Mosquitoes aren’t just annoying, they are a danger with some spreading Zika and malaria. Unfortunately, there isn’t one simple way to keep mosquitoes out of your yard. But, there are plants that will help repel mosquitoes. Here’s a list of 15 of our favorites. To be effective, they’ll work best if positioned in your garden or in containers on your porch or patio.

The scent of some of these mosquito-repellant plants is enough to deter mosquitoes. With others, you create your own essential oils to repel the insects. Merely rubbing the leaves of some of these plants on your skin will do the trick.  

1. Lavender

Our #1 favorite plant that will help repel mosquitos is lavender. A fan of direct sun, it is colorful, easy to grow, and provides a lovely backdrop to other plants in your garden. Essential oils from the lavender plant’s leaves are a fragrance humans like but mosquitoes do not.

Lavender Stem

2. Marigolds

Marigolds are low maintenance and provide color all summer long. In addition to repelling mosquitoes, marigolds deter a variety of other pests, including deer and rabbits.

Classic Marigolds

3. Floss Flower

This plant doesn’t have a strong smell but it pairs well with other deterrents. Butterflies and bees love this plant. Floss flowers will serve double duty in your garden –– repelling mosquitoes and attracting pollinators.

4. Bee Balm

Also known as bergamot, this flower attracts pollinators with its showy flowers while repelling mosquitoes with its subtle scent.

Red Scarlet Bee Balm

5. Basil

One of the most pungent plants on this list, basil is a win-win. You can deter mosquitoes and other pests while bolstering your kitchen garden. Some studies show a compound in basil may even kill larvae, helping to prevent the presence of mosquitoes in the first place.

Basil

6. Mint

Also boasting a strong scent, mint is another great option for keeping mosquitoes at bay. Mint is invasive, though, so it should be confined to containers so it doesn’t take over the entire garden. Mojito, anyone?

Mint

7. Thyme

Tyme is another aromatic and tasty herb for us but is distasteful to mosquitoes. If you plan to use this or any other herb in your kitchen, you may want to consider an organic fertilizer. 

8. Sage

This fragrant herb will help keep mosquitoes away throughout the summer. Dried sage can also be tossed into a bonfire to help keep the mosquitoes away while you enjoy another s’more.

Sage

9. Rosemary

Rosemary will also repel mosquitoes and can be planted in both containers or a garden bed. It can also be used topically. Rubbing the leaves or oils against your skin acts as a natural, non-toxic repellent.

Rosemary and Lilies

10. Lemon Balm

An invasive plant, lemon balm is best grown in a container to prevent its unwanted spreading. Its strong citrus scent will keep both gnats and mosquitoes in check.

11. Catnip

Perhaps unexpectedly, catnip drives mosquitoes away while driving cats wild. If you want to share the harvest with your four-legged friends, be sure to avoid pesticides.

Cat (taking a snooze in ‘paradise’) and Catnip

12. Citronella

Extract of this grass is found in citronella candles, so it makes sense the plant would be a natural pest deterrent. Citronella grass may grow 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide, so you’ll need to space the plants out accordingly.

Citronella

13. Allium

Part of a genus that includes garlic, leeks, onions, and chives (also all good for repelling mosquitoes), allium is a beautiful plant that keeps mosquitoes away with its strong scent.

Allium

14. Calendula

Unwelcoming to mosquitoes, flies, and other insects, calendula offers bright blooms all summer long. This perennial plant prefers moderate weather conditions.

Calendula

15. Nasturtium

Vining, edible, and colorful, this annual is great for companion planting as it will help protect nearby plants from a large array of pests including aphids and whiteflies.

Nasturtium

Many of the plants on this list will do well in containers, and can therefore be used to protect your patio, porch, or deck. In addition to adding specific plants, there are a few other things you can do to discourage mosquitoes in your garden. For example, eliminate standing water so the mosquitoes don’t have a place to lay their eggs.

You can also encourage bats to hang around, as they love to eat mosquitoes. Staying on top of pruning, trimming, and mowing will reduce hiding and resting places, thus discouraging mosquitoes from lingering.

There isn’t one specific way to keep mosquitoes away, but experimenting with different plants is a fun way to develop your garden with the cursory benefits of a reduced mosquito presence.

Alison is a Midwesterner through and through and loves to spend her time baking and reading. Always at home in the dirt, as a kid, Alison raised a vegetable garden with her dad and flower gardens with her mom.