Do Citronella Plants Repel Mosquitoes or Just Smell Nice? A Pest Pro Weighs In

While mosquitoes play a vital role in our local ecosystems, there’s nothing wrong with encouraging them to stay several feet away from you and your favorite outdoor lounge area. That’s why there’s a whole market dedicated to non-toxic products for repelling mosquitoes, and citronella is often the star ingredient.

You might be tempted to ditch the citronella candles and sprays for a citronella plant or two instead. However, there are some things you should know about a citronella plant’s effectiveness for repelling mosquitoes before you commit. Here, two experts weigh in.

Certain Citronella Plants Aren’t Effective at All

According to gardening expert Aleya Fraser, there are actually two plants named citronella. One is Pelargonium citrosum, which is a type of geranium, and the other is Cymbopogon nardus, which is related to lemongrass. They both emit a similar fragrance when you crush their foliage, but only one of them has any mosquito-repelling properties.

“The citronella oil found in candles and mosquito repellents is from the lemongrass cousin, Cymbopogon,” Fraser says.

According to naturalist David Mizejewski, the citronella plants you’re most likely to come across are the geranium varieties, which have no real effectiveness in repelling mosquitoes.

“Those citronella plants from your local garden center won’t repel mosquitoes, despite the marketing claims,” he says.

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It’s the Citronella Oil You’re Actually After

It’s true that mosquitoes detest the smell of Cymbopogon nardus. But even if you do manage to get your hands on the right type of mosquito-repelling citronella plant, don’t expect it to emit a fragrance that is powerful enough to deter mosquitoes.

“Simply planting something, even if it contains essential oils that do repel mosquitoes, isn’t going to have any effect,” Mizejewski says.

While you can crush citronella leaves to help the plant emit more fragrance, your money may be better spent on citronella essential oil instead. Pure citronella can be pretty pricey, but Fraser says that’s because it requires about 20 pounds of citronella grass to make one 3.5-oz bottle of essential oil.

How to Use Citronella Essential Oil As a Mosquito Repellent

Fraser describes citronella oil as “very volatile,” so it evaporates quickly from the skin.

For this reason, she suggests applying to all areas of your body that mosquitoes are most likely to come in contact with. So, if you apply it to your arm, don’t expect the scent to keep the mosquitoes away from your legs. Reapply it every hour, and always use a carrier oil, like coconut oil, to make it stay on your skin longer.

Applying it to your skin is the way to go, especially since Mizejewski notes that bracelets or clip-on devices containing citronella essential oils are not an effective mosquito repellent.

If you’re in a pinch, though, you can use a citronella plant as a mildly effective mosquito repellent.

“If you only have access to fresh plant, you can crush it in your hand and rub it on your body or infuse it into an oil to spread onto your body to get the effects of the essential oil,” she says.

Other Plants that Repel Mosquitoes

If you do want to grow a mosquito-repellent garden so you can harvest the leaves to make repellent, here is what Fraser suggests growing:

“These are all plants with high essential oil [contents] and aromatic compounds that will confuse and deter mosquitoes,” she says.

And if you do want to purchase more plant-derived essential oils for mosquito repellent, Mizejewski recommends going with a lemon eucalyptus blend, clove, cinnamon, or geraniol.