It is summer; your garden is blooming and thriving, birds and pollinators buzzing and singing, and it’s time to enjoy outdoors barbecuing, picnicking, hiking, attending festivals, and camping. Unfortunately, this joyous time is also tick and flea season.
These tiny, blood-sucking parasites carry diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Also, they are pretty annoying, and their bites are itchy and irritate the skin. Luckily, nature has a perfect solution— tick and flea-repelling plants.
In this piece, we’ll dig into 20 plants that repel ticks and fleas to help turn your yard into a tick-and-flea-free haven.
20 Plants that Repel Ticks and Fleas from Your Yard
1. Rosemary
While primarily a culinary herb, rosemary does more than enhance the flavor of your meals. Its smell is distasteful to fleas and ticks, and its aromatic oils naturally deter them. In addition, cats don’t like rosemary, so it will prevent stray cats from coming near your home.
Rosemary will also deter deer. Grow rosemary in your garden beds, near seating areas, along pathways, or even in containers.
Hardiness zones: 7-9
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2. Wormwood
This hardy perennial plant goes by names such as sagebrush, artemisia, and mugwort and is a popular ornamental plant. Beyond its aesthetic value, wormwood’s bitter taste and potent smell deter fleas and ticks. It will also keep moths, mosquitoes, mice, and deer away.
Plant wormwoods around your yard to repel pests. In fact, you probably have this plant in your yard already since it happily grows in the wild.
Hardiness zones: 4-9
3. Fleabane Daisy
As its name hints, this flowering plant is an excellent flea-repellent. Moreover, fleabane daisy will keep ticks out of your yard. Crushing this plant’s leaves emits a smell so pungent that it drives away these pests.
You can enhance fleabane daisy’s repelling abilities by drying it and placing it in problematic areas like along the seating areas and around pet playgrounds.
Hardiness zones: 2-9
4. Fleawort
Similar to the fleabane daisy, fleawort is a bane of a flea’s existence. This stunning flower is often overlooked and seen as just a common weed, but it is surprisingly effective in repelling insects.
Fleawort effortlessly blends with other plants like rosemary and lavender, thus creating an unobtrusive, multi-layered defense against pests. This plant is also edible, adding a mild, slightly bitter taste to herbal teas and salads.
Hardiness zones: 5-9
5. Lavender
When it comes to repelling ticks and fleas from your yard, planting lavender is a no-brainer. This beautiful plant’s strong, pleasant scent is unappealing to many insects. In addition, it contains oils such as linalool and linalyl acetate, which are known to deter unwanted insects effectively.
Plant lavenders in containers, around your patio, or in flower beds to keep your surroundings free of fleas and ticks.
Hardiness zones: 5-9
6. Catnip
Nepetalactone, the compound responsible for making catnip irresistible to cats, is the same thing that makes it unpleasant to fleas and ticks. This active compound makes these pests feel itchy and painful.
With catnip in your yard, fleas and ticks will seek refuge elsewhere, while your cat will be more relaxed and playful. Catnip is low maintenance; just ensure it doesn’t sit in waterlogged soil.
Hardiness zones: 3-9
7. Mint
Fleas and ticks don’t find mint’s fresh fragrance as delightful as we do, as this distinct smell overpowers them. If you tend to kill plants easily or are new to gardening but wish to repel ticks and fleas out of your yard, choose mint, preferably peppermint and spearmint.
Mint plants thrive and spread effortlessly if they get enough water and sunlight.
Hardiness zones: 3-11
8. Marigold
Marigold’s large, yellow-orange, puffy flowers not only make this plant an impeccable addition to your yard but also keep fleas and ticks away. As this plant keeps unwanted pests out of your yard, it will also attract beneficial insects such as butterflies and bees.
Marigold petals are edible and medicinal. So, if you want to make your yard colorful, buzzing with life, protected from bugs, and functional, grow marigolds.
Hardiness zones: 2-11
9. Lemongrass
A renowned insect repellent, lemongrass works against a variety of bugs, including mosquitoes, fleas, flies, roaches, ticks, spiders, and ants. Its leaves emit a strong, citrus fragrance that deters unwanted pests.
Lemongrass fills spaces quickly in humid and warm conditions, reaching 2-4 feet tall in little time. This ornamental grass makes an eye-catching, functional addition to your yard.
Hardiness zones: 8-11
10. Pennyroyal
This herb has potent oils and a strong aroma that repel ticks and fleas, so introduce it to your yard to deter these pests. You can plant pennyroyal alongside other plants with insect-repelling properties to increase your yard’s defense against pests.
Since pennyroyal spreads swiftly, it won’t take long before you have an established, effective pest barrier in your yard.
Hardiness zones: 6-9
11. Sage
We primarily grow sage for medicinal and culinary uses, but this herb also works wonders in repelling ticks and fleas. The sun-loving perennial works best when burnt but also offers insect-repelling properties in its natural state.
