Companion Planting Guide

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Companion Planting for Medicinal Herbs

Use beneficial plant relationships to improve growth and deter pests.

Benefits

  • Natural pest control
  • Improved pollination
  • Better space use
  • Enhanced growth

Herb Companions

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

  • Good with: Tomatoes, peppers, oregano
  • Avoid: Rue, sage
  • Benefits: Repels flies, aphids

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

  • Good with: Almost everything
  • Benefits: Attracts beneficials, deters pests

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)

  • Good with: Cabbage family, onions, most herbs
  • Known as: Plant doctor — helps struggling plants

Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

  • Good with: Roses, Mediterranean herbs
  • Benefits: Repels moths, fleas, flies

Mint (Mentha spp.)

  • Good with: Cabbage, tomatoes (nearby)
  • Benefits: Repels cabbage moths, aphids
  • Caution: Grow in containers — very invasive

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

  • Good with: Cabbage, beans, carrots, sage
  • Benefits: Deters cabbage moths, bean beetles

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

  • Good with: Rosemary, cabbage, carrots
  • Avoid: Cucumbers

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

  • Good with: Brassicas, strawberries
  • Benefits: Deters cabbage worms

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

  • Good with: Most plants
  • Benefits: Attracts beneficials, improves soil

Plants to Keep Apart

  • Fennel — Away from most plants
  • Dill and carrots — Attract same pests
  • Mint and parsley — Mint overwhelms

Design Tips

  • Border vegetable beds with herbs
  • Interplant flowering herbs for pollinators
  • Group by water needs
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