Chart of Good and Bad Herb Neighbors
This is not an all-inclusive list.
It is the compilation of my searches
and includes only the herbs that are companions to what I want to grow. |
Common Name |
Effects on the Neighborhood (surrounding
plants) |
Basil |
Makes tomatoes taste better; dislikes rue intensely;
improves growth and flavor; repels flies and mosquitoes. |
Bee Balm |
Improves growth and flavor of tomatoes. Great for
attracting beneficial bugs and bees to the garden. A must in Butterfly Gardens. |
Borage |
Good with tomatoes, squash and strawberries; deters tomato
worm; improves growth and flavor. |
Caraway |
Attracts beneficial wasps and flies. Scatter throughout
the garden; loosens soil; and is good in the strawberry bed. |
Chamomile |
Improves growth and flavor of both cabbages and onions.
All Brassicas benefit from have Chamomile as a neighbor. |
Chives |
Improves growth and flavor of carrots; Don't plant
around beans and peas. |
Comfrey |
Accumulates calcium, phosphorous and potassium. Likes wet
spots to grow in. Comfrey is beneficial to most fruit trees. Excellent compost
activator. |
Dill |
Companion to cabbage; improves growth and health of
cabbage.
Warning - Attracts tomato hornworm! |
Flax |
Improves growth and flavor of carrots, potatoes, deters
potato bug. |
Garlic |
Plant near roses and raspberries; deters Japanese beetle;
improves growth and flavor |
Geranium |
Attracts
pests away from roses and grape vines; distracts beet leafhoppers.
Warning - keep away from plants like tomatoes, peppers & eggplant. |
Lemon Balm |
Scatter throughout garden. |
Marigolds |
They deter pests. Scatter throughout garden. The benefit
of French marigolds lasts years even after they are gone. |
Mint |
Improves growth and flavor of cabbage and tomatoes;
Peppermint particularly deters white cabbage moth. Spearmint for ants and aphids. |
Marjoram |
Improves growth and flavor of many plants. Scatter
throughout the garden. |
Nasturtium |
Companion to radishes, cabbage,
squash,
pumpkins, and cucumbers;
plant under fruit trees. Deters aphids, squash bugs, striped pumpkin beetles; improves
growth and flavor. |
Petunia |
Deters bugs on beans, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers,
asparagus. |
Pot marigold |
Also known as a Calendula officinalis. Companion to
tomatoes, but plant elsewhere in garden too. Deters asparagus beetle, tomato worm, and
general garden pests. |
Peppermint |
Planted among cabbages, it repels the white cabbage
butterfly. |
Rosemary |
Companion to cabbage, bean, carrots, and sage; deters
cabbage moth, many bean beetles, and carrot fly.
Warning - don't plant with Basil. |
Sage |
Plant with rosemary, cabbage, beans and carrots; keep away
from cucumbers. Deters cabbage moth, many bean beetles, carrot fly. |
Summer savory |
Plant with green beans and onions to improve growth and
flavor. Deters bean beetle. |
Tansy |
Plant under fruit trees; companion to roses and
raspberries. Deters flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash
bugs, ants.
Warning - toxic to cattle. |
Tarragon |
Good throughout garden. Its scent is disliked by most
pests, and this plant enhances the growth and flavor of crops grown with it. |
Thyme |
Scatter throughout the garden. Deters cabbage worm. |
Yarrow |
Plant in pots along borders, paths, near aromatic herbs;
enhances essential oil production. Warning - is an invasive plant |