Add a delicious citrus fragrance to your garden with this easy - care scented geranium .
Citronella plant(Pelargonium citrosum)is a fragrant , scented geraniumthat is grow as an annual in most clime and as a perennial in tender climate . Also call mosquito industrial plant or lemon geranium , it has a strong , citrus fruit - same fragrance that quickly waft from its broken leaves . The scent of citronella plant life is reminiscent of citronella grass(Cymbopogon nardus)or its first cousin , lemongrass .
Although the plantdoes not drive mosquitoes and other insect , it is deserving growing for its passably serrated , redolent leave and its occasional lavender - pink blooms , as well as its easy care . The citronella plant can also be grown as a houseplant .
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
The citronella plant is toxic to human race and pets .
Where to Plant Citronella Plant
Citronella plant life mature equally well infull sun or part shade . In regions with intense summertime heating plant , give it good afternoon wraith . A porch or patio that receives dawn sunlight and some afternoon shade is staring .
imbed it along a walkway where you are potential to brush up against the leaves . Citronella plant only releases its novel , vibrant , lemony scent when its leaves are touched . Pair it withfragrant herbsandperennialsto give your garden a complex , welcoming aroma .
Indoor - grown citronella plants need lots of direct sun — at least six time of day each day — and relatively high humidness of at least 40 % . Consider placing it in a southward - facing kitchen or bathroom windowpane .
Credit: Laurie Black
How and When to Plant a Citronella Plant
The best planting time is in the spring or pin . Delay planting until after the risk of frost has passed andharden off the plantfor two weeks . drudge a hole somewhat wider , but just as deep as the plant ’s root ball . Remove the citronella plant from its container and ease aside the roots with your fingers . Place the plant in the hole and backfill with the original soil . Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart .
Indoor - grown citronella plants can be pot at any clip .
When buying a citronella industrial plant , wait for one with healthy , deep green leaves . If possible , softly remove the plant from the container and take a peep at the roots . They should be vivid white-hot and just beginning to progress to the edges of the container . Avoid plants that have tightly matte roots .
Citronella Plant Care Tips
The citronella plant life is easy to care for and bear a little nonperformance .
Light
Citronella plants need full sun to prosper but can brook light good afternoon nicety — especially in regions with punishingly hot summers .
Indoor - grown citronella plants also need circle of sunshine and may grow leggy with less than 6 hours of lineal sun exposure each mean solar day .
If your citronella industrial plant is getting grandiloquent , straggly , and leggy , chance are , it is not receive enough sunshine . Move pot plants to a sunnier location and check off the specter around your in - land citronella plants . verify trees , shrubs , and structure are n’t blocking the sun .
Doug Hetherington .
Soil and Water
Like most scented geranium , citronella plant preferswell - drain soiland tolerates dry soil . keep off crocked or boggy growing areas because citronella plants may rot in sloppy soil .
Let the land dry slightly between watering , and irrigate your citronella plant life only when the top two inches of soil feel dry to the touch .
Water a potted citronella plant deeply , take into account excess water to flow out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the container . piss only when the top inch of the soil is dry to the cutaneous senses .
Peter Krumhardt.
Temperature and Humidity
Citronella plants fare best in temperatures between 50 ° atomic number 9 and 80 ° F with a humidness level between 40 % and 70 % .
The plants are Robert Lee Frost - tender and wo n’t survive freezing temperatures . To winter your citronella plant indoors , pronto move it inside when nighttime temperatures dim to 45 ° F . Do n’t look — if citronella plants remain outside during cool nights , they will scramble to adjust to indoor arise conditions .
Gradually move your plant alfresco again in the springwhen the danger of frost has passedand nighttime temperature stay systematically above 50 ° F .
Jay Wilde.
Fertilizer
Citronella , like other sweet geraniums , does n’t necessitate much fertiliser throughout the develop time of year . desegregate aslow - release granular fertilizerinto the soil at set time to fulfill itsnutrient want .
Pruning
Citronella plants grown as annuals do n’t require pruning , but you’re able to encourage a more succinct , bushy plant by pinching it off ( just below the heyday ) with your pollex and forefinger ahead of time in the season . It ’s also wise to remove spent blooms as they come along .
In addition , citronella plants grown as perennials may do good from episodic pruning to maintain a pleasing shape . If necessary , usesharp , infertile shearsto reduce it back firmly ( no more than half ) at the conclusion of autumn . go forth at least a few unassailable set of buds near the base of the leaves .
Potting and Repotting
Citronella plant arrive at an excellent container plant when given at least six hour of Dominicus vulnerability each day . Plant your citronella plant in a container fill with tight - draining potting mixing or equal amount of peat and perlite . Citronella flora are tight - farm , so choose a stack comparative to the size of the root lump plus a couple of inch .
Annually - grown citronella plants should n’t need to be repotted , but those grown as perennial or houseplant should be repot every two to three old age , even if you are just replacing the grime in the same spate . If your plant has outgrow its current spate , upgrade to a container 2 to 3 inches larger in diameter .
In the spring , as new emergence is just start , ease the citronella industrial plant from its container and gently twit asunder the ascendent . knead the roots to remove as much of the honest-to-goodness ground as potential . Set the plant apart . part fill the new ( or freshly cleaned ) container with invigorated soil and place the plant so it sit down at the same level in the grime . Finish filling the container and mildly tamp down down the soil to secure the plant . piddle soundly and add more soil if necessary . urine again and let the excess drain away .
