City Cast Pittsburgh logo
Display Ad for 412 Day on Sunday, Arpil 12 - 11am - 2pm at Southern Tier Brewing

What To Plant for a Mosquito Repelling Garden

Posted on June 15, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Francesca Dabecco

Francesca Dabecco

Angel pelargonium and marigolds

Angel pelargonium and marigolds. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)

Get out your citronella candles and bug spray — summertime turns Pittsburgh into mosquito city. No, really! We actually ranked number 37 on the list of top mosquito cities. The Allegheny Health Department started mosquito treatments last week.

If you don’t want to douse your patio in chemicals, there are natural ways to keep the blood-sucking critters at bay. There is still time to hit up your local garden center to buy herbs and flowers that naturally repel mosquitoes.

This year, I planted lavender, basil, lemon thyme, lemon balm, rosemary, marigolds, floss flower, and angel pelargonium. You can also plant things like citronella grass, catmint, bee balm, sage, and alliums.

Place them in pots, pretty up your porch or patio, and keep those pesky mosquitoes from disturbing you ahtside.

🎧 More on How To Grow Your Pittsburgh Garden

Share article

Hey Pittsburgh

Stay connected to City Cast Pittsburgh and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Urban Almanac

See All
Urban AlmanacJanuary 28

4 Fun Facts About Punxsutawney Phil for Groundhog Day

What you didn't know about Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog.

Last year, Punsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. (Anadolu / Getty)
Urban AlmanacSeptember 10, 2025

What Are Pawpaws? Your Guide to Pittsburgh’s Tropical-Tasting Fruit

Learn about the native tree and where to find pawpaws in Pittsburgh.

bowl of pawpaws in front of art of the zebra swallowtail butterfly
Urban AlmanacDecember 12, 2024

How To Join the 126th Annual Christmas Bird Count in Pittsburgh

Count birds with the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania , and be a part of the world’s longest-running citizen science project.

A house finch sits on a frozen tree branch.
Urban AlmanacNovember 13, 2024

You Might Be Surprised to Hear the Predictions About Pennsylvania’s Hodge-Podge Upcoming Winter

Discover the Farmer's Almanac winter forecast for Pennsylvania 2024-25, with tips on how to prepare for varied weather conditions across...

Pittsburgh city skyline with snow and pieces of frozen river
Urban AlmanacOctober 16, 2024

We Spent a Chilly Fall Day Exploring Two Easily-Accessible Waterfalls at Ohiopyle State Park

Our more than hour-long drive to Ohiopyle State Park, one mid-October afternoon, gave us a small glimpse of the autumn beauty that awaite...

a waterfall with fall folliage
Urban AlmanacOctober 3, 2024

Visit One of the World’s Rarest Birds

Guam kingfishers, called sihek in Chamorro, are very rare little birds — there are fewer than 150 left in the world.

A Guam kingfisher. (Mohamad Hasan / Getty Images)
Urban AlmanacSeptember 25, 2024

Don’t Rake Your Fall Leaves in Pittsburgh

The colorful leaves that fall every Autumn protect native pollinators and plants over the winter in Pittsburgh.

A closeup of rusty red leaves piled on the ground in front of large park trees
Urban AlmanacSeptember 11, 2024

Watercolors in ‘Tiny Worlds’ Explore Flora and Fauna in Appalachia

In her new book “Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains” artist Rosalie Haizlett shares an artistic celebration of regional biodiversity.

the cover of “Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains”  with watercolor images of greenery, mushrooms, a lizard, a flower, and a mayfly, in front of the mountains