Re: Mosquito Grass

**R* M* M* <r*@comcast.net>**

Thank you Tanya: When you sent this I immediately found Bouteloua  seed and learned the mosquito name comes from the shape of flower/seed heads shape resembling a seed head but that didn't resolve my curiosity about the smell.
Rose Marie Nichols McGee
Nichols Garden Nursery    www.nicholsgardennursery.com
On Mar 26, 2013, at 12:36 PM, tanya wrote:

> 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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