19 Plants That Repel Insects

 

Companion Planting to Foil Pests

Plants that repel insects are often used for natural pest control through companion planting, the practice of growing different plants together to achieve specific results. Like humans, insects have their preferred foods, and they usually find these foods by scent. You can make it harder for insects to locate the buffet by mixing in plants that will confuse their sense of smell, such as planting onions between cabbages. This means you won’t be able to plant in tidy rows and large blocks of a single vegetable, but it doesn’t take a lot to have an effect.

Plants with pungent scents are among the most effective insect deterrents, and many of these are herbs, so the plants have two purposes. In addition, some deterrent plants also attract beneficial insects you want in the garden. This is another type of companion planting that is proving to have great use for gardeners.

• 01of 19

  Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

  

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  Basil repels asparagus beetle and the tomato hornworm. It’s the scent that deters the insects, so gently touching the leaves to release their oils as you walk by improves its effectiveness.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 11
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Needs: Moist, rich, well-drained soil
• 02of 19

  Borage (Borago officinalis)

  

  Borage repels the tomato hornworm. It also attracts beneficial insects and pollinators, such as native bumblebees. Allow it to self-sow, and you will always have some in your garden.

  • USDA Growing Zones: Annual plant
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
  • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained soil
• 03of 19

  Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

  

  Calendula, or pot marigold, repels asparagus beetle. It also attracts beneficial insects, so this edible flower is useful throughout your garden.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 11
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
  • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained soil
• 04of 19

  Catmint (Nepeta)

  

  Catmint repels aphids, asparagus beetle, Colorado potato beetle, and, squash bugs. The one drawback with catnip is that some varieties can be aggressive spreaders and quickly take over large parts of the garden.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
  • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained soil

  • 05of 19

    Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

    

    Chives will repel aphids and Japanese beetles. Be sure to harvest your chives, because it will spread quickly if you allow it to go to seed. Even the beautiful flowers are edible.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 9
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist soil
  • 06of 19

    Dill (Anethum graveolens)

    

    Dill is excellent for repelling cabbage moths. Dill is also a good plant for attracting beneficial insects and is a host plant for black swallowtail butterflies. You will lose a little dill while the larvae feed, but they are not around for long, and the butterflies are lovely.

    • USDA Growing Zones: Annual plant
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Uncompacted, well-drained soil
  • 07of 19

    Garlic (Allium sativum)

    

    Garlic repels aphids, cabbage moths, and Japanese beetles. Planting garlic under roses to repel Japanese beetles is a classic companion planting technique.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 0 to 10 (varies by type)
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Fertile, well-drained soil
  • 08of 19

    Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)

    

    Use horseradish to repel Colorado potato beetle. This can be tricky because it is hard to plant a perennial like horseradish with a crop like potatoes, which needs to be dug every season, but it should have some effect if grown in the general vicinity.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 9
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part sun
    • Soil Needs: Loose, rich soil

    • 09of 19

      Hyssop (Agastache rupestris)

      

      Beautiful, fragrant hyssop repels cabbage moths. Hyssop is an excellent companion for all sorts of cole crops since they are all attacked by cabbage moth larvae.

      • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 9
      • Sun Exposure: Full to part shade
      • Soil Needs: Well-drained soil
    • 10of 19

      Mint (Mentha)

      

      The scent of mint repels aphids, cabbage moths, and even ants. To prevent this aggressive grower from taking over your vegetable garden, you can simply lay sprigs of mint among the plants you want to protect, but the sprigs must be replaced often.

      • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 11
      • Sun Exposure: Part shade
      • Soil Needs: Rich, slightly acidic soil
    • 11of 19

      Onions (allium cepa)

      

      Onions repel aphids, carrot rust flies, and flea beetles. The combination of carrots and onions has done well in testing. To foil flea beetles on eggplants, you can try tossing onion peelings around them, although the actual onion plants work better.

      • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 9
      • Sun Exposure: Full sun
      • Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained soil
    • 12of 19

      Oregano (Origanum)

      

      Oregano repels cabbage moths. However, it can be difficult to interplant because it is a spreading perennial. You could try laying freshly cut springs near your cole crops, but they will need to be replaced frequently.

      • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 10
      • Sun Exposure: Full sun
      • Soil Needs: Light, sandy, loamy soil

      • 13of 19

        Parsley (Petroselinum)

        

        Parsley repels asparagus beetles. As with basil, you’ll need to be gentle when you crush the leaves to release the scent.

        • USDA Growing Zones: Annual plant (for best taste)
        • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
        • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained soil
      • 14of 19

        Radish (Raphanus sativus)

        

        Radish plants repel cucumber beetles. For the best effect, you will need to seed three or four radishes in each cucumber hill and leave them there to mature while the cucumber plants are growing.

        • USDA Growing Zones: Annual plant
        • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
        • Soil Needs: Rich, sandy, loamy soil
      • 15of 19

        Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

        

        Rosemary repels cabbage moths, carrot rust flies, and Mexican bean beetles. Although rosemary is not hardy in all zones, you can usually buy small plants inexpensively at the start of the season, and you can always bring them indoors for the winter, as houseplants.

        • USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11 (or grow as annual)
        • Sun Exposure: Full sun
        • Soil Needs: Sandy soil
      • 16of 19

        Sage (Salvia officinalis)

        

        Sage repels cabbage moths and carrot rust flies. Sage is a perennial plant and can be hard to intercrop but is still useful along the border. Common sage works best as a deterrent.

        • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9
        • Sun Exposure: Full sun
        • Soil Needs: Well-drained soil

        • 17of 19

          Savory (Satureja hortensis)

          

          Savory repels Mexican bean beetles. Summer savory works better than winter savory and is easier to interplant because it is generally grown as an annual.

          • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 10
          • Sun Exposure: Full sun
          • Soil Needs: Rich, loose, sandy soil
        • 18of 19

          Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

          

          Thyme plants repel cabbage moths. Most thyme plants are low-growing and double as ground covers in the garden. Although they spread, they are slower to fill out than many other perennial herbs.

          • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9
          • Sun Exposure: Full sun
          • Soil Needs: Well-drained soil
        • 19of 19

          Wormwood (Artemisia ludoviciana)

          

          Useful wormwood repels flea beetles. It also seems to deter mice. Place fresh sprigs new your entryway, to keep both pests out.

          • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
          • Sun Exposure: Full sun
          • Soil Needs: Well-drained soil

          
          

        • LEMONGRASS

          Lemongrass contains citronella, a natural oil often found in insect-repelling candles. It repels mosquitoes and other pests in your garden. This grass with wonderful culinary uses can grow up to 4ft tall and 3ft wide at any one time.

          But worry not as they won’t get wider then that. It is best to grow lemongrass in a pot, so it is easy to move the plant around. If you want to grow them in the ground, look for a sunny, well-drained location.

          LEMON THYME

          This hardy herb can adapt to dry or rocky, shallow soil in sunny locations. The plant itself will not repel pesky mosquitoes. To release its chemicals, you must first bruise the leaves. To do this, simply cut off a few stems and rub them between your hands. That smell will drive pests away.

          MINT

          This plant is best to repel mosquitoes. Plant mint in pots rather than in the ground because it spreads aggressively. Once established in the garden, it can be difficult to remove. The leaves are commonly used to flavour minty iced tea. The aromatic properties found in the leaves are also present in the plant’s stems and flowers. Containers of mint strategically placed in the garden or on the patio will help keep nearby plants insect-free.

          ROSEMARY

          Rosemary is another plant which repels mosquitoes and a variety of insects harmful to vegetables and plants. You can grow rosemary in containers on a patio, plant them in a herb garden or place them in landscaped beds. The plant itself and its cuttings are effective repellents.

          You can make a simple repellent spray by boiling a quart of dried rosemary in a quart of water for 20 to 30 minutes and then strain the liquid into a container that contains a quart of cool water.

          Put a cap on the combined liquid and store it in the refrigerator. Add the repellent to small squirt bottles as needed when going outdoors.