12 Plants That Help Repel Unwanted Insects

In today’s blog post we are talking about plants that are going to help you repel those unwanted insects. We put together a list of 12 plants that you can put out in the garden this year that are easy to come by, and also look very nice in the garden. We will walk you through some plants with pungent scents that are among the most successful insect deterrents!

Let’s get started!

1. Basil

   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.

2. Borage

   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.

3. Calendula

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

4. Catmint

   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.

5. Chives

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

6. Dill

   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.

7. Garlic

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

8. Horseradish

   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, that needs to be dug every season, but it should have some effect if grown in the general vicinity.

9. Hyssop

   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.

10. Mint

    The scent of mint repels aphids, cabbage moths, and even ants. You can just lay sprigs of mint among the plants you want to protect, so that the mint plant does not spread and take over the garden, but needs to be replaced often.

11. Onions

    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 my eggplants, you can try tossing onion peelings around them, although the actual onion plants work better.

12. Oregano

    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.