Plants That Repel Mosquitoes: Myth vs. Reality

No plant effectively repels mosquitoes better than humans attract them. The "mosquito‑repelling plant" idea is a suburban myth. One exception: catnip (Nepeta cataria) contains nepetalactone, shown to repel mosquitoes 10× better than DEET in lab tests. Citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus) is the source of citronella candles but less effective as a plant. Feral cats attracted to catnip? Get a dog or use sprinklers.