extremely powerful and can even kill the larvae of certain bugs.

10. Lavender Plant

For many of us, the citrus smell of the plants mentioned above can get tough to handle at times. Wouldn’t we rather prefer a plant that might smell horrible to insects but is absolutely pleasant for humans? Your answer would appear in the form of the lavender plant, which does both of it in a great way.

What It Needs

Lavender plants usually need substantial sunlight and a good draining soil, with very less water. It generally bodes well in warmer areas, and you can plant it around your house in multiple places without worry.

How It Helps

Lavender has a heady aroma that brings a soothing sense of calm to your home. That same fragrance manages to keep away insects and especially mosquitoes, since it interferes with their ability to detect the carbon dioxide being exhaled by us.

11. Marigold Plant

When talking about plants and shrubs that repel mosquitoes, it is a surprise that marigold is usually looked at for its aesthetic purposes. Not only do they brighten up your home, but they are also quite the bug repellents.

What It Needs

All that a marigold plant requires is a nice flower bed with occasional water. Lining them around the entry points of your home can double up as decoration as well as keep insects away.

How It Helps

Pyrethrum is the chemical in marigolds that works on repelling mosquitoes and bugs away. Many recommend pairing your homegrown vegetables with marigolds since that keeps them protected from havoc-wrecking insects.

12. Garlic Plant

The old adage might mention that consuming garlic can help keep mosquitoes away. While that might work only if a mosquito comes very close to your mouth, having a garlic plant around your home is a much better way to protect yourself.

What It Needs

A garlic plant can be paired with nearly every other shrub in your garden bed since it doesn’t require much to keep going.

How It Helps

Garlic does have a strong aroma that impacts insects and bugs equally. Furthermore, you will have easy access to fresh garlic when preparing your food.

13. Lemongrass Plant

Citrus plants are not going anywhere and having lemongrass in your garden has multiple benefits apart from keeping mosquitoes away. It is also a great ingredient for making tea and soups that are healthy for you.

What It Needs

An open space that has enough height for it to grow tall and lush sunlight for it to flourish.

How It Helps

The citrus smell not only keeps flies and mosquitoes away, but also kills any larvae of the same.

Figuring out the best natural mosquito repellent plants for your yard or balcony can take a while. The choice usually swings between aesthetic sense and the actual repellent power of a plant. Combining a few of them together can help give your home a sense of beauty and prevent the entry of insects as well.

Also Read:

Proven Home Remedies to Get Rid of Mosquitoes
Homemade Pest Control Remedies That Really Work
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Lizards