Companion Plants by group: Herbs, Flowers, Trees, Vegetables, Berries, Fruit and Mushrooms
Herbs draw beneficial insects and especially bees for pollination.
Herbs form an important part of companion planting and are included in every plant guild. The other essential members of a plant guild are insectary plants, nitrogen or nutrient accumulators (which many herbs are too), green manure crops, ground covers and vertical climbers.
Buy The Medicine Garden Companion Plants eBook. It is a simple reference guide organized into eight categories with an alphabetical listing. It includes Herbs, Berries, Fruit, Flowers, Vegetables, Trees, Plants, and Mushrooms.
Companion Planting is an integral part of permaculture and a holistic approach to gardening where you plant different crops in proximity to maximize the use of space, providing nutrients, shade, or support, increasing crop productivity, attracting beneficial insects, pest control, repelling pests, pollination, and providing a space for beneficial creatures. The concept is an ongoing process of living and learning with nature and increasing biodiversity to support a sustainable ecosystem.
Below is a quick reference guide for companion planting with herbs:
| Name | Good Companions | Not a Companion |
|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa | Can benefit most plants (especially fruit trees and grape vines) that need rich soil due to its ability to improve nitrogen, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium. | Tomatoes, fava beans. |
| Angelica | Nettle and other herbs with similar growing conditions. | Dill. |
| Anise | Many plants including herbs, specifically coriander. Peppers, eggplant, courgettes, lettuce, kale, cabbage and beans. | |
| Basil | Tomato, peppers, oregano, asparagus, petunias, grapes, most plants that enjoy similar soil and watering. | Common rue, sage, thyme. |
| Borage | Almost everything, especially beans, strawberry, eggplant, cucumber, squash, fruit trees, tomatoes and cabbage. | |
| Caraway | Strawberries and other shallow rooted plants, peas, radishes, beetroot, beans, corn. | Dill, fennel. |
| Catnip | Eggplant. Repels various insects so worth experimenting with. | |
| Chamomile | Most herbs, improved the flavour of brassicas, cucumber, wheat, onion. Said to increase the oil production of other herbs. Improves the soil. | |
| Chervil | Radishes, lettuce and broccoli for improved growth and flavor. Keeps aphids off lettuce. Easy to plant with other semi-shade loving plants. | |
| Chives | Apple, peach and apricot trees, carrots, grapes, roses, tomatoes, brassica family, melons, peppers, lettuce, pumpkin, spinach and many others as it repels cabbage worms, carrot fly, aphids, mites and nematodes. | |
| Comfrey | A fantastic companion to any garden because it accumulates calcium, phosphorous and potassium. Enjoys wet spots to grow in. Specifically helps avocado and other fruit trees. A great compost activator. | |
| Coriander | Anise, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, tomato, beans, peas, potatoes, nasturtiums, corn, catmint and roses. | Dill and carrot (due to cross-pollination). |
| Dill | Brassicas, broccoli, cabbage, corn, eggplant, fennel, lettuce, onions, cucumbers. Especially beneficial for the brassicas family and lettuces. | Carrots, tomatoes, caraway, lavender and coriander. |
| Fennel | Grow fennel with flowers, away from the vegetable garden. Can also be grown with calamint but not considered a great companion plant. | Various including beans, caraway, coriander, dill, kohlrabi and tomatoes. |
| Flax | Carrots and potatoes. | Various, requires investigation for verification. |
| Garlic | Tarragon (encourages growth), peas, vetch, brassicas, beets, roses, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, celery, parsley, Chinese cabbage, potatoes, fruit and citrus trees. | Grapes (said to affect their growth if planted too close) and strawberries. |
| Hyssop | Brassicas, cabbages and grapes. | Radishes. |
| Lavender | All plants can benefit from lavender, especially chamomile, lettuce, brassicas, onions, tomatoes, oregano, thyme, marjoram, sage, rosemary, basil, lemon balm, squash, olive and fruit trees. | Not compatible with plants that need allot of water and shade. |
| Lemon Balm | Like Borage this is a great plant in the garden as it draws bees for increased pollination and therefore yields. All mint family plants, basil, oregano, chives, tomatoes, lettuce, okra, cabbage, carrots, radishes, squashes, berries, fruit trees, cantaloupe, watermelon, marjoram, sage, thyme and parsley. | |
| Lemon Grass | Lemon grass is excellent when used as a border / edge crop to frame herb and vegetable gardens. | |
| Lemon Verbena | A great companion plant, grows quite big so best used as a edge crop of a backdrop to vegetables and herbs. Goes well with alfalfa, lemon grass, fruit trees and other herbs. | |
| Lovage | Lovage is a really good companion to most plants, especially beans, eggplant, chilies, green peppers, peas, and also works well as a border / edge crop, as a backdrop to the garden. | Rhubarb |
| Marjoram | Easy to grow and liked by most herbs and vegetables, especially eggplant, carrots, cucumber, peppers, loofahs, pumpkins, radish, strawberries and tomatoes. Said to improve the flavour of many. | |
| Mint | Brassica family especially, peppers, carrots, strawberries, flowers and tomatoes. Careful where you plant it because it becomes invasive so it works best on the edges where you can control it. Clippings work well to repel insects and other pests. Plant with marigolds. | Parsley, chamomile. |
| Oregano | Tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, cabbage, cucumbers, cauliflower, grapes and many other plants. Especially good to grow under plants that do not like the soil drying out such as peppers. | |
| Parsley | Asparagus, corn, beans, broccoli, carrots, celery, kale, lettuces, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, apple and other fruit trees, roses. | Some alliums, mint. |
| Peppermint | Alliums, brassicas, cabbage, peas, tomatoes – in general the same as mint. | Parsley, camomile. |
| Rosemary | Vegetable and herb gardens love rosemary. Plant close to cabbages, beans, brassicas, carrots, thyme and sage. | |
| Rue | Roses, fruits trees (in particular figs), raspberries and lavender. | Cucumbers, cabbage, basil and sage. |
| Sage | Brassicas, rosemary, grape vine, kale, cabbage, beans, Brussels sprouts, carrots, strawberry, tomato, marjoram. | Alliums, common rue. |
| Spearmint | Alliums, brassicas, cabbage, peas, tomatoes – in general the same as mint. | Parsley, camomile. |
| Stinging nettle | Chamomile, mint, broccoli, tomatoes, valerian, angelica, marjoram, sage and peppermint. Teas / sprays made from these are rich in silica and calcium and can be used to invigorate any plants. | |
| Tarragon | All vegetables and throughout the garden. | |
| Thyme | Lavender, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, onion, sage, tomato, eggplant, salad burnet, potatoes and strawberries. | |
| Valerian | Other herbs, mints, bee balm, chamomile, calendula and other flowers. | |
| Wormwood (Artemisia) | Brassicas, carrots but best used as a border plant because it is toxic. Sprays can also deter insects and pests but do not use it on edible plants. | Anise, beans, caraway, fennel, peas and sage. |
| Yarrow | Calabashes, cucumbers, lemon verbena, marjoram and oregano, corn, melons, roses, tomatoes. Most plants, especially aromatic ones because it is said to increase oil production. Also improves the soil and can be used as a natural fertaliser like comfrey. |
Companion Plants by group: Herbs, Flowers, Trees, Vegetables, Berries, Fruit and Mushrooms
QUICK LINKS: Companion Plants online, Companion Plants eBook, Growing Guides, Basic Preparations, Plant Constituents, Plants for Bees – South African Calendar.