PlantFiles: Citrosa Geranium, Mosquito Plant, Deodorizer Plant, Citronella Plant
Pelargonium citrosum

My vet advises this plant is poisonous to cats. I had hoped to over-winter my two huge citronella pot plants in her atrium-like waiting room, but she said, "Absolutely not, because it is poisonous to cats."

I saw an old decrepid plant, ready to give up, and took a little piece of it and plunked it in the ground.
The thing grew like heck! I had to prune it so much, I finally gave it away. It grows too big in the ground.
But, it can live with not too much water, it blooms all summer and never gets sick or bugged.
If you have room for it, or the lust to prune several times a season, go ahead and plant it.

Just an FYI ... you can actually grow cutrtings from this plant by tossing them in a cup of water!! I have rooted numerous cuttings by clipping them off the stems of the plant at an angle and just tossing them in water. They take a while to get going, but once they go, they grow VERY long roots and take off in soil right away. :-) Easier than having them rot in a pot, but you have a longer wait. They also do not wilt up or lose leaves during this process either. :-)

As for mosquitoes, I don't know if it works or not. I was given this plant when it got too big for my neighbor to deal with. It is growing in a gallon pot inside (I live in NYS) and grows all year long. But I do let it dry out pretty good between waterings.

Peace ~ Ang

Smells wonderful! Just purchased this plant today for the first time at a local plant sale. The lady who sold it to me said to use it in your sugar bowl. Put a couple of leaves in the sugar bowl, add some sugar, then another leaf or two, and keep layering it. Supposedly it will give a delightful flavor to your sugar!

we love this plant.i,m not sure if it repels bugs,but it smells great. we have had this plant for 3 years now.I have cutting,s going in a vase now for spring. I also put cuttings in the garden during the summer,they do great. have never had a problem with them taking over.also does not flower very often,but the foliage and sent is why i grow them

I've had a citronella scented geranium (in a container) for eight years now, can readily testify to its virtues as an insect repellant. Fresh leaves, slightly macerated, have been placed on inside windowsills, kept mosquitos at bay even when leaves dried out. When working in the yard, I macerate leaves, rub them on arms and back of neck: flying, biting critters stay away!
Fire ants, when visiting Puerto Rico every winter, were AWFUL at times! One summer, I placed several citronella leaves in a small jar of cider vinegar, let it "brew" in hot sun for several weeks. Took it to P.R., would rub feet/ankles with it before going into "fire ant country", NEVER got bitten thereafter.
My plant's cut back to 5 inches in height every fall, cuttings started then in deep styrofoam cups. When several inches tall, pinching back begins. By June, plants are lovely little bushes that have just bloomed, or are about to.
To have a true "bug deterrant", it MUST BE the citronella, NOT the lemon-scented! There IS a differance in cultivars and what they're ment to do.

I've grown this plant on my deck, on Cape Cod, for many years. I don't count on it to repel insects, but I do rely on it to offer a delightful refreshing scent as I brush past it. In the fall, I cut the plant back and root the cuttings. Mother and babies survive in a sunny window, so that by the following spring I have our new supply of fragrant and pretty plants to beautify our deck.

Last Spring I bought two of these and two geraniums, as I live in hot and humid Florida where mosquitoes frequent. I placed one of the four in each corner of my 12 x 30 decks in pots. I didn't have any problems with the mosquitos as long as I stayed on the deck. As far as being hard to kill, that is not so, they grew really well all Spring and Summer, I did not get any blooms, just foilage. Come winter, they died. I will again buy four more to add to my deck this Spring/Summer again.
joy112854

Today February 14, 2009 I saw these plants for sale at Wal-Mart here in Houston. Citronella geranium. Ive never grown them but used citronella oil as a child to repel mosquitoes so I was curious.

I'm growing this plant in sandy soil in mostly sun. In my climate, it has shown no sign of becoming invasive. In fact, it seems to be struggling a bit, but has returned again this spring and is currently flowering. I enjoy brushing up against the leaves and releasing the scent when I am in the area where it is planted. If you want it to repel mosquitoes, you probably need to stir up the odor by moving the plant around, or brushing against it, or crushing a few of the leaves (as was suggested above). That would help get the light citronella odor moving around in the air.

Jeremy

I love the scent. Mine don't grow well, they are pretty much the same size as when I bought them months ago. I'm sure it's user error as I am not the best gardner in the world. I do bring them in when I have guest over and "squish" them a little to bring out the scent then put them back outside... they are also effective at removing grease smells for seafood smells if you put them in the kitchen a couple of days.

I have had several of these plants, but none of them ever looked like the first one I bought. It had the shape of a small Christmas tree and it really smelled good. All of the other plants I got at large hardware stores,were called "Citrosa" as if someone had developed these plants themselves. They were more open than the first tightly packed plant that I had. I usuall take concentrated garlic caps to ward off mosquitos, but when I forget, I could always take a few leaves to rub on me, and they would go away. I have had some last outside in a 5gal bucket into the third year. I used cloning powder and gel to get new plants. A branch broke off so I stuck it in the pot and it took off. I think that lack of good care and getting root bound has caused my plants to die on me. I found the website for a supplier of organic plant supplies that I use to put on my plants years ago, and now I believe that this won't happen again. Gardens Alive! Laweranceburg Indiana. Between citrosa plants and lemongrass,the bugs leave me alone; that is all I use.

This plant takes over if you don't keep on top of it. My suggestion is to keep it potted. You can't kill it...I've been trying for two years.

