The plants that keep bugs away most reliably are lavender, basil, mint, citronella grass, rosemary, marigolds, catnip, lemon balm, pyrethrum daisy and lemongrass. Their leaves hold aromatic oils that many flies, mosquitoes and garden pests avoid. The honest catch is that a living plant only protects a small area around itself, and the oils are released most strongly when leaves are warm or brushed. So these plants work best as one layer of a natural pest plan, placed right next to where you sit, cook or grow food.
This guide covers the 10 best plants for the job, where each one actually helps, which ones are safe around cats and dogs, and what the research says about how far their effect really reaches.
Patch Plants is written by Sawera Shahid, a botanist with an MPhil in Botany and more than five years of experience writing plant care guides. Every claim here is checked against university extension and veterinary sources, and you can read more about how we work on our About page.
Do Plants That Keep Bugs Away Really Work?
Yes, but on a smaller scale than most garden centre labels suggest. Insects find people and crops by following scent cues such as carbon dioxide, skin odours and the smell of host plants. Strongly aromatic plants release compounds like linalool (lavender), menthol (mint), citronellal and citral (citronella grass and lemongrass), and nepetalactone (catnip) that can mask those cues or put insects off.
The limit is distance. A Clemson Cooperative Extension review notes that very few studies have tested landscape plantings at all, that plant scent fades quickly in the open air, and that a breeze disperses it further. In the trials it describes, the real protection came from crushed leaves or oils used directly, and even then it lasted minutes rather than hours. For mosquitoes, Clemson’s advice is that removing standing water does far more than any planting.
That does not make these plants useless. Used close to seating, doorways and crops, and touched or harvested often, plants that keep bugs away reduce nuisance insects, and many of them also feed pollinators and the predatory insects that eat pests. For a mosquito-only plan, see our mosquito repellent plants guide.
The 10 Best Plants That Keep Bugs Away
1. Lavender: Best All-Round Choice for Sunny Patios
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the easiest place to start. Its linalool-rich oil is widely used in insect-repellent products, and moths and flies tend to avoid it. Brush past it or rub a sprig between your fingers and the scent becomes much stronger, which is why a pot beside a chair works better than a hedge at the end of the garden.
It is a long-lived perennial in free-draining soil and full sun, needs little water once established, and only asks for a trim after flowering. If you like the French type, our French lavender guide covers its slightly different needs.
- Light: Full sun, at least 6 hours a day
- Best spot: Containers beside seating, path edges, window boxes
- Pet safety: The ASPCA lists lavender as toxic to dogs and cats (nausea and vomiting if eaten)
2. Basil: Best Fly Repellent Plant for Kitchens
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is the most practical fly repellent plant for a kitchen windowsill or outdoor dining table, because you also get fresh leaves for cooking. Its oils include linalool and estragole, and picking leaves often keeps that scent in the air where flies gather around food.
Unlike the Mediterranean herbs on this list, basil wants evenly moist soil and warmth. It sulks below about 10°C, so treat it as a summer plant outdoors. Our kitchen plants guide has more ideas for herbs that suit a bright kitchen.
- Light: Full sun or the brightest windowsill
- Best spot: Kitchen windows, outdoor tables, near barbecue areas
- Pet safety: Non-toxic to dogs and cats (ASPCA)
3. Mint: Strong Scent for Doorways and Containers
Mint (Mentha) has one of the strongest scents of any herb, thanks to menthol and related compounds. Ants and flies are commonly put off by it, and the scent is released every time someone brushes the plant, which makes a pot by the back door a sensible place for it.
Always grow mint in a container. In open ground it spreads by runners and quickly takes over a bed. It is also one of the more shade-tolerant plants that keep bugs away, so it can fill spots where lavender would struggle.
- Light: Sun to partial shade
- Best spot: Pots by doors, patio tables, kitchen windowsills
- Pet safety: The ASPCA lists mint as toxic to dogs and cats; large amounts can cause vomiting and diarrhoea
4. Citronella Grass: The Source of Citronella Oil
Citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus) is the plant that commercial citronella oil is distilled from. Grown in large tubs around the edge of a patio, its strappy leaves release a lemony scent when they move or are crushed. Remember that the oil in a candle is far more concentrated than anything a living plant gives off, so think of the grass as a mild, local deterrent.
