These 8 flowers are what mosquitoes fear most. Keep one pot at home and you can skip both mosquito coils and floral water.
1. Mosquito-repellent geranium
Mosquito-repellent geranium is also fragrant-leaved geranium (Pelargonium graveolens). Because it can also repel mosquitoes, everyone calls it mosquito-repellent geranium.
Benefits of mosquito-repellent geranium
The scent of mosquito-repellent geranium contains citronellal, and when the temperature exceeds 15°C it becomes stronger. It not only repels mosquitoes but also purifies the air at home. For a room of about 15 sq m, at most 2 pots are enough.
Cutting propagation and care of mosquito-repellent geranium
Mosquito-repellent geranium is very easy to propagate from cuttings, and it is not too late to plant it now! Cut 5-8 cm long branches. To ensure the survival rate, you can cut several and root them together.
Find a few plastic cups and poke a few holes in the bottom (for drainage and airflow), then fill them with moist sandy soil or coir soil, either is fine.
Insert the branches into the soil, one branch per cup, and place them in a shady spot away from direct sun. Mist with water every day to keep them moist. After about 7-15 days, once they have rooted, you can repot them together with the soil.
Mosquito-repellent geranium can be grown indoors or outdoors. Just avoid high heat and direct sun. Water again after the soil dries. Because its metabolism is fast, the leaves easily turn yellow and wither, but after you remove them it will keep growing.
2. Night-blooming jasmine
Many mosquitoes come out at night, which is maddening. Hurry and keep a pot of night-blooming jasmine so they cannot tell east from west at night!
Benefits of night-blooming jasmine
The fragrance of night-blooming jasmine is strong, especially stronger at night, and it can drive away mosquitoes that are active at night. However, Huahua still recommends growing it in the living room or on the balcony. Placing it in the bedroom may affect sleep.
Cutting propagation and care of night-blooming jasmine
Besides sowing, night-blooming jasmine can also be propagated directly from cuttings, which is faster and more convenient! Cut 1-year-old branches into 6-12 cm small sections and remove the leaves to preserve nutrients.
Soak the branches in rooting water, or insert them into acidic leaf mold soil, coir soil, or cinder soil, all are fine. Keep them in a shady place and mist with water every day to keep the air and soil moist. They root in about 2-3 weeks.
Night-blooming jasmine likes a hot and humid environment and can bloom from May to October. This heat-tolerant and moisture-tolerant flower is easiest to keep alive in summer. As long as you water it thoroughly every 1-2 days, it will grow vigorously!
3. Venus flytrap
This big shot catches both mosquitoes and flies. Although it looks like a mung bean sprout, its two "toothed mouths" are actually very fierce.
Once mosquitoes or insects crawl onto the Venus flytrap's pod, its mouth immediately closes, trapping the insect, then it secretes digestive fluid to digest the small insect and absorb it as its own nutrients.
Benefits of Venus flytrap
Although Venus flytrap can catch flies, mosquitoes, and small black flies, it is relatively passive and needs insects to come to it, so you can plant more of them to increase its killing power! Note: Venus flytrap is harmless to humans.
Sowing and care of Venus flytrap
Venus flytrap can be sown directly. Prepare a transparent disposable lunch box, poke a few holes in the lid for airflow, put some moist chopped sphagnum moss in the box, and scatter the seeds inside.
After sowing, place it in a shady spot and do not let it be exposed to sun. Keep the moss moist, and it will sprout in less than a week.
Venus flytrap likes moisture. Usually keep it in a cool indoor spot, and it is best to grow it in sphagnum moss. Mist with water every 1-2 days, and it will quickly grow small "pods."
4. Sundew
Although sundew is small, it can be called a true "mosquito nemesis." As soon as mosquitoes smell it, they come to throw themselves into the net. It kills mosquitoes fast, ruthlessly, and accurately!
Benefits of sundew
Sundew is relatively effective against mosquitoes and fungus gnats, and occasionally it also catches some large insects. It is best to remove large insects by hand, otherwise it has trouble digesting them and they also affect its appearance.
Sowing and care of sundew
Sundew is similar to Venus flytrap. Use moist chopped sphagnum moss, scatter the seeds, mist with water every day, and just wait for them to sprout.
Sundew takes about 20 days to take shape. Along the way you can divide single plants into separate pots, or not divide them, whatever you prefer.
