Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
3 ratings

Tuesday - July 05, 2011

From: fairfax, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Pests, Herbs/Forbs, Wildflowers
Title: Mosquito-deterring plants for shady hillside
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

We have a part to full shaded hill side/ native woodland area that was once covered with english ivy..we managed to get rid of all the ivy but now we are overtaken with violets..maybe they are even native..but they are everywhere and they are drowning out all other plants and are harboring tons of mosquitos.is there another choice of ground cover for the area? we have cinamon ferns/maiden hair/ service berry/ fringed bleeding hearts/ cardinal flower/ sea oats all doing very well..

ANSWER:


Mr. Smarty Plants assumes that you have pinpointed violets as the plants that harbor mosquitos.  They do have broad leaves growing close to the ground, where they will retain moisture.  Mosquitos will also hide in other humid locations, such as a dense cluster of ferns.  I suggest that you replace the violets with plants that send their stems higher and/or have few or small leaves near ground level.  For example, Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine), Packera aurea (Golden ragwort)Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower) and Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (Coralberry). There are many other plants to choose from, depending upon your conditions, e.g. full shade, part shade, moist, dry, need for low-growing or taller species.  Grasses generally do not do well in shade, but you could use a sedge, such as Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge).  This would look nice interspersed with other short species like Mitchella repens (Partridgeberry), .  Ferns should do well.  If taller plants are desirable, consider Hypericum prolificum (Shrubby st. johnswort), Maianthemum racemosum ssp. racemosum (Feathery false lily of the valley), Maianthemum stellatum (Starry false lily of the valley), and Lobelia siphilitica (Great blue lobelia)Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New england aster) should thrive in partly sunny areas.

Certain plant species have been shown to have insect-deterrent activity.  Most of those species I found are not native to your area.  The sages generally occur naturally further west, but one species, Salvia azurea (Pitcher sage), is native to Virginia, and it may have unreported deterrent properties.

 

From the Image Gallery


Eastern red columbine
Aquilegia canadensis

Golden groundsel
Packera aurea

Cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis

Coralberry
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus

Pennsylvania sedge
Carex pensylvanica

Partridgeberry
Mitchella repens

Shrubby st. john's-wort
Hypericum prolificum

Feathery false lily of the valley
Maianthemum racemosum ssp. racemosum

Starry false lily of the valley
Maianthemum stellatum

Great blue lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica

New england aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

More Pests Questions

Flying insects attacking yucca flacida in Wilmington NC
June 11, 2010 - How do I treat flying insects from eating the flowers on my Yucca Flaccida shrub.
view the full question and answer

Problems with Monterrey Oak in Austin
March 26, 2013 - We had a local tree service plant two Monterrey Oak trees on 4/2/2012. At the time we noticed that woodpeckers had had a field day on the trunk bark of both trees with the most damage being on the lar...
view the full question and answer

Falling Balls from an Oak in Kingsland TX
May 25, 2015 - I have a large Live Oak in the back yard, with St. Augustine grass under it. It is April 3, 2015. The leaves have fallen and now little tiny round balls are falling. I am hearing a popping noise und...
view the full question and answer

Possible freeze damage in Wax Myrtle from last winter in Bastrop, TX
July 25, 2011 - Our Wax Myrtle is about 7 yrs old and in good shape until this past winter when we had several very hard freezes. Now several of the large branches are dead and more are dying each month. We have not ...
view the full question and answer

Perennial plants resistant to cutter ants in Aransas Pass, TX
January 12, 2010 - We are moving to Aransas Pass, Texas. Are there any perennial plants resistant to cutter ants?
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.