Do not confuse it with the “citronella plant” sold in many shops. That is a lemon-scented geranium (Pelargonium), which smells similar but is a different plant. True citronella grass is tender and needs to come indoors or be treated as an annual where winters are cold.
- Light: Full sun
- Best spot: Large containers at patio corners and edges
- Pet safety: Its close relative lemongrass is toxic to dogs and cats, and scented geraniums are also on the ASPCA toxic list, so keep pets from chewing either
5. Rosemary: Hardy, Low-Maintenance Bug Deterrent
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis) has a resinous scent from camphor and cineole that many flies dislike. It is one of the best low maintenance plants that keep bugs away: drought-tolerant once established, evergreen, and happy for years in a sunny, free-draining spot.
Clemson’s review mentions that rosemary oil gave about 15 minutes of protection in testing, which tells you how short-lived these effects are. Plant it near outdoor kitchens and paths where you will brush it often, and throw a few sprigs on the barbecue for a brief burst of scent.
- Light: Full sun
- Best spot: Raised beds, path edges, near outdoor cooking areas
- Pet safety: Non-toxic to dogs and cats (ASPCA)
6. Marigolds: Best Plants That Keep Bugs Away From Vegetable Gardens
French and African marigolds (Tagetes) are the classic vegetable-garden flower, but the reason is more specific than most guides say. Their roots release compounds that suppress root-knot nematodes, microscopic worms that damage vegetable roots. According to University of Florida IFAS research, this works when resistant varieties are grown densely as a cover crop for at least two months before the vegetables go in. Dotting a few marigolds between tomatoes does not give the same result, and interplanting can even reduce yields.
Above ground, marigolds are still worth growing. Their open flowers attract hoverflies and other beneficial insects whose larvae eat aphids, so they support natural pest control rather than repelling bugs by scent alone. Note that marigolds do not contain pyrethrum; that comes from the pyrethrum daisy further down this list.
- Light: Full sun
- Best spot: Bed edges, cover-crop blocks before vegetables, patio pots
- Pet safety: The ASPCA lists pot marigold (Calendula) as non-toxic; Tagetes sap can mildly irritate skin and mouths, so discourage chewing
7. Catnip: Strongest Lab Evidence Against Mosquitoes
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) has some of the best research behind it. Its oil contains nepetalactone, and laboratory studies have found purified catnip oil repelled mosquitoes as well as, or better than, DEET. The plant itself releases far less than a purified oil, but crushing a few leaves releases enough scent to notice.
It is a tough perennial that tolerates poorer soil and some shade, and its small lavender-blue flowers are popular with bees. The one drawback is obvious from the name: cats love it, so expect visitors.
- Light: Full sun to partial shade
- Best spot: Garden corners, herb beds, shadier seating areas
- Pet safety: The ASPCA lists catnip as toxic to cats in quantity (vomiting and diarrhoea)
8. Lemon Balm: Best Pet-Friendly Option for Shade
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) contains citronellal and citral, the same lemony compounds found in citronella grass, and it grows happily in partial shade where most aromatic herbs do poorly. Rub the leaves when you sit down outside and you release a fresh burst of scent.
It is edible, makes a pleasant tea, and is one of the few plants that keep bugs away that the ASPCA lists as safe for pets. Like mint, it self-seeds freely, so cut it back after flowering.
- Light: Sun to partial shade
- Best spot: Shady seating corners, herb beds, large pots
- Pet safety: Non-toxic to dogs and cats (ASPCA)
9. Pyrethrum Daisy: The Natural Source of Pyrethrins
Pyrethrum daisy (Tanacetum cinerariifolium), sometimes sold as Dalmatian chrysanthemum, is the plant natural pyrethrin insecticides are made from. The active compounds are concentrated in the dried flower heads, not released into the air from a growing plant, so it is a source of a natural insecticide rather than a living repellent.
That distinction matters, because ordinary garden mums and potted chrysanthemums are often described as bug repellents without good evidence. Grow pyrethrum daisy for its neat white flowers and silvery foliage in a sunny, well-drained spot, and treat any pest-control effect as a bonus.
- Light: Full sun
- Best spot: Gravel beds, border fronts, sunny containers
- Pet safety: Chrysanthemums are toxic to dogs and cats (ASPCA); keep out of reach
10. Lemongrass: Edible Citrus Scent for Warm Patios
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is the culinary cousin of citronella grass and shares its citral-rich scent. In the trials Clemson describes, lemongrass oil lasted about 40 minutes on skin, longer than rosemary, though a growing clump gives only a mild effect unless its leaves are bruised.