The "little water droplets" on sundew are its special fluid used to stick to small insects, so be sure not to knock them off. When watering, be careful to water into the pot, or spray water upward into the air to increase air humidity.
5. Dalmatian chrysanthemum
Many flower lovers grow lots of flowers in their yards and on balconies, which easily attracts mosquitoes and insects, and it is a real headache. Hurry and plant Dalmatian chrysanthemum. Its pyrethrin is one of the raw materials for mosquito coils and can drive mosquitoes and insects far away!
Benefits of Dalmatian chrysanthemum
Dalmatian chrysanthemum is very suitable for planting in yards and on balconies to repel mosquitoes and insects. Many botanical gardens plant it in large areas to prevent excessive mosquitoes and insects in summer. The picture below shows a hillside of Dalmatian chrysanthemum in Hiroshima, Japan. It is absolutely stunning.
Sowing and care of Dalmatian chrysanthemum
Ordinary garden soil can be used to sow Dalmatian chrysanthemum. During this period keep the potting soil moist. It does not need watering; mist it with a spray bottle every 1-2 days, and it sprouts in 3-5 days.
Dalmatian chrysanthemum is relatively heat-tolerant and drought-tolerant. Seedlings can be exposed to light after 2-3 weeks. In normal care, just avoid direct sun, and it can bloom in about 1 month.
6. Fragrant wood
Fragrant wood is a common green potted plant that can be grown at home or in the office. It not only absorbs formaldehyde and purifies the air, but also repels mosquitoes. However, 90% of the fragrant wood on the market now is fake, substituted with pepper wood, so everyone must tell them apart!
Benefits of fragrant wood
Fragrant wood also repels insects by scent. Its smell is similar to citrus peel, and small insects take a detour when they smell it. Some have a relatively faint scent, so you can keep 2-3 pots at home.
How to distinguish fragrant wood from pepper wood
The leaf tip of fragrant wood has a pair of leaves, while pepper wood has only one leaf. Flower lovers who keep fragrant wood at home should quickly check whether you were fooled too.
The new leaves of fragrant wood are red, while the new leaves of pepper wood are green.
Only fragrant wood has the mosquito-repellent effect, while pepper wood cannot repel mosquitoes, so everyone must keep their eyes open!
7. Mugwort
Everyone is probably familiar with mugwort. It is a mosquito-repellent herb familiar to ordinary Chinese people. In the 1990s it could be said to be seen everywhere, but now there is less and less of it.
How to use mugwort to repel mosquitoes
Prepare a relatively heat-resistant container, a clay pot or iron can, and put dried mugwort inside. After lighting it, be careful that the fire is not too large; just let it smolder slowly. Be extremely careful about safety to avoid accidents.
Boil fresh mugwort for half an hour, and the scent will spread through the whole house. This can also repel mosquitoes, and it is safe and easy to do (Huahua recommends it).
Add a little water to newly picked mugwort and rub it to release the juice, then put it into a small spray bottle. You can spray all the flowers and plants on the balcony that attract mosquitoes and insects. It not only repels mosquitoes and insects but can also kill insects.
Of course, the most direct method is to tie mugwort into a bundle and hang it upside down behind the door or on the wall. The scent can last for more than half a year, and after it dries it can also be used to soak feet and promote blood circulation.
8. Sedum aizoon
After talking about so many mosquito repellents, here is one that "treats" mosquito bites. Sedum aizoon, also known as aizoon stonecrop, is a very effective anti-itch remedy.
Benefits of Sedum aizoon
Sedum aizoon has medicinal uses. Especially after mosquito bites cause unbearable pain and itching, pick a few leaves, rub out the juice, and apply it to the bite. It can quickly stop itching and pain, and works even better than cooling oil or floral water.
Propagation and care of Sedum aizoon
Sedum aizoon can be grown like a weed. Just pinch off a tip and throw it into a water bottle, and it will quickly root. It can also be inserted into soil, and keeping the soil moist is enough.
Mature Sedum aizoon also does not need special care. Plant it in ordinary garden soil, water again after the soil dries, and usually pinch off a few branches to use. It will grow again afterward.
These mosquito-repellent flowers and plants
It is still not too late to grow them now
Flower lovers who do not have them at home yet
Hurry up and take action!