It's a great scented plant. The dried leaves go well in potpurri. As for its mosquito repelling nature- I think it highly depends on whether YOU are more appetizing to the mosquito than this plant is disgusting to the bug. Allow me to explain: I had one on the side table to my adirondack chair on my patio in VA. I could sit in the chair and get eaten alive as if the plant was invisible. When my parents were visiting my father sat there all day and not one bite. Mom says that at home the bugs go after him and not her- but clearly they prefer me to him. So yes, it REPELS mosquitos just like a watch repels water- doesn't mean you can wear the watch swimming ;-)

I LOVE this plant. I will be the first to admit that, as for a mosquito repellent, it fails miserably. But I bought one 2 years ago, and it's lovely. I read that they are sometimes used as bonsai. I can see why. Mine is potted,and has lived outside in the Summer, and inside in the Winter. I am thrilled to finally find out about planting the cuttings. I would love them all over my house. They smell fresh and lemoney to me. Get past the "insect repellent", they are beautiful, aromatic house plants, or an interesting addition to your outside potted (I recommend potted) garden.

I will give this plant a positive even though it doesn't work as advertised. Mosquitoes probably laughed at me when I proudly introduced them to my backyard. I've sat two large plants on both sides of me while I was sitting and a mosquito still landed on me. I don't feel too let down cus the mosquitoes around here don't really respond to much repellant unless its in excess. I do like the smell and shape of this plant however. Its strong and everyone always ask what it is when they see or smell it.

Don't buy this plant to keep the mosquitos away, like I did. It won't work. I even got bitten up while I was potting this plant! I keep it by my back door but it really doesn't repel bugs at all.

That said, it's easy enough to care for and the leaves are unusual enough that they add interest to my container herb garden, so I won't get rid of it. But I wouldn't buy it again.

This is actually my sister's experience using the mosquito plant to drive away the bugs. My sister lives in Hong Kong and people mostly do not install screens for their windows.

Before my sister got the plant, she reported that "I would not have been able to sleep through the night in summer without the AC on and the windows closed because of the mosquitoes. Now I have no problem with sleeping with windows open."

I purchased a small plant this year, so far it seems to be working to keep the giatn mosquito population down on my patio. The plant soes seem to be turning brown around the edges though so I moved to more shade and I will see how it does. I'm going to try a cutting and put pne on my front porch, will comment if and when I get results.

I have never had any trouble finding this plant at nurseries here in the Catskills--perhaps because we have an incredible number of bugs. For years I kept a plant hanging near my front door every summer, purchasing a new one each year. It has never thrived, whether it was a wet year or a dry year, hot or cool. Nor did it do anything to reduce the insect population near the door. Other pelargoniums do better--the nutmeg-scented flourished last year, and the rose-scented varieties also seem happy.

I had seen these 3 plants at a local nursery and didn't buy them. They were 3.99 each and didn't know anything about them. Later I got to thinking about it and decided I really did want them, so I sent my husband to get them today. He bought them for 2.00 each. I came to this web site to check them out and see positive output about them. I am excited to get them in the ground. We live at the lake and have lots of mosquitos. I feel like I made a really great purchase after I see the comments here. I will report on them later.

I don't see any seeds so I've tried to do stem-cutting. I cut the top 5-10cm off and pot it in soil. I did it for 3, 2 survived and is growing well. Soaking the stem in water before potting in soil didn't work as the ends get rotted. I watered the soil thoroughly, especially in Singapore's hot hot hot weather.

I bought 2 small plants in spring of 2003 and planted them in a medium pot.
They have really grown very well,I brought the pot in before the first frost, and it took off even more .It grew to about 2feet tall and for no reason its starting to die. I have watered with miricle grow and keeping my fingers crossed.
Its not completely dead but any suggestiond is gladdly appreciated.I love the scent it gives and the beautiful green foligue. Its a very hard plant to find so i dont want to loose it. thanks to any one who can help
Trish

I have one plant outside my door, in my garden. The scent is wonderful, and I haven't had any bugs all summer. Heavy rains this spring created an abundant mosquito population and I havn't been bitten once. The plant was bought at 1 foot high; is now 5 feet and climbing.

I bought this plant and was given a free sample of "OFF" that is made from this plant. It works, not only the lotion but the plant itself. I put the plant under a lamp on the deck of my pool and no mosquitos (or other bugs) came around, and we all know what a light brings outside out night.

The plant has taken off so well, it's 2 times the size it was in 4 weeks. I would buy more but can't find them now.

I just contacted my local garden shop. They said that any of the scented geraniums (which is what this is) will repel insects because of the high concentration of essential oils. She suggested that anyone have trouble finding this species also try "Snowflake" because the plant's leave get very large.

I have had great success with this plant. I plant them every year and the mosquitos run for the hills. My only problem is the plant are getting harder to find each year.

I bought two of these last summer and put on my patio. They do seem to work. I brought them in the house this winter and they took off, they also made the room smell great!

I got this as a small little plant approx. 6 mos ago. Now it is big & bushy (been repotted twice & actually needs it again.) I'm afraid if I put it in the ground it would grow into a great big tree. It really does work to keep the mosquitos away & I just love the smell of it. When I water & spray the leaves it becomes especially fragrant.

The foliage of this is very aromatic. It can be used as an insect repellent, or in cooking; it gives off a wonderful citrus flavor. Flowering is uncommon due to viruses, but as more plants are grown using tissue-propagation, the chances of flowering increase, allowing seeds to form.

Seed will not come true to the named cultivar, varying amounts of scent and leaf-shape will occur.