It grows quickly in a large pot in full sun and heat, and the stems are useful in the kitchen. It is frost-tender, so bring it under cover for winter in cold climates.
- Light: Full sun and warmth
- Best spot: Big pots on sunny patios, near outdoor dining areas
- Pet safety: The ASPCA lists lemongrass as toxic to dogs and cats (stomach upset)
Where to Place Plants That Keep Bugs Away
Because the effect is so local, placement decides whether these plants help at all. Put them where people are, not where there happens to be space.
- Patio and seating areas: Citronella grass or lemongrass in tubs at the corners, lavender and rosemary in pots beside chairs, basil and mint on the table. Overlapping scents from several plants work better than one large plant. Our container gardening on patios guide helps with pot sizes and combinations.
- Doorways: Mint, basil or lavender in pots on either side of the door, where you brush them every time you pass.
- Kitchen windowsills: Basil and mint, picked often so the leaves keep releasing scent.
- Vegetable beds: Flowering herbs and marigolds along the edges to bring in hoverflies, ladybirds and parasitic wasps. Clemson notes that flowers blooming across the season help sustain these natural predators. Our wildlife-friendly garden guide explains how to plan for them.
For outdoor pest problems beyond flies and mosquitoes, such as aphids and slugs, our guide on how to keep pests away from outdoor plants naturally covers barriers, hand-picking and good garden hygiene.
How to Care for Bug-Deterrent Plants
A healthy, well-grown plant produces more aromatic oil than a stressed one, so good care directly improves the effect.
- Watering: Lavender and rosemary like to dry out between waterings; basil, mint and lemon balm prefer evenly moist soil. Group plants with similar needs in the same pot. Our watering guide explains how to check moisture properly.
- Soil: Every plant here dislikes waterlogging. Use a free-draining mix with added grit for Mediterranean herbs; our soil mix guide has the ratios.
- Feeding: Go light. Heavy feeding gives soft, leafy growth with less scent. A half-strength balanced feed once a month in summer is plenty for potted herbs; see our fertilizing guide.
- Repotting: Fast growers like mint and lemongrass fill pots within a season. Move them up a size when roots appear through the drainage holes, following our repotting guide.
Pet-Safe Plants That Keep Bugs Away
Several popular choices are not safe for pets, which surprises many people. Based on ASPCA listings:
- Safe for dogs and cats: Basil, rosemary and lemon balm
- Toxic to dogs and cats: Lavender, mint, lemongrass, scented geraniums and chrysanthemums (including pyrethrum daisy)
- Toxic to cats in quantity: Catnip
Most of these cause stomach upset rather than serious poisoning, but it is still best to keep toxic plants out of reach of pets that chew leaves. Our cat-friendly plants guide and dog-friendly plants guide have more safe options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best plants that keep bugs away?
The best plants that keep bugs away are lavender, basil, mint, citronella grass, rosemary, lemongrass, catnip and lemon balm, all of which release aromatic oils that flies and mosquitoes tend to avoid. Their effect is local, so place several of them right beside seating, doors and windows rather than relying on one plant.
What are the best indoor plants that keep bugs away?
Basil and mint are the most practical indoor plants that keep bugs away, because they grow well on a bright kitchen windowsill and release scent whenever you pick them. Lavender can grow indoors too, but it needs very bright light and usually does better outside.
Do marigolds keep bugs away from vegetable gardens?
Marigolds help in two specific ways. Planted densely as a cover crop before vegetables, resistant varieties suppress root-knot nematodes in the soil, and their flowers attract hoverflies that eat aphids. Simply dotting a few marigolds between crops does little to repel insects by scent.
Which plants that keep bugs away are safe for dogs and cats?
Basil, rosemary and lemon balm are listed as non-toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA. Lavender, mint, lemongrass, scented geraniums and chrysanthemums are toxic, and catnip can upset a cat’s stomach if eaten in quantity.
Are there perennial plants that keep bugs away?
Yes. Lavender, rosemary, catnip, lemon balm and mint all come back year after year in suitable climates, making them the best long-term choices. Add basil, marigolds and, in cold areas, citronella grass and lemongrass as summer plants each year. Our low-maintenance outdoor plants guide lists more tough perennials.
