11 Plants that Repel Fleas

close up image of purple chrysanthemum

Lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, mint, and chrysanthemums are only a few of the plants that repel fleas and can make your yard less attractive to these disease-carrying pests.

If you’re looking for natural ways to control flea activity while protecting your pets from toxic chemical pesticides, these flea-repellent plants can help. Their essential oils are the most effective repellent, but dry leaves, concoctions, and fresh plants can also keep fleas at bay.

1. California Bay Laurel 

close up image of california bay laurel
Photo Credit: Paul Sullivan / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0

Native Americans have long used the leaves of this evergreen tree to cure diseases and keep away fleas, ticks, and lice. 

When cut, crushed, or exposed to heat, its lance-shaped waxy leaves release an intense peppery scent that repels insects. Tests in laboratory conditions show that the volatile compounds released by torn bay leaves, such as thymol, work as a natural pesticide and can kill flea larvae.

If you notice fleas in your yard, consider planting some California laurel. You can grow it as a privacy hedge or shade tree. When planted in containers, it makes a beautiful patio plant.

USDA hardiness zones: 7 to 9

Soil needs: Well-drained, fertile soil 

Sun exposure: Full sun

2. Common Rue 

image of yellow flowers of common rue with blue-green leaves
Photo Credit: Alpha / Flickr / CC BY-SA 3.0

Also known as the herb of grace, common rue was used in medieval times to repel fleas and lice, common disease carriers, and keep the plague at bay

Rue is often grown as an ornamental plant. It has stunning blue-green fern-like leaves and yellow flowers and is perfect as a border plant in herb gardens and rock gardens. Inside its beautiful leaves, rue contains a promising insecticide that can repel and kill adult fleas, ticks, mosquitos, and flies. 

Warning! While it’s safe to crush mint leaves on your skin to keep fleas or mosquitos away, don’t do that with rue. Rue is one of the toxic plants — its sap causes skin irritation, redness, and painful blisters that worsen when exposed to sunlight. 

USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 10

Soil needs: Well-draining soil. It can grow in rocky areas.

Sun exposure: Full sun is best

3. Wormwood 

an image of wormwood bush infront of a window
Photo Credit: Eddiediegel / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Wormwood is a medicinal plant with dense silver-green foliage and a strong, bitter scent and taste. It kills intestinal worms, treats digestive problems, and repels unwanted pests, such as fleas, lice, ticks, flies, mosquitoes, moths, ants, and snails. 

Experts say the characteristic odor of the plant and its insect-repellent properties are linked to absinthin, a substance the plant secretes that also gives its bitter taste and anti-inflammatory properties.

If you’re a pet parent, treat this plant with caution. It is toxic to dogs and cats and can lead to gastrointestinal problems if ingested. 

USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 9

Soil needs: Well-drained

Sun exposure: Full sun

4. Catnip

close up image of green leaves of catnip
Photo Credit: liz west / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Catnip contains nepetalactone, a compound that wards off ants, fleas, flies, mosquitos, ticks, and cockroaches while making the plant irresistible to cats.

The fluffy felines love to roll, flip, and rub in catnip mounds. Studies say it’s a good habit because damaged catnip leaves release up to 20 times more insect-deterrent substances. As a result, your kitty cat coats itself in a natural insect repellant, a behavior known as “self-anointing.”

Like most mint family plants, catnip is resilient and spreads quickly. Plant it in pots to prevent it from taking over your flower beds.

USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 9 

Soil requirements: Well-draining, loamy, or sandy soil

Sun exposure: Full sun

5. Lemongrass 

image of lemongrass grown in a lawn
Photo Credit: Vaikoovery / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

Lemongrass contains citronella oil, a common ingredient in natural insect repellents. This oil gives the plant its strong, citrusy scent and flea-repelling properties

Lemongrass is a tropical ornamental grass from Southeast Asia that grows in elegant clumps like green artesian fountains. It makes perfect walkways and sideways borders where the leaves are brushed during walking and release more of their insect-repellent oils.

