Re: Mosquito Grass

**t* <t*@gmail.com>**

On Tue, Mar 26, 2013 at 4:03 AM,  <loisdan@juno.com> wrote:
> Does anyone know what plant (and hardiness zone) "Mosquito Grass" is?
> It's supposed to have a "citrus odor" and "contain more citronella than
> the mosquito plant." At $16 for a 2-inch pot, I'm wondering how rare this
> plant is or how effective it is at keeping those pesky bugs away.
>

What's your source?

Bouteloua doesn't smell lemony, but this vendor sells lemongrass and
calls it mosquito grass
http://www.collectionsetc.com/ItemA1113.aspx
and lemongrass extract has indeed been used in mosquito repellants.

If you live near an Asian grocery store, you can just buy some
culinary lemongrass and plant it (if you get a piece with a rootable
chunk at the base).

As for hardiness, I'm in zone 9 or 10 (northern Calif. -- I have
gardens in zone 9b and 10a now) and I protect my plant in the winter
when it goes below 40F.

I wouldn't rely on the plant itself to keep away mosquitoes. And you
don't want to snuggle next to the plant because the edges are not
soft.

Tanya Kucak
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