Summer is fast approaching, and with it comes the vampiric pests that everyone hates: Mosquitoes.
If you have a backyard, going out in it during the predawn and dusk hours may cause you to get bitten, causing itching that won’t stop. But never fear!
There are a variety of potted plants that can be used to keep them away.
This article will highlight 14 container plants that will leave you itching less this summer.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is found in Asia, Africa, and Australia regions around the equator. It’s an all-purpose repellent, keeping away mosquitoes and other insects and snakes, lizards, and rats.
In addition to its smell, lizards and snakes don’t like its sharp leaves. Lemongrass is edible, often being turned into curries and tea.
Place lemongrass in loamy soil made of compost, mulch, and nitrogen-rich organic matter and place it in full sunlight for at least 6 hours daily, keeping the soil moist.
Lantana Camara
The Lantana Camara are flowering plants that may be used as annuals or perennials that come in various colors. In addition to their mosquito repellent properties, they are also known to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
They work well as potted plants or in hanging planters. Tuck these low-maintenance plants in soil with a Ph of 5 or 6 and soak them once weekly.
To activate their mosquito-repelling properties, crush the leaves, or use them dry
Herbs
There are a variety of herbs that work double duty to keep mosquitoes away, including:
Rosemary
Rosemary’s earthy scent helps keep away mosquitoes. It does well as a potted plant. It likes hot and dry conditions.
Basil
Basil’s strong scent drives away many pests, including mosquitoes. It needs to be in damp soil with good drainage and directly in sunlight. Feel free to pot it with other herbs or flowers, provided they both like the same conditions.
Sage
Sage is an herb used in cooking and burned for spiritual practices. If burned, it drives away mosquitoes and, if dried, made into homemade insect repellent. It thrives in direct sunlight and well-drained soil.
Mint
Mint’s pungent odor helps keep mosquitoes away. Pot in slightly acidic to neutral soil in indirect sunlight, keeping the soil moist. How well the plant weathers cold or heat will depend on its variety
Lavender
It’s thought that lavender’s fragrant oil may inhibit a mosquito’s ability to detect CO2. If the mosquitoes can’t smell their prey, it will help to keep them away. This drought-resistant plant enjoys warm weather, direct sunlight, and well-drained soil.
Marigold
Marigolds are an annual flower whose scent keeps mosquitoes at bay. They’re easily grown in commercially available potting soil mix.
Don’t water Marigolds from above; water their roots instead. If their leaves get wet, they are susceptible to getting powdery mildew. Deadheading marigolds, removing wilted flowers to the first set of leaves, encourages them to bloom more often.
Plants that Eat Mosquitoes
Pitcher Plant
The Pitcher Plant is a plant that produces an odor that attracts insects, including mosquitoes. When mosquitoes crawl along the lip of the plant, they fall inside the “pitfall” and can’t escape, being digested by the plant.
Pitcher plants are tropical, so keep them warm and moist. They thrive in direct sunlight. Pot pitcher plants in pre-made carnivorous plant potting mix or make your own by combining two-parts peat moss with one-part lime-free sand or perlite.
Venus flytraps
Venus flytraps – despite their name, don’t only trap or eat flies. They will eat any insect unlucky enough to walk across them, including mosquitoes. Insects walking across the hairs of their leaves trigger its reflex to close, thus trapping the insect inside. Keep Venus flytraps away from direct sunlight; indirect is best. They thrive in a humid environment, potted in moist – but not overly wet soil watered with rain or distilled water.
Bladderwort
The Common Bladderwort, unlike the two previous carnivorous plants, lives in water. They keep mosquitoes away by not letting them become the flying menace we all hate.
It traps mosquito larvae that touch its bristles by opening a trap door, where they are sucked in to be digested by the plant.
These plants require eight hours of light – four in full, the rest indirect. For home planting, mix equal parts peat and pearlite, placing the pot in a pan of filtered water.
Plants that Attract Mosquito Eating Insects
White Yarrow
White Yarrow is a perennial flower, producing tightly packed clusters of off-white blossoms. It does well in full sun and well-drained moist soil. They attract pollinators like butterflies and dragonflies, which eat mosquitoes, keeping them away.
Water Lilies
Water Lilies may be stretching the definition of a potted plant, as they typically need a pond or other body of water, but a waterproof pot may do the trick. They keep mosquitoes away by attracting dragonflies. All they need is four to six hours of sunlight and clean water.
Coneflowers
Coneflowers are another plant that attracts insectivores such as beetles and dragonflies. They require large pots with drainage holes. To aid in further drainage, place gravel at the bottom of the pot before adding soil. Also, they will have to be moved from partial shade to full sun often. Water at the roots, as getting the leaves wet will encourage fungal disease.