USDA hardiness zones: 9 to 11

Soil needs: Rich, well-drained soil (loam or sand)

Sun exposure: Full sun

6. Rosemary

close up image of a flower of rosemarry
Photo Credit: Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

A widely used culinary herb that gives roasted meats a heavenly taste, rosemary is also treasured for its insect-repellent properties. It releases a strong, woody, resinous scent that repels fleas, ticks, moths, mosquitoes, and fruit lice.

Rosemary can be safely used on pets as rosemary water or tea. Prepare it by infusing 2 tablespoons of rosemary with 2 cups of hot water. You can spray the cool and strained tea on your pet’s fur or soak the fur in it after a bath and leave it on. 

USDA hardiness zones: 8 to 10

Soil needs: Light, well-drained soil

Sun exposure: It needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight

7. Lavender 

A lavender plant
Photo Credit: Pxhere

While lavender can help us sleep better, it can give some insects nightmares. The sweet, floral fragrance is due to linalool, a compound that confuses the bugs, rendering them unable to land on their prey or find mates. 

While aggressive with nasty pests, lavender is friendly with pollinators. It’s also a gorgeous Mediterranean herb with silvery-green leaves and purple flowers that can turn any garden into a painting. 

How to use it? Plant it around the yard where your pet spends more time, and add crushed fresh stems to its bedding.   

USDA hardiness zones: 5 to 9

Soil needs: Well-drained, sandy soils 

Sun exposure: Full sun

8. Fleabane Daisy 

a close up image of fleabane daisy flowers
Photo Credit: Pexels

In the past, people burned fleabane daisies or dried the plants in sachets to repel pest insects such as fleas, gnats, flies, and ticks. 

Fleabane daisies have beautiful daisy-like flowers with a yellow center and long, narrow petals arranged in multiple rows. They bloom for a long time during the summer and are a valuable addition to pollinator gardens, providing food for bees and butterflies.

USDA hardiness zones: 2 to 8

Soil needs: Rich, fertile, moist soil

Sun exposure: Full sun and partial sun

9. Mint 

A peppermint plant which is used to repel insects
Photo Credit: Pxhere

It’s hard to imagine that the sweet, invigorating scent of crushed mint leaves may appear unpleasant. And still, some insects hate it. 

The mint fragrance is so intense it overwhelms some insects’ senses, so fleas, mites, mosquitoes, flies, ants, and spiders avoid it. Studies also show that mint essential oil can act as an insecticide and do more than repel pests — it can kill flea eggs, larvae, and adults. 

My tip: While mint grows better in full sun, you can also plant it in partial shade and target places that might attract fleas. I grow it under a lilac shrub where my cats like to hide during hot summer days.

USDA hardiness zones: 5 to 9

Soil needs: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil

Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade

10. Chrysanthemums 

Colorful Chrysanthemum plant in a lawn
Photo Credit: Pxhere

Many gardeners plant chrysanthemums for their beautiful flowers, but the colorful “mums” can also control fleas in your yard. 

Chrysanthemums contain insect-repellant compounds called pyrethrins. These substances attack the nervous systems of ticks and insects such as fleas and mosquitoes. Pyrethrins are extracted from chrysanthemums and used in over 2,000 pesticide products. 

“Mums” are very resilient and easy to grow, even for beginners. To enjoy big, healthy flowers, plant them where they can benefit from the morning sun, ensure proper watering during summer, and apply some fertilizer before they bloom.

My tip: Pinch the tips of the side shoots. The plants grow stronger and carry more flowers.

USDA hardiness zone: 5 to 9

Sun exposure: Moderate to full sun exposure

Soil needs: Well-draining, fertile soil

11. Cedar Chips

Cedar wood chips coverage the ground with dry yellow spruce branch
Photo Credit: thecolorpixels / Adobe Stock Free / License

Cedar chips contain cedarwood oil, a well-known insect repellent used as an active ingredient in natural insecticides that repel and kill fleas, ticks, mosquitos, ants, moths, and houseflies.

