Piss off plant - that sounds indecent, but the name says it all. It keeps unwanted dogs, cats and rodents out of beds.
The plant with the curious 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 flower beds. We clarify all questions about the piss-you-plant - from the origin to the effect.
Piss off plant: what flower is behind it?
Behind the eye-catching name of the plant, which is also called in other countries Piss off plant or Scardy Cat marketed, it is a plant from the mint family (Lamiaceae), originally native to Africa. The widely marketed plant is botanically the species Plectranthus ornatus, which doesn't exactly look conspicuous in its appearance, but is supposed to scare away animals with its smell.
Piss off plant: She keeps these animals away
The small plant with the violet flowers is considered a cat and dog deterrent, 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 family. However, it is quite suitable for larger animals such as dogs and cats.
Piss off plant vs dogs
The Piss-You-Plant is particularly popular to prevent unwanted legacies left by strange dogs in the garden. The plant scares away dogs quite reliably up to several meters by its smell and thus acts as a biological deterrent.
Piss off plant against cats
In addition to dogs, cats also avoid the violet-flowering herb in the garden. But don't worry: the plants cannot harm the animals and only keep them out of the garden.
For more ways to keep cats and other unloved visitors out of your beds, see our article “Cat fright in the test“.
Piss off plant: This is how it keeps animals away
The plant doesn't exactly keep larger animals like 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 don't worry: the smell is hardly perceptible to humans and does not disturb the garden.
By the way: Due to its warm origin, the Piss-You plant is not hardy and should therefore not be planted out until May. In order for the plant to thrive, you can give a dose of mainly organic long-term fertilizer like ours when planting out Plantura organic universal fertilizer put in the planting hole.
Unfortunately, the piss off plant has no effect on insects. However, these plants do: we will provide you with the best ones Plants to repel mosquitoes in front.