What Herbs Can Be Planted Together: A Guide to Companion Planting

Companion planting herbs allows plants to deter pests, enhance pollination, and improve soil health, Daniel Powers, founder of The Botanical Institute, says. It also leads to a lusher and a more aromatic garden all season long,

“As long as you pay attention to plant families, the size of your chosen herbs, their heat tolerance and sun requirements, and if they are annual or perennial, you can mix and match according to your preferred flavors, garden space and climate,” Tanja Eskildsen, an adaptation gardener and owner of the seed shop, Perennial Vegetables, says.

To find out what herbs can be planted together, read on to learn about 14 possible herb combinations.

Meet the Experts

• Daniel Powers is the founder of The Botanical Institute.

• Tanja Eskildsen is an adaptation gardener and owner of the seed shop, Perennial Vegetables,

Herbs That Can Be Planted Together

Chives and Parsley

Some herbs when grown together can boost each other’s flavor. Planting chives near parsley, for example, can improve parsley’s overall taste, as chives offer a more pungent tang to parsley.

Powers explains how chives also help repel aphids and beetles which will benefit delicate parsley plants.

Lavender and Rosemary

Lavender and rosemary offer splendid blooms and love the same growing conditions: full sun and well-drained soil. So, growing these plants together is ideal because you won't need to worry about having to complete two different growing methods. Meanwhile, the pretty flowers usher in a pop of color to your garden.

Basil and Oregano

According to Powers, both plants can keep away pests. Basil can help repel mosquitoes, spider mites, and aphids. While oregano also has a strong scent that keeps pests away.

“Both plants enjoy similar growing conditions too,” Powers says.

Chives and Rosemary

Sometimes herbs should be planted together because they have different root depths. This includes chives and rosemary, Powers says. By having differing root depths, both plants won't need to compete for resources like water.

Sage and Thyme

Thyme is a good companion plant with almost all herbs, but especially sage because both prefer less water. Thyme likes fast-draining soil whereas sage prefers drought-like conditions.

Lavender and Sage

Both plants prefer dry and sunny growing conditions, which is perfect because not many herbs thrive in hot climates and handle less water, Eskildsen explains. At the same time, lavender can also help repel animals such as deer and rabbits that like to nibble on sage, making these two plants even better for each other.

Marjoram and Basil

Occasionally, one plant might support the other more.

Marjoram, for example, can improve the flavor and growth of basil, Powers says. Marjoram is a herb with a sweet citrus smell and taste, so growing it next to basil can make basil taste a bit sweeter. However, both herbs can create a more aromatic environment in a common vegetable garden, discouraging pests in the process. Thus, either plant can make a great addition to the garden.

Cilantro and Dill

Cilantro and dill can both attract beneficial insects like pollinators and predatory insects that control pest populations for each other, Powers says. For example, hoverflies are drawn to cilantro, and their larvae eat aphids, a common antagonist in any healthy garden.

Parsley and Chervil

Parsley, a flowering herb, and chervil, a member of the parsley family, are good garden companions because they like similar growing conditions.

“Parsley can help enhance chervil’s growth and flavor, as they enjoy similar light and water conditions,” Powers says.

Thyme and Rosemary

Thyme and rosemary, both Mediterranean plants, thrive in dry, well-drained soil. Being planted together can help create a microclimate that suits their needs, Powers says. Not to mention, thyme repels cabbage worms and other pests of common garden plants.

Dill and Chives

Chives, like onions, have a pungent smell and taste, which repels pests like aphids, a common garden bug. Meanwhile, dill’s yellow flowers will draw in pollinators like butterflies and bees to your garden.

Together, these herbs make a great team repelling and attracting different insects to your garden.

Tarragon and Oregano

Tarragon and oregano are both herbs with dainty flowers that offer lots of aroma. While both are indeed aesthetically pleasing, these two plants also prefer the same sun exposure and soil conditions, making them great companion plants in the garden.

“These two plants can also benefit from each other’s presence by repelling a variety of pests due to their strong scents,” Powers says.

Garlic and Rosemary

Rosemary strengthens garlic’s flavor. Not to mention, both herbs also have a strong scent that deters many garden pests. These herbs also require the same soil conditions, so there's no need to maintain the plants in different flower beds.

Since garlic loves sunshine and less water, rosemary makes for a great companion plant because it can quickly adapt and thrive.

Marjoram and Chives

Approximating the smell and appearance of green onions, chives have smaller flowers and leaves. This means they need less space in the garden while their strong odor repels many pests from the rest of your garden plants. Meanwhile, the citrus flavor of marjoram subtly sweetens the chives’ flavor.

What Herbs Shouldn’t Be Planted Together

• Mint and most garden plants: According to Powers, mint can be incredibly invasive and can quickly overtake neighboring plants, robbing them of space, nutrients, and water. If you choose to grow mint, keep it in a separate container.

• Fennel and most herbs: Fennel is unfriendly to most other plants because it secretes a substance that can inhibit the growth of other plants around it, Powers says. It’s best to plant this herb away from others.

• Cilantro and Tarragon: These herbs prefer different growing conditions. For example, cilantro likes cooler temperatures and can flower quickly in warmer weather, while tarragon thrives in warm, dry conditions, Powers says. Planting these herbs together can make it difficult to keep each herb happy.

• Basil and Sage: These plants prefer different soil conditions. Basil loves moist soil and more frequent watering, while sage prefers well-drained, drier soil. Powers explains. Growing these together makes it so neither receives its optimal growing conditions.

• Peppermint and Parsley: Peppermint, like mint, tends to take over with a sprawling root system. This is why peppermint can overwhelm parsley, a single-root plant.

• Lemon balm and most garden plants: According to Eskildsen, lemon balm is an aggressive grower and will dominate a space.

Additional Tips for a Thriving Herb Garden

Know the Final Size of Your Herbs

Some herbs grow into tall bushes and others stay low to the ground, Eskildsen says. Eskildsen recommends planting your tallest herbs in the background and the smaller ones in front or around it. This will help make sure each plant has enough light and make harvesting a lot easier.

Identify If It's an Annual or Perennial

“Some herbs you only need to plant once and others you plant every season,” Eskildsen says.

To help organize your herb garden, it’s good to know if your herbs will grow in the same spot for many years or only one season, meaning it will have to be switched out for another herb eventually.

Mix Shade and Sun-Loving Plants Appropriately

Eskildsen explains how sun-loving and shade-tolerant plants grow well together as long as you plant the shade-tolerant plants under a taller sun-loving plant.

“The foliage of the taller herb will gently shade the herb underneath allowing you maximum use of garden space," Eskildsen says.

Frequently Asked Questions

What herbs should be mixed together?

If you are unsure, stick with herbs from the same plant family.

“When companion planting, try to mix [family plants] to increase biodiversity and minimize pest pressure,” Eskildsen says.

Different insects like different plants, so mixing from the same family can keep your garden pest and disease-free while making sure the plants are compatible in the garden.

Can I plant all my herbs together?

Not always. For example, mint and lemon balm both tend to take over a garden since they are aggressive growers. They will quickly dominate a space and outcompete their companions for light, space, and water, Eskildsen says.

However, this can be fixed through picking and harvesting frequently. So just be sure to follow your herbs’ special care guides.

Read Next: 21 Best (and 7 Worst) Companion Plants for Tomatoes

Read the original article on The Spruce.