Mosquitoes are an annoying problem in summer, especially when you want to spend relaxing hours outside in the evening. But instead of resorting to chemicals, you can use the stinging pestsDistribute using natural means. There are anti-mosquito plants that secrete different scents and keep the bad guys away from the terrace or balcony. Some of them even produce pretty flowers that can delight you all summer long. This makes them an attractive addition to any garden, balcony box or patio pot! Here is our list of plants that can help against mosquitoes.
Herbs against mosquitoes
Lavender plant against mosquitoes
Botanical name: Lavandula angustifolia
The aroma, which can cure insomnia and calm depressed minds, is an irritant to mosquitoes, moths, flies and bedbugs. Plant lavender in a sunny location or make bouquets of dry lavender flowers to keep pests away from your garden or home.
Growth height: 20 to 50 cm
Flower: violet-blue
Flowering time: July to September
Location: Full sun
Hardy in zones 5 to 9
Also repels: moths, fleas, flies and spiders
Attracts butterflies and bees
Special feature: ideal for dry bouquets or forMaking lavender bagsas a moth repellent or to relax and fall asleep
Lemongrass / Lemongrass against mosquitoes
Botanical name: Cymbopogon citratus
The genus Cymbopogon includes a wide variety of grasses, including lemongrass, which is native to the regions of eastern and western India. Its citrus-like scent effectively deters mosquitoes and many other pests. In addition to using the fresh stalks for culinary purposesLemongrass oil also used in preservatives, medicines and perfumesused.
Lemongrass is an easy-care tropical plant that thrives in full sun and slightly moist, not waterlogged soil. It is a tender perennial that is only hardy in zones 9-10. Where temperatures drop below -6 °C in winter, lemongrass should be brought indoors for the winter. If you want to plant it in pots, choose one that is at least 30 cm wide and 30 cm deep. Lemongrass spreads quickly, so it will fill the entire container in a short time.
Growth height: 100 to 190 cm
Location: Full sun
Hardy in zones 9 to 11
Also repels: flies
Special feature: The green parts of the plant are used fresh in the kitchen as a spice and tea.
Citronella plant against mosquitoes
Botanical name: Cymbopogon nardus
Although citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) are relatives and look similar, both have different characteristics. Citronella oil is used to make mosquito repellents, household disinfectants, perfumes, soaps and deodorants. Lemongrass, on the other hand, can be used as a herbal tea. It smells like lemon, but it tastes milder and sweeter. Lemongrass contains the active ingredient citral, which has antimicrobial and pain-relieving properties. However, consuming citronella can prove harmful in the long run, causing skin allergies and lung damage.
Citronella and lemongrass differ in the color of their stalks: these of citronella grass are reddish-purple at the base.
Growth height: 150 to 190 cm
Location: Sun to partial shade
Hardy in zones 10 to 11
Also repels: flies
Special feature: is primarily grown for the production of citronella oil.
Lemon balm against mosquitoes
Botanical name: Melissa officinalis
Lemon balm has a lemony scent that mosquitoes detest. Its leaves can be dried and brewed into a wonderfully lemony-tasting herbal tea that helps you fall asleep. Lemon balm also likes shade, which makes it ideal even for north-facing balconies.
Growth height: 60 to 90 cm
Flowers: white, pink, bluish
Flowering time: only from the second year, between June and August
Location: Sun to partial shade
Hardy in zones 4 to 9
Also repels: fleas
Attracts butterflies and bees
Basil against mosquitoes
Botanical name: Ocimum basilicum
You can easily plant basil wherever you need it - on the windowsill, in the balcony box or in patio pots. The reason for the aromatic smell of this popular culinary herb is the high content of essential oils. For most types of basil it is between 0.3 and 1.5 percent.Very welcome, known as African basil, and the shrub basilThe Kilimandscharian oakcontain over 3 percent flavorings.
Growth height: 30 to 60 cm
Flower: white
Flowering time: July
Location: Full sun
Hardy from zone 10
Also repels: flies
Rosemary against mosquitoes
Botanical name: Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosemary is a woody perennial subshrub that is believed to repel mosquitoes, moths and flies. This evergreen, drought-tolerant member of the mint family grows best in partial shade to full sun.
Rosemary is one of the very old smoking plants. Burning rosemary branches releases scents and active ingredients that are unpleasant enough for most species of insects to repel them. To allow the rosemary essential oils to evaporate, simply place a few sprigs on a grid over a lantern.
Growth height: 90 to 150 cm
Flower: purple
Flowering time: March to May or September
Location: Full sun
Hardy in zones 5 to 9
Also repels: pests in the vegetable patch, flies
Attracts butterflies and bees
Can be burned and used as incense against mosquitoes
Catnip against mosquitoes
Botanical name: Nepeta cataria
Catnip is another member of the mint family. This aromatic herb contains an ingredient called nepetalactone - it attracts cats but repels insects. The plant can also be placed in the apartment.
Growth height: 90 to 150 cm
Flowers: violet, white, pink, violet-blue
Flowering time: June to September
Location: sun / partial shade
Hardy in zones 3 to 9
Also repels: termites, cockroaches
peppermint
Botanical name: Mentha x piperita
Peppermint contains mostly menthol, which mosquitoes don't like. It grows best in pots rather than in the garden as it spreads aggressively. Once established, they can be difficult to remove.