In the 1990s, the insect-repellent potential of cedar oil came to the attention of Joe Karchesy, a professor of wood chemistry at Oregon State University, and Rick Kelsey, a research forester with the Pacific Northwest Research Station. 

During their search for natural pesticides, they met American Indians who used cedar chips to repel fleas. The Indians carved canoes out of western redcedar (Thuja plicata) trees and saved the shavings to use as flea control in their dog beddings. 

Another way we use cedar chips today is to spread them in locations that might attract fleas, such as under the porch or deck, under shrubs, and in the crawl space. Cedar chips are widely available in garden stores, pet stores, and online shops.

FAQ

How Do Plants Repel Fleas?

Some plants contain insect-repellent compounds, such as citronella or pyrethrins, that become volatile and spread through the air when the plant is crushed, heated by the sun, or burned. 

These compounds repel insects by:

• hiding the scent of their food (warm-blooded animals, such as fleas)
• overwhelming their sense of smell
causing irritation and pain

What Attracts Fleas to Your Yard?

Fleas are attracted to shaded, humid, and warm outdoor spaces, such as:

• lawns with tall grass
• piles of compost
• stalks of dead leaves
• thick mulch
• overgrown bushes
• overwatered landscapes 

Stray cats, dogs, and wild animals roaming freely around the yard can be flea carriers and increase the chances of flea infestations.

How to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Yard Naturally

To get rid of the fleas in your yard naturally:

• Clean and trim the grass, shrubs, and trees to reduce shade and increase sun exposure (fleas don’t like direct sun sunlight on their bodies).
• Spread cedar chips or diatomaceous earth where your dog spends most of its time.
• Apply beneficial nematodes on infested areas.

Keep the Yard Flea-Free!

A flea-infested yard provides a continuous supply of fleas for your home and pets. Don’t let them thrive! Hire a pest professional through LawnStarter and remove the fleas from your property.

LawnStarter crews also can ensure your lawn is always trimmed and clean so it doesn’t attract fleas and their wildlife carriers. They can mow the lawn, trim the shrubs, and prune the trees so fleas have nowhere to hide.

Bond, C., Buhl, K., Stone, D. (2014). Pyrethrins General Fact Sheet; National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University Extension Services. https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/pyrethrins.html

Da Silva, R.C., Meisel, L., Farinha, N., Póvoa, P., De Mello-Sampayo, C., (2023, February). Parasiticides: Weapons for Controlling Microbial Vector-Borne Diseases in Veterinary Medicine; The Potential of Ethnobotanical/Phytoparasiticides: An Asset to One Health. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics12020341

Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution (n.d). Plants Used By The Indians Of Mendocino County, California. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43793762.pdf

Hemmes, R.B., Alvarado, A., Hart, B.J. (2002, May 1). Use of California bay foliage by wood rats for possible fumigation of nest-borne ectoparasites. Behavioral Ecology, Volume 13, Issue 3, Pages 381–385, https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/13.3.381

Lans, C., Turner, N., Khan, T. (2008). Medicinal Plant Treatments for Fleas and Ear Problems of Cats and Dogs in British Columbia, Canada. Parasitol Res (2008) 103:889–898. https://www.academia.edu/6191433/Medicinal_plant_treatments_for_fleas_and_ear_problems_of_cats_and_dogs_in_British_Columbia_Canada

Main Image Credit: 刘 俐俐/Wirestock Creators / Adobe Stock Free / License

Sinziana Spiridon

Sinziana Spiridon

Sinziana Spiridon is an outdoorsy blog writer with a green thumb and a passion for organic gardening. When not writing about weeds, pests, soil, and growing plants, she's tending to her veggie garden and the lovely turf strip in her front yard.