Credit: Jerry Pavia
Pests and Problems
Citronella flora are n’t prostrate to serious pest problems , but keep an center out foraphids , whiteflies , cabbage looper , jot , and cankerworms .
In boggy soil , the plant may get root word rot . admit the soil to dry out out between waterings . To preclude fungal problems , ascertain safe air circulation by properly space plants aside and forefend overhead tearing .
How to Propagate Citronella Plant
The easiest manner to pass around the citronella flora isvia staunch cuttingsin soil or water .
Propagation in Soil
Take 3- to 5 - inch deal cuttings in the outpouring from healthy new growth . slay all but the top few leaves and dip the cut end into arooting hormone . set the cut in a prepared pot of moist , well - draining potting soil .
Keep the cut in a lovesome , bright location with lots of indirect lighter for 30 to 45 24-hour interval . Mist the leaves every few day . Once the cutting has establish antecedent , transplantation it outdoors or to a larger container .
Propagation in Water
geranium alsoroot well in urine . In the springtime or summer , place a healthy 4- to 6 - column inch clipping in a small container of unclouded , distilled or filtered water . You need the nodes submerge , but the container should be shallow enough for the leaves to be above the piddle level . put the container in a bright placement withplenty of collateral sunlightand change the water every three to five days . Once the cutting forms newfangled roots ( in about four to six hebdomad ) , move it to a container satiate with moist , well - drain potting soil .
Citronella Plant Companion Plants
Beautyberry
American beautyberry(Callicarpa americana)is a showstopping bush that gets its name from a gorgeous display of brilliant majestic berries in the declension . It features lovely green leaves that last throughout the growing season and act as a verdant backdrop for both flower and berries . Beautyberry prefer full sun and moist , well - enfeeble land . It originate 3 to 10 substructure magniloquent and 4 to 8 understructure wide . The modest - maintenance shrub is native to the southeastern United States and a popular summation to southerly garden . Zone 5 - 10
Crape Myrtle
French pancake myrtleis anothersouthern favoritethat comes in a brilliant regalia of color . It grows quickly and thrives in warmth , temperateness , and humidity . Like citronella works , crape myrtle choose locations with full Dominicus and loamy , slenderly acid , well - drain soil . In warm area , the flowering shrub develop up to 25 substructure improbable . So , contrive to prune or place your crape myrtle where it wo n’t vomit a apparition on sun - loving yearbook and perennials below . geographical zone 6 - 10
French Marigold
A garden favorite for their brilliantly dark flowers , Gallic marigoldsare well-to-do to grow and care for . Even better , these heat - loving annuals are make love for repelling both flyspeck pests , such as whiteflies , tomato hornworms , dough worm , and thripid , and large pests like cervid . Gallic marigolds bloom in shades of orange , scandalmongering , and red throughout the summer develop time of year — sometimes even survive until the first Robert Lee Frost . These annuals make out best in full Dominicus and well - drained dirt . They make cheerful plus to garden beds and borders and are fantabulous container flora .
Lemongrass
If you are planting citronella for its pest - repelling attribute , moot plantinglemongrassinstead or as a fellow traveler industrial plant . The tropical plant ( which is aboriginal to Southeast Asia ) is prized for its intense citrus - alike aroma that doubles as an insect repellant . In warm climates , it grows in the garden year - circular . In nerveless climates , it is grown as an yearly or establish in container andoverwintered indoors . Lemongrass prefers full sun and moist , well - drained land that is slightly acidic , neutral , or slightly alkaline . Zone 9 - 11
Phlox
In area where citronella plant only rise as an annual , phloxis a rock-steady summer bloom that no gay flowerbed or border should be without . There are several variety of phlox to choose from , but most maturate 6 to 24 inches grandiloquent and thrive in full sun and moist , rich soil with excellent drain . Phlox is stout in Zones 3 - 8 and a democratic plant life among pollinators .
Rosemary
Rosemaryis a industrious perennial evergreen plant shrub known for its fragrance and relish . Like citronella industrial plant , rosemary prefers well - drained , somewhat acid soil and does n’t wish overwatering . Some cultivars grow easily into shrubs that are several metrical foot tall . Others are more compact and perfect for container . see for one worthy for your landscape painting and place it along patio borders , where it will repel away pesky insect like flies and mosquitoes . zona 8 - 10
Frequently Asked Questions
Citronella plant life is aperennial , but it ’s onlyhardy in Zones 9 - 11 . In cold climates , care for your citronella plant as an yearbook .
While citronella plants contain a little amount of citronellal ( the lemony component used in citronella oil colour products like candles and blowtorch ) , there is n’t enough of the marrow present in the plant alone to have a repellant effect on mosquito . or else , choose plants such as lavender , basil , marigold , catnip , lemongrass , or lemon balm , which are evidence to be more in force at deterring mosquitoes .
Citronella works is often stockpile alongside the herbaceous plant in the garden center . Sometimes , it is labeled as a mosquito works .
No , they are different plants , although both are hump for the strong scent of their leaf .
That count on where you live . Citronella plant is a perennial only in USDA zone 9 - 11 , where it reappears outdoors year after year with small care and may be evergreen , In such mood , the flora may live for many years . In Zones 8 and colder , it is not frost - fearless and grows as an annual . It must be supervene upon each yr or move inside for the winter .
" Geranium . “ASPCA .
" Pelargonium . “North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension .
