The best mosquito repellent plants
Camille VidalMosquitoes can turn a summer evening into a nightmare very quickly. Between the bites, the itching and the broken nights, finding an effective way to keep them off becomes essential.
Among the natural options, mosquito repellent plants are winning more and more people over. Easy to set up on a balcony, a terrace or near the windows, some varieties give off scents mosquitoes dislike. But do they actually work? And above all, which are the best plants for keeping mosquitoes away naturally?
In this article you will find a selection of the plants best known for repelling mosquitoes, plus practical tips to get the most out of them. You will also see their limits, and why it is usually recommended to pair them with something else to protect your home properly.
Which is the best mosquito repellent plant?
Among all repellent plants, lemongrass remains the undisputed benchmark. Thanks to its very powerful lemony scent, it disrupts mosquitoes and stops them getting close. Easy to grow in a pot on a balcony or a terrace, it also adds a decorative touch to your outdoor space.
But lemongrass is not the only effective option. Other plants such as lavender, rose geranium or basil give off scents mosquitoes dislike and can round out your natural protection. Each has its own strengths: some suit indoor spots, others prefer full sun, but all contribute to a natural barrier against these unwanted insects.
💡 Tip: to maximise the repellent effect, group several plants together and gently crush their leaves to release the essential oils.
⚡ That said, for genuinely effective and lasting protection, nothing beats the Moskera magnetic fly screen. It stops mosquitoes entering your home while staying practical and discreet, and it pairs perfectly with your plants for a bite-free interior.
Plants that keep mosquitoes away
Several plants stand out for their ability to repel mosquitoes and tiger mosquitoes naturally. On top of adding a decorative touch indoors or outdoors, they can reduce the risk of bites and create an effective scent barrier. Here are the main ones to consider:
Lemongrass: the classic mosquito repellent plant
Lemongrass is one of the best known plants for repelling mosquitoes naturally. It stands out for its powerful lemony scent, which disrupts the insects' sense of smell and limits how close they come. This plant not only offers protection against bites, it also adds a decorative touch with its slender, bright green foliage.
Lemongrass grows easily in a pot or in the ground, which makes it a practical solution for balconies, terraces or gardens. It prefers sunny spots and well-drained soil, and looking after it stays simple. Its presence creates a pleasant, fragrant atmosphere while helping reduce mosquito nuisance.
Thanks to its natural effectiveness and how easy it is to grow, lemongrass remains a favourite for anyone who wants to combine looks, scent and protection against mosquitoes.
Geranium against the tiger mosquito
Geranium is a plant recognised for its repellent properties against mosquitoes. Its leaves release essential oils that naturally keep these insects away while adding a decorative touch to your garden, balcony or home. Geranium comes in several varieties, each with slightly different scents and colours, but all help create an environment less attractive to mosquitoes.
Rose geranium
Rose geranium is a variety particularly appreciated for its lemony, floral scent. That subtle smell is unpleasant for mosquitoes, which makes it an excellent anti-insect plant. It grows easily in a pot or a planter, and its flowering brings bright colours that brighten the space. As well as repelling mosquitoes, rose geranium is often used for its aromatic qualities in natural products and perfumes.
Citronella geranium
Citronella geranium combines the looks of a geranium with an even more pronounced lemony scent. It is particularly effective at reducing the presence of mosquitoes around your house or terrace. Its leaves produce natural essential oils that act as a repellent, while its colourful flowers add a pleasant decorative touch. This variety is ideal for anyone looking to combine natural protection and plant beauty.
Lavender to repel mosquitoes
Lavender is far more than a decorative plant: it is also recognised for its repellent properties against mosquitoes. Its purple, fragrant, delicate flowers give off a scent that is pleasant for people but unpleasant for mosquitoes, which makes it a natural way to limit bites.
Easy to grow, lavender adapts just as well to gardens as to pots on a balcony or terrace. It likes sunny positions and well-drained soil, and its flowering also attracts pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
Beyond its scent and its effect on mosquitoes, lavender helps create a calming, pleasant atmosphere, making your indoor and outdoor spaces more comfortable and harmonious.
Marigold: a natural plant to repel mosquitoes
Marigold (or calendula) is a plant with bright flowers that has repellent properties against certain insects, including mosquitoes. Grown in a pot or in the ground, it helps reduce the presence of mosquitoes around your garden, balcony or terrace, while adding a colourful, decorative touch to your outdoor space.
Mint: a natural mosquito repellent
Mint is an aromatic plant that works very well at repelling mosquitoes thanks to its intense scent. Its leaves release essential oils that disrupt the insects' sense of smell. Easy to grow in a pot on a balcony or terrace, it combines natural protection with culinary use, while bringing a pleasant freshness to your surroundings.
