- A number of plants naturally repel mosquitoes.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
If you've ever despaired of the blood-sucking mosquitoes that swarm in the evening, keeping you from enjoying the garden at dusk, try planting a mosquito-repelling plant. While there is one species, the Agastache cana, popularly known as the mosquito plant, a few other species offer equal or even better protection against the voracious pests. - Wild hyssop (Agastache cana) is also known as the Texas hummingbird mint or the mosquito plant. It is native to New Mexico and western Texas, growing best in warm climates, and is cold-tolerant to U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 5. While the plant is well-known for its ability to repel mosquitoes, its leaves must be rubbed to release the mosquito-repelling oils, as with any type of mosquito plant. The foliage emits a scent that vaguely resembles licorice and mint. From the end of summer through autumn, the mosquito plant produces pink spikes of flowers at the tips of its 26-inch stalks. While the plant effectively repels mosquitoes, it attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
- The mosquito shoo (Pelargonium spp.), also known as the mosquito plant, is widely sold as a line of protection against mosquito pests. As with the wild hyssop, the mosquito shoo cannot directly repel mosquitoes when simply grown in a pot or bed. Rather, the leaves must be rubbed between your fingers to release the mosquito-repelling oils. The efficacy of the mosquito shoo plant in repelling the flying pests is unproven, as it does not contain the citronella oil found in many mosquito plants. If you plant the mosquito shoo, use it to repel the critters from your own body, says Dr. Arthur Tucker of Delaware State College. Pluck a few leaves, crush them between your fingers and rub them around your body. The pelargonium genus grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 8 and above.
- Lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) has an even higher of concentration of mosquito-repelling oils than citrosa or citronella grasses, the plants used in making citronella candles. When crushed, it is 62 percent as effective as DEET, the active ingredient in most mosquito-repellent sprays, says Donald Lewis of the Iowa State University Extension. Lemon thyme grows well in sunny locations with sandy, well-drained soils. It grows well in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5 through 8, where it forms bushy, erect clumps up to 12 inches tall. Aside from its effectiveness at repelling mosquitoes, lemon thyme attracts bees and is a useful culinary herb with a subtly citrus flavor.
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