Mary Harasewich’s Citronella Plant Reaches for the Ceiling

Mary Harasewich’s Citronella Plant Reaches for the Ceiling

Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent

Mary Harasewich helped her parents do gardening and she took care of plants since she was a young girl. Mary now resides at Lions Golden Villa and she still maintains a garden.

Mary accepted a one foot tall citronella plant from her friend a year and a half ago. This citronella plant has now grown to almost seven feet tall where Mary keeps the plant inside during the winter months.

Mary Harasewich’s Citronella Plant is a joy to behold and has grown to nearly seven feet tall.

(Rosanne Fortier/photo.)

Mary said she had this citronella on her deck at her place at Golden Villa during all of last summer. “My friend bought this citronella plant in Vegreville to keep the mosquitoes away. Then she gave it to me. I took it and transplanted it and I put it on my window sill during the summer until it grew really high. I watered this plant twice a day and made sure to give it some tender loving care. I also give this plant a cup of coffee once a month. This plant blooms too.” Mary admitted it is true citronella plants prevent bugs and mosquitoes from being around the area. “This plant has a lemony smell that bugs and mosquitoes do not like. So, I never had any bugs or mosquitoes on my deck all summer. It also looks attractive and adds a natural feel to my place. I transplanted this plant and I started to grow another citronella plant from this one. Citronella plants are perennials and they usually grow up to five or six feet tall. They are not easy to transplant. You have to cut some off of one and put it in a glass of water to make roots which take almost a month, and then you plant the roots in the soil. But I am glad to have this plant as I really enjoy having it and I like the smell of it,” Mary added.

SFGate states that a citronella plant is a citronella scented geranium. They must be grown outside during summer and moved inside during winter or they can be grown as a houseplant. How big it grows depends on the care it receives. Citronella grass plants are native to tropical areas of Asia.