Ants might be one of the most annoying unwanted pests out there but you can plant certain Anti-ant Plants to repel them! Here they are.
Ants are known to provide refuge to insects such as aphids and whiteflies and can do much damage to the garden. Plus, ant colonies are massive and can keep you from using a portion of the lawn! So how do we fix that? By planting plants that are anti-ant and keep them away.
Anti Ant Plants
1. Tansy
Botanical Name: Tanacetum vulgare
You can choose to plant this uncommon plant if you have a space that enjoys full or indirect exposure to the sun. You will soon have clusters of tiny yellow flowers if you grow them in well-drained, loamy soil.
Tansy flowers and leaves will keep the ants away from the plant and nearby areas.
2. Lavender
Botanical Name: Lavandula spp.
This could be one of the best choices of plant that not only adds elegance and charm to your space but also helps you keep the ants at bay. The powerful fragrance serves as an ant and other insect repellent.
You can try to grow the French Lavender variety if you are a beginner in gardening, as it is one of the easiest varieties to take care of.
3. Garlic
Botanical Name: Allium sativum
When it comes to keeping ants and other pests away, nothing could be scarier than the strong smell of garlic. You can grow this member from the onion family around the flower beds as a border or in the kitchen garden for your own fresh supply for cooking.
4. Mint
Botanical Name: Mentha
This powerful-smelling and delicious herb is not only used for making teas and candies but is also used as a seasoning in many dishes all around the world.
But what is yummy to our tongue, is exactly the opposite to the ants and Mint’s strong scent is enough to keep ants away from your garden.
5. Lemongrass
Botanical Name: Cymbopogon citratus
Lemongrass is another excellent choice to repel ants as it contains citronella oil and the strong scent makes ants lose their sense of direction.
Even crushed lemongrass leaves or extracts from boiled leaves can be spread across the lawn, which will work if you don’t want to grow plants that deter ants.
6. Sage
Botanical Name: Salvia officinalis
This popular herb, with its naturally pleasant scent, is effective in repelling ants and other insects. Sage has become a favorite in aromatherapy across the globe and is grown in homes and kitchens for its culinary use and fragrance worldwide.
Plus, there are many types of Sage varieties to choose from.
7. Common Yarrow
Botanical Name: Achillea millefolium
Common Yarrow plants also keep ants away. This perennial is quite effective with its scent in repelling beetles, ants, and flies.
It can grow up to a height of 10-12 inches, and the dried flowers can be used in potpourri or floral arrangements. They’re low maintenance anti-ant plants.
8. Chrysanthemum
Botanical Name: Chrysanthemum indicum
You might love Chrysanthemums but they are plants that ants hate. These beautiful flowering plants with bright flowers have Pyrethrin, which is a neurotoxin that kills insects like ants, Japanese beetles, fleas, spider mites, and several other insects.
9. Alliums
Botanical Name: Allium
Alliums are another good choice for growing a beautiful plant that is both appealing to the eyes and also known to be a natural broad-spectrum insecticide.
This tall plant can grow as tall as 5-6 feet in height and is capable of keeping almost any kind of insects, including ants, slugs, flies, and worms, away from your garden and house.
10. Catnip
Botanical Name: Nepeta cataria
Another mint family member that can serve as an anti-ant plant is Catnip. This herb contains nepetalactone, a chemical that is known to attract cats, but insects such as ants, flies, and cockroaches are repelled by the scent.
11. Basil
Botanical Name: Ocimum basilicum
The leaves from this holy plant are not only delicious and aromatic but it is one of the best plants that repel ants, flies, mosquitoes, and asparagus beetles.
This natural repellent plant, when grown in homes and gardens, can also eventually reduce the presence of several insects and bacteria.
12. Ginger
Botanical Name: Zingiber officinale
With a powerful aroma and flavor, Ginger is found to be very repulsive by ants, and the spicy flavor improves that effect. The scent of ginger throws ants off their path and makes them lose any sense of direction, keeping them away.
13. Cloves
Botanical Name: Syzygium aromaticum
Cloves are usually used in savory dishes for their aromatic flavor and come from the buds of a tree that can grow as tall as 35-40 feet.
If you live in warmer zones, you can grow cloves as a houseplant, as they are very effective in keeping ants far away from your home and garden. But remember that it can take about 5-6 years before you can have your first harvest.
14. Wormwood
Botanical Name: Artemisia absinthium
If you are worried about the huge mounds of ant colonies in your garden, then planting Wormwood could be an excellent choice. Ants despise the bitter taste, so they avoid it, and it is also useful in repelling moths that feed on your plants.
15. Pennyroyal
Botanical Name: Mentha pulegium
Pennyroyal is also an ant-repellent plant. It is known more for its essential oil that can help treat respiratory diseases and pneumonia but it’s great if you want to take care of ant or mosquito repellent.