Rosemary: a mosquito repellent plant for garden and balcony
Rosemary is a Mediterranean plant with a powerful aromatic scent, recognised for its repellent properties against mosquitoes. Its evergreen foliage produces natural essential oils that make the surroundings less attractive to insects. Ideal for sunny terraces and gardens, rosemary combines looks, scent and natural protection.
Lemon eucalyptus: the powerful repellent plant against mosquitoes
Lemon eucalyptus stands out for its lemony scent, which is very effective at repelling mosquitoes. Its leaves contain natural essential oils that act as a repellent. This plant can be grown in a pot or outdoors, offering a practical way to reduce the presence of mosquitoes while bringing a pleasant scent to your surroundings.
Outdoor mosquito repellent plants
To enjoy your outdoor spaces fully without being bothered by mosquitoes, some plants are particularly effective when grown in a garden, on a terrace or on a balcony. These repellent plants act naturally through their scents and essential oils, creating a scent barrier that limits how close mosquitoes come.
Among the most effective outdoors are lemongrass, citronella geranium, rosemary and lemon eucalyptus. These plants cope well with sunny conditions and with pots or planters, and they offer both natural protection and a decorative effect.
Planting these species around the busy parts of your outdoor space, such as near doors, windows or a dining corner, significantly reduces the presence of mosquitoes while making your surroundings more attractive with flowers and aromatic foliage.
With these outdoor plants you can enjoy pleasant moments outside without being bothered by bites, while creating an attractive and fragrant space.
Plants that repel both flies and mosquitoes
Some plants have the particularity of repelling both mosquitoes and flies, offering a natural and practical way to protect your indoor and outdoor spaces. These plants give off scents or essential oils that disrupt the insects' sense of smell and reduce their presence around the house, the garden or the balcony.
Among the most effective are mint, basil, lavender and rosemary. These plants can be grown in pots, planters or in the ground, and they create a scent barrier while adding a decorative touch to your spaces.
Other specific plants, such as marigold or clove, are particularly effective against flies and can be combined with the classic mosquito repellent plants for complete protection. By placing these plants around busy areas, such as windows, doors or dining corners, you get natural and attractive protection against these bothersome insects.
Why do some plants repel mosquitoes?
Some plants have natural properties that make them unpleasant for mosquitoes. That ability rests mainly on the scents and essential oils they produce. Mosquitoes use their sense of smell to locate their prey, and the chemical compounds released by certain plants interfere with their senses, stopping them getting close.
For example, lemongrass and citronella geranium release aromatic molecules that disrupt mosquitoes, while lavender, mint and rosemary produce essential oils with repellent properties. These plants therefore create a natural barrier around the areas where they are grown.
It is important to understand that how well these plants work depends on several factors: the concentration of essential oils, the wind, where the plant sits, and whether several plants are combined. Growing several repellent species together increases the chance of keeping mosquitoes away and contributes to a more pleasant environment with fewer bites.
Beyond their practical role, these plants also bring aesthetic and olfactory benefits, turning your outdoor or indoor spaces into places that are enjoyable to live in while limiting mosquito nuisance.
What actually works against mosquitoes?
When it comes to protecting yourself from mosquitoes, there are several options: repellent plants, mosquito sprays and fly screens. Each has advantages, but also limits worth knowing so you can make the right choice.
The different ways to repel mosquitoes
- Repellent plants (lemongrass, geranium, lavender, mint, rosemary, lemon eucalyptus) create a natural barrier through their scents and essential oils. They are decorative and free of chemicals, but their effect is limited to the immediate surroundings and depends on upkeep and on the concentration of active compounds.
- Sprays and essential oils can repel mosquitoes for a while, including at night, offering direct protection on the skin or in the air. Their effect is temporary, however, and needs regular reapplication.
- Fly screens, and magnetic models in particular, offer complete and lasting protection. Fitted on windows, doors or beds, they physically stop mosquitoes entering, without any chemicals and in a practical way.
Why protecting your home still matters
Even if plants and sprays can reduce the presence of mosquitoes, protecting your home remains the most reliable solution. To keep mosquitoes away at night naturally, it is essential to limit their access to your living spaces.
Fly screens create an effective physical barrier, stopping insects entering and disturbing your sleep. They considerably reduce the risk of bites, while offering a simple, lasting solution with no chemicals involved.
For maximum protection, we recommend combining repellent plants with a Moskera magnetic fly screen, which acts as a permanent shield. This approach lets you enjoy the decoration and natural scents of the plants while benefiting from a lasting, practical and chemical-free solution.
There are now models to suit every opening: windows, doors and sliding glass doors, so every access point of your home can be protected properly.
Essential oils can be used alongside, especially to reinforce the repellent effect at night, but the fly screen remains the most reliable way to keep a home protected.