Plant sage in your yard’s high-traffic areas; this way, you can frequently rustle the leaves as you walk by, releasing the insect-repelling scent. Also, toss sage leaves into an outdoor fire occasionally.
Hardiness zones: 4-10
12. Rue
Another plant that will help you repel ticks and fleas is this stunning herb with blue, lustrous foliage—Rue’s strong, bitter scent drives off bugs. That’s not all; this evergreen perennial will ensure stray cats, dogs, and deer stay out of your yard.
This plant’s reputation as a pest repellent is well-established, so you can trust it to render your yard flea-and-tick-free.
Hardiness zones: 4-10
13. Garlic
The pungent smell of garlic that makes food taste great is a nightmare for pests, including fleas and ticks. Therefore, incorporate garlic into your yard and make the place free of these vermin pests. You’ll also get some fresh garlic bulbs for your cooking.
Garlic plants repel ticks and fleas, and garlic bulbs do, too. Place crushed garlic cloves around your yard. Plant garlic in fall
Hardiness zones: 3-8
14. Chamomile
Do you enjoy chamomile tea? Why not plant chamomile in your yard? This way, you can readily have ingredients to make chamomile tea and a way to repel fleas and ticks. Chamomile emits a scent that is soothing and gentle to humans but unpleasant to pests.
Plant chamomile in spring for stunning summer blooms. They grow best in sunlight and flourish with around one inch of water weekly.
Hardiness zones: 2-9
15. Eucalyptus
Koalas’ favorite snack can also help turn your yard into an area where fleas and ticks won’t like staying. This majestic tree contains eucalyptol, which is responsible for its insecticidal properties and characteristic fragrance.
Depending on available space and your preference, grow large species or dwarf varieties of eucalyptus. Eucalyptus plants will give your yard a refreshing scent, keep bugs away, and provide shade.
Hardiness zones: 8-11
16. Tansy Ragwort
This weed possesses all-around insect-repelling properties. Tansy Ragwort deters lots of insects, such as fleas, scabies, moths, ticks, and ants. Tansy Ragwort enjoys well-drained soils and moist, cool climates. You will see it growing in ditches and pastures.
Although Tansy Ragwort works against pests, remember it is toxic and invasive, so be cautious when growing it around pets and kids.
Hardiness zones: 3-7
17. Basil
Drive ticks and fleas out of your yard with basil. Adequate light and warm, sunny environments suit this herb— these conditions are crucial for robust growth and high essential oil content. You can grow basil on the ground or in containers on your patio, entryways, and deck.
Consider sprinkling basil leaves around areas frequently plagued by fleas and ticks. Basil isn’t harmful to pets.
Hardiness zones: 10-11
18. Thyme
Thyme is another herb that is excellent for pest control and cooking. The essential oils thyme contains, such as carvacrol and thymol, have antimicrobial and insect-repelling properties. This herb’s sweet aroma ensures fleas and ticks steer clear of your yard.
Ensure your thyme plants get plenty of sunlight. Plant thyme in spring for summer blooms.
Hardiness zones: 5-9
19. Chrysanthemums
Mums are easy to love. These cheerful flowering plants stylishly give vibrancy and color to outdoor spaces. Chrysanthemum flowers’ have pyrethrins that naturally deter many insects.
Grow chrysanthemums for their bug-repelling functionality and beautiful form. Plant these perennials strategically or incorporate mum extracts or dried flowers into your flea and tick control.
Hardiness zones: 4-9
20. Sweetgrass
The concept of repelling fleas and ticks with this plant isn’t new. Native Americans used sweetgrass to repel insects like fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks naturally. They’d burn the plant and soak their bodies, clothes, and houses in the produced smoke.
You can also dry sweetgrass plants and turn them into sachets, which you can then place in insect-prone areas. Sweetgrass has long, narrow leaves, small, inconspicuous flowers, and a sweet, vanilla-like fragrance.
Hardiness zones: 3-8
To Summarize,
With nature on your side, you can enjoy a tick and flea-free yard. But, instead of filling your yard with these plants, prioritize the front porch, around the house’s foundation, back patio, entryways, and where your pets hang out. Don’t grow plants toxic to pets, such as chrysanthemums, eucalyptus, rue, and wormwood, where your pets spend time.
Hey there, fellow plant enthusiasts! I’m Rachel, the green-thumbed writer behind Rooted In Garden. With a deep-rooted love for all things botanical, I’ve made it my mission to help you cultivate a thriving collection of houseplants. As a devoted plant parent myself, I understand the joys and challenges that come with nurturing these leafy wonders. Whether you’re a succulent aficionado, an orchid enthusiast, or simply adore all potted flora, join me on this journey as we explore the secrets to growing and caring for our beloved green companions. Together, let’s create a flourishing oasis indoors.