Mosquito Repellent Planter Ideas

Create a pretty mosquito repellent planter for your patio or deck to help keep pests away while you enjoy being outdoors this season.

I always plant a few pots on our patio for the summer. This year I'm trying some fragrant plants as a natural way to repel mosquitoes.

Do Plants Really Repel Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon monoxide we give off and other scents from our skin, feet, and mouth. It stands to reason that if there is something that masks that scent the mosquitoes will be tricked into another direction.

Burning citronella candles or other strongly scented firestarters can help. Spraying commercial bug repellent with chemicals like Deet or rubbing on a homemade insect repellent oil can help too.

However, if you are going to fill your planters on the patio, porch or deck, why not plant some helpful fragrant plants too?

Mosquito Repellent Container Key (above)

Planting flowers that are highly fragrant can help deter mosquitoes, especially if you rub some of the foliage on your skin. Here's the list of some mosquito repellent plants shown above. All can be found at most local nurseries. Note: This group enjoys full sun perfect for our outdoor patio.

1. Pelargonium citrosum 'Citrosa Van Leenii' - aka Citronella Geranium commonly known as the Mosquito Plant. Of course! I think any scented geranium would be good in one of these planters. I have a large rose scented geranium in my dining room and the leaves give off a strong scent whenever you brush by them.
2. Lavender - This is an English lavender that I prefer because I can plant it in the garden at the end of the season and it's a perennial to my area so it will come back next year. This one will give you beautiful flowers and both the flowers and foliage are highly fragrant.
3. Nasturtium - Both the leaves and flowers are edible and have a spicy peppery aroma.
4. Rosemary - Many herbs fit the "scented" or fragrant qualification and rosemary's pungent scent is a good one.
5. Purple Sage - This is Salvia Officinalis the same as the edible culinary sage but with pretty purple foliage.
6. Chocolate Peppermint - I dug some of this out of the garden. As many of you know once you plant it, you will have it forever. However, this darker colored mint is highly fragrant and produces pretty flowers in late summer.
7. Lastly, the center has a couple of pretty marigold flowers. The variety is 'Durango Yellow.' Marigolds have been planted in vegetable gardens to lure or ward off pests for years. And this bright shade of yellow adds a nice pop of color to this container garden.

Other Plants that Keep Mosquitoes Away

You can only fit so many plants in one pot. However, you could have several pots on your patio. Some other plants to include are:

• Lemongrass
• Lemon Balm
• Basil
• Catnip
• Citronella Grass
• Allium
• Lantana
• Eucalyptus
• Bee Balm
• Ageratum

Having planters with highly fragrant plants in and of themselves may not deter mosquitoes from your porch or patio. However, you can rub some of the foliage on your skin during summer evenings while sitting around the table. The fresh scented oil will not only smell great it may trick the mosquitoes to move on. Helpful and pretty...a winning combination.