Plants that Contain Citronella, And Why you Need to Buy Insect Repellent
I ’m going to be square with you . you could not run over to your local garden center or hop online and buy a plant ( or thirty ) that will make your summer backyard gatherings mosquito - loose .
It ’s just not depart to happen .
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Lavender’s lovely, but not likely a quick fix.
You ’ve probably heard of any routine of plants that have mosquito - repelling properties . These might admit :
Althoughsome exact that you may just implant themand that ’s all that there is to it , that ’s not really the case .
The thing is , with all these plants , you have to beat or burn some part of the plant to get to the means within that offers the disgusting property . but plopping it in a pot on your back patio will not the job solve .
Lavender’s lovely, but not likely a quick fix.
That ’s not to say you should n’t grow these peach in your garden ! But just do n’t await a mosquito - free backyard picnic just because you planted some lavender .
Many of these plant hold in the substance citronellal , which does indeed have worm - repellent properties . But they do n’t spew it into the air , chasing away mosquitoes , no matter how much we ’d like them to .
To get a better picture of the plant kingdom ’s contribution to mosquito deterrence , let ’s bet more tight at some of these lovely plants .
The Fake Citronella Plant
You might come across , at braggy - box stock in special , plant marketed as “ citronella plant life ” or “ mosquito plant . ” If it ’s a lacy - leafed thing that looks like a geranium , it ’s probablyPelargonium‘citrosum , ’ or P. ‘ citrosum Van Leenii’a geranium with fragrant leavesthat smell like citronella .
It was once said that this plant was the result of combine factor of two other plants – citronella green goddess and African geranium . But that title has since been debunked ; it ’s simply a smorgasbord of geranium .
Scented Geranium Plants in 4 - Inch Pots
P.‘citrosum ’ contains less than 1 percentage of citronellal , the chemical compound that has the insect - repelling properties .
It ’s a pretty plant , and it smells good , so if you ’d like to add one to your landscape painting , please do ; you canget a live , 4 - column inch plant from Burpee . But do n’t expect it to banish the microbe .
The Real Citronella Plant
Let ’s look at the green goddess - like plants that boast a higher concentration of citronellal .
Sri Lanka citronella supergrass ( Cymbopogon nardus),available from Fast Growing Trees , and Java citronella dope ( C. winterianus ) are related to a plant well - known in southeast Asian cooking – lemongrass oil ( C. citrate),available from on-key Leaf Market .
Citronella Grass
These are ball - organise grasses that are recurrent in zona 10 - 12 , but grow as yearbook in other zone .
Heirloom Lemon Grass Seeds
C. narducontains an average of 14 % citronellal , whileC. winterianushas about 22 % citronellal . These are the plants that cater the oil used in commercial citronella merchandise , such as candles .
More Citronella in South America
Another citronellal - containing flora for which modified information is usable in English isCitronella mucronata , also known as Chilean citronella or , in Spanish , huillipatagua .
Chilean citronella is an evergreen tree diagram native to Chile that can grow to be 30 feet tall . It is one of approximately 25 - 30 plant life in theCitronellagenus , most of which are aboriginal to tropical mood .
We could n’t find much information about their citronellal content , but it ’s no matter , since you ’re improbable to detect these plant for sale in North America .
Another Option: Lemon Balm
A citronellal - containing plant life you might consider for your back porch is lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis ) , which is say to have as much as 38 % of the pith .
Lemon Balm Seeds
packet of 700 seeds areavailable from Burpee .
Lemon balm is an herbaceous perennial aboriginal to south - central Europe , the Mediterranean Basin , Iran , and Central Asia . A member of the mint family , it is often used to make afternoon tea to relieve indigestion and promote relaxation .
Or, Just Buy a Spray
So , having told you about all these plant , the cardinal fact still remains : simply planting these in your landscape will do absolutely nothing to give chase away the irritating bug .
You would have to crush the leaves or stalks of these plants and scratch them on your peel . This , of course of instruction , can be bad because of likely skin sensitivities . If you really require to assay this , do a “ patch trial ” first – apply to a small area of skin and check that you do n’t react ill .
If you have a football game field of a backyard , I guess you could plant a whole lot of , say , C. winterianus , and build up a exhort / extracting flora and a bottling plant …
Sky Organics Organic Bug Spray , 4 Oz .
More coherent , perhaps , is to purchase a sprayer - on product containing citronella ( the candles do n’t turn atrociously well ) . This one from Sky Organics , available from Amazon , contains several flora - found oils .
However , the most - certain direction to force back these unwished pests is with a spraying containing DEET , such asthis one from Repel via Amazon . This chemical has been find oneself to be the very best mosquito repellant . If DEET ’s not your affair , utilize the natural , citronell - control clobber , but hold it often as it evaporate evenhandedly promptly .
Repel 100 Insect Repellent , 4 Oz .
Also , reduce populations of mosquitoes by eliminate their breeding reason : standing weewee . Be persevering , especially after a rain , about walk the M and emptying out buckets and whatnot that may have take in water system .
Pretty, But Ineffective
While all these wonderful flora have many things to offer to your landscape , getting rid of mosquito is not among them . From a practical stand , anyway .
Eliminate stand piddle , purchase a spray containing either citronella or DEET , and enjoy a misery - free summer ! You might also desire toattract purple Dean Martin to your yard , as these bird enjoy a mosquito snack now and then .
And for more on ridding your landscape painting of common garden pests , ensure out the following :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product picture via Burpee , True Leaf Market , Daylily Nursery , Sky Organics , and Repel . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock and Wikimedia Commons .
About
Gretchen Heber
