Spending time outside is always great, especially if it’s relaxing with friends and family. However, what’s not so great is the annoying bugs that fly around, especially mosquitos! Not only do they make obnoxious noises, but they can also ruin a great evening by making you all itchy. Here are some great plants you can add to your backyard to help repel mosquitos!
Basil
Basil not only gets rid of mosquitos, but it also has lots of other qualities and uses as well! If you want, you can extract the basil oils and turn them into a spray for an even more effective mosquito repellent.
Bee Balm
Bee balm is a beautiful plant that also doubles as a great mosquito repellent. However, it does attract bees, so be aware of that and take necessary steps to protect yourself from bee stings. Hummingbirds also like bee balm, so that’s always a plus!
Cadaga Tree
This is probably a little more intensive to nourish and take care of because it’s a tree, but it’s definitely worth the investment. Not only does it repel mosquitos, it also is beautiful, so it’s a great backyard addition!
Catmint
You can just plant catmint and it will naturally detract mosquitos, but you can also do much more with it! If you cut the flowers and boil them, you can turn it into an effective spray to stop mosquitos from coming into your backyard.
Catnip
Catnip contains nepetalactone, which is a strong mosquito repellent. In fact, it’s about ten times stronger than deet, which means this is a powerful and natural way to get rid of mosquitos.
Citronella Grass
Citronella is actually one of the components of many manufactured bug repellents, so the plant must be super effective! You can apply the oil of citronella grass to your skin to make a potent mosquito repellent.
Floss Flower
This plant, as well, has chemicals that are found in commercial products. Instead of spending tons of money on those, however, you can plant a few floss flowers around your yard and get beauty alongside the repellent!
Lavender
As if lavender couldn’t get any better, apparently it also repels mosquitos! Just one more reason to cover your yard in lavender! It smells great, has a beautiful color, and now can protect from annoying insects!
Lemon Balm
To make lemon balm even more useful take the leaves, crush them, and rub them on your skin. This creates a natural mosquito repellent that will keep you safe and itch-less all night!
Lemon Grass
Lemon Grass contains citronella, which is a great mosquito repellent. Not only that, but it also smells great, unlike some commercial bug sprays, so you and your guests will want to stay in the backyard all night!
Mexican Marigold
This is one of the most colorful and gorgeous mosquito repelling plants that you will probably ever find. However, there is a downfall: it tends to smell a bit. If that’s not an issue and you love the color, then go for it. If not, then consider other plants or figure out how to get rid of the plant’s smell.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus smells great and also wards off numerous other insects instead of just mosquitos! It can sometimes be hard to grow, however, so make sure you have the time and are in the right climate.
Nodding Onion
It may have a funny name, but it’s great at repelling insects and is actually quite pretty! Grind up nodding onion and apply the juices to your skin for an effective mosquito repellent.
Mint
Who doesn’t love mint (besides mosquitos), right? If you needed another reason to plant the great smelling mint in your yard, then here it is! You can use it to ward off mosquitos, make your backyard smell great, and cultivate for cooking and other medicinal uses.
Pineapple Weed
This plant smells like ripe pineapple and repels mosquitos! How much better can you get, really? Not only that, but you can also make the pineapple weed into a delicious tea!
Pitcher Plant
Like the Venus fly trap, this plant is actually carnivorous. It doesn’t just repel mosquitos, it will eat any that come into your yard and get too close! It’s also a great color, so there’s really no downside to this plant!
Rosemary
Rosemary is another one of those plants that has numerous uses. Besides effectively getting rid of mosquitoes, rosemary can be used in cooking or mixed into lotions and soaps to make them smell great.
Snowbrush
Snowbrush is just as good as these other plants at repelling mosquitos; however, there is one downside: Snowbrush is considered a weed in many places so make sure you do some research and keep an eye on it if you decide to plant it.
Is that tree also called crepe myrtle? And the snowbush, is it considered a weed? Not week..lol. great great information
Yes not a week ha thank you for that! And I do think they are the same? I looked into it and it seems that they are, I just wasn’t aware of that.