Piss off plant: effective against dogs and cats
Piss-off-plant – that sounds indecent, but the name says it all. It keeps unwanted dogs, cats and rodents out of beds.
The piss off plant keeps unwanted dogs, cats and rodents out of beds [Photo: Layue / Shutterstock.com]
The plant with the strange name is not known to many people, but it has attracted media attention with its name. The plant is known for its deterrent effect on various animals, for which purpose it is planted in gardens and beds. We clarify all questions about the piss off plant – from the origin to the effect.
Piss off plant: which flower is behind it?
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Behind the eye-catching name of the plant, which is also marketed as piss-off-plant or scardy cat in other countries, it is a plant from the mint family (Lamiaceae ), which is originally native to Africa. The plant, which is widely marketed, is botanically the species Plectranthus ornatus, which is not exactly conspicuous in its appearance, but is supposed to drive away animals through its smell.
The piss off plant originally comes from Africa [Photo: Layue / Shutterstock.com]
Piss off plant: These animals keep them away
The small plant with the purple flowers is considered a cat and dog fright, but does not keep all animals equally away. Unfortunately, insects and snails as pests in the vegetable patch cannot be driven away with the mint. However, it is quite suitable for larger animals such as dogs and cats.
Piss off plant against dogs
The piss-off plant is particularly popular to prevent unwanted legacies from strange dogs in the garden. Thanks to its odor, the plant reliably drives away dogs up to several meters and thus acts as a biological deterrent.
Piss off plant against cats
In addition to dogs, cats also avoid the purple flowering herb in the garden. Nevertheless, do not worry: the plants cannot harm the animals and only keep them out of the garden.
The piss-off plant prevents unwanted legacies from strange dogs and cats in the garden [Photo: Dmitrenko Ekaterina / Shutterstock.com]
You can find more ways to keep cats and other unloved visitors out of your flower beds in our article “Katzenschreck im Test“.
Piss off plant: this is how it keeps animals away
The plant does not keep larger animals such as dogs and cats away because of its inconspicuous appearance. The deterrent effect is due to the scent of the plant, which it gives off through the leaves from a certain size. These are essential oils such as menthol, which have a deterrent effect on many mammals. But do not worry: the smell is barely noticeable to humans and does not bother in the garden.
The deterrent effect comes from the scent the plant gives off through the leaves [Photo: kariphoto / Shutterstock.com]
By the way: The piss-off plant is not hardy due to its warm origin and should therefore only be planted out from May. In order for the plant to thrive, you can give primarily organic slow-release fertilizers such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer to the planting hole when planting out.
The piss-off plant unfortunately has no effect on insects. But these plants do: we will introduce you to the best mosquito repellent plants.