Growth height: 50 to 100 cm
Flowers: purple, white, pink
Flowering time: June to September
Location: Full sun
Hardy in zones 3 to 11
Also repels: spiders
Flowers against mosquitoes
Scented geranium against mosquitoes
While most varieties of the Pelargonium family are grown for their colorful flowers, scented Pelargoniums are primarily valued for the pleasant scents of their leaves. There are many varieties of this annual plant, but lemon, lime, orange, and peppermint geraniums are the most effective at repelling mosquitoes. Plant them in a sunny spot, allow the soil to dry before watering and don't bother fertilizing, as scented geraniums thrive best in slightly poor soil. Scented geraniums are super easy to growCuttings with or without rooting hormonesmultiply.
Popular types of scented geraniums against mosquitoes:
- Pelargonium citrosum –Lemon geranium
- Pelargonium tomentosum –Peppermint-scented geranium
- Pelargonium nervosum ‘Lime’ –Lime-scented geranium
- Pelargonium x citriodorum ‘Prince of Orange’ –Orange scented geranium
Growth height: 30 to 90 cm
Flowers: pink, purple, white
Flowering time: June to September
Location: Full sun/partial shade
Hardy in zones 10 to 11
Also repels: flies
Attracts butterflies
Ordinary liver balm
Botanical name: Ageratum houstonianum
The liver balm contains coumarin, an active ingredient used in mosquito repellent sprays. This attractive annual flower is ideal as a bed or balcony plant. The beautiful flowers delight the eye from May to autumn.
Growth height: 15 to 60 cm
Flowers: white, pink, blue
Flowering time: June to September
Location: sun/partial shade
Hardy in zones 10 to 11
Also repels: flies, deer, wild hares
Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
Toxic to pets if they nibble on the plant
Studentenblume
Botanical name: Tagetes
The marigold is one of the most popular garden beauties. These beautiful, sun-loving flowers are often grown by farmers as companion plants toKeep pests away from the vegetable patch. The ingredients in tagetes, known as tagetone and limonene, keep beetles, aphids and mosquitoes away.
The low marigold (Tagetes poetic) grows well in balcony boxes, containers or pots, while the upright marigold (Tagetes erecta) is mostly used as an annual bedding or cemetery plant.
Growth height: 15 to 45 cm
Flowers: orange-brown to yellow
Flowering time: June to October
Location: Full sun
Sensitive to frost, not hardy
Also repels: deer, wild hares
Attracts butterflies and bees
Gold balm / Indian nettle
Botanical name: Monarda
The golden balm is a very decorative perennial that comes from North America and enchants with its fragrant flowers between June and July. Although it is popular with bees and butterflies, its minty, herbal scent repels mosquitoes. Golden balm contains thymol, which is also found in thyme and pine trees.
A particularly pretty representative when it comes to mosquito repellent is the lemon monard (Monarda citriodora). The plant tastes and smells like lemon. According to a 2013 study that examined the effectiveness of Monarda essential oils as a repellent against the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti, theMonarda bradburiana BeckandMonarda fistulosa L. (Wild Bergamot) has a good defensive effect.
Growth height: 30 to 60 cm
Flower: white
Flowering time: July
Location: Full sun
Hardy in zones 3 to 9
Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds
Use: The leaves can be boiled to make a tea. Gold balm tea contains thymol, which is said to help with gingivitis in the mouth and throat and diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
Steppe sage
Botanical name: Salvia nemorosa
In contrast to its well-known relative, the common sage (Sage officinalis), is the flowering sage (Sage wood) not edible, but an attractive ornamental perennial. Its very aromatic leaves and flowers are frequently visited by bees, bumblebees and butterflies. The other benefit is that their scent deters mosquitoes and other flying pests.
Growth height: 30 to 40 cm
Flowers: deep purple or violet-blue
Flowering time: June to September
Location: Full sun
hardy, easy to care for
bee friendly
Green plants against mosquitoes
Eucalyptus plant against mosquitoes
Botanischer Name: Eucalyptus citriodora, Corymbia citriodora
The lemon eucalyptus releases a pleasant citrus scent that not only keeps mosquitoes away, but also drives away sand flies, ticks and other pests. The reason for this is the citronellal contained in the entire tree. In Australia it is cultivated as a forest tree. As a potted plant on a balcony or terrace, the plant reaches a height of around 1.5 - 2.5 meters. Younger trees need to be repotted every two years; older eucalyptus trees need to be repotted less frequently. Pruning takes place in early spring.
Growth height: 150 to 250 cm
Flower: yellow
Flowering time: June – August
Location: Sun to partial shade
not hardy, must be overwintered in a bright room at 10-15 degrees
Use: You can use the leaves to make tea or prepare a cold bath
Frankincense plant against mosquitoes
Botanical name: Plectranthus coleoides
The frankincense plant was given the name Moth King because it is known to repel moths, mosquitoes and other pests due to its spicy scent. The Plectrantus can also be used as a houseplant, but not everyone likes the intense smell. Since the plant develops very long hanging shoots, it is best suited for planting hanging baskets and balcony boxes. The frankincense plant prefers to be in partial shade and even feels at home on the north-facing balcony. The plant also tolerates sunny locations quite well.
Growth height: 30 to 100 cm
Flowers: purple and white
Flowering time: March to September
Location: Shady to partially shaded
perennial, but not frost-resistant, evergreen
Also repels: moths, fleas, flies and spiders
