Don't Plant Your Lavender Without One of These 20 Companion Plants Nearby (2024)

Gardening

Perennials

• 01 of 20

  Thyme

  

  Similar to lavender, thyme is a low-maintenance plant that can be used as a cooking herb. It has a creeping growth habit and makes a great ground cover around the base of taller stalks of lavender.

  • Name:Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:5-9
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Sandy, loamy
    

• 02 of 20

  Sage

  

  See Also

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  Sage and lavender are both native to the Mediterranean, where they flourish in sunny, stony habitats. Both plants have similar water needs and strong scents, with different textures and colors that look appealing in a garden together.

  • Name:Sage (Salvia officinalis)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:4-10
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Sandy, loamy, well-drained

• 03 of 20

  Rosemary

  

  Shrublike with woody stems, rosemary and lavender are similar in appearance and have similar growing needs. They both have strong scents that can help deter pests, making them great additions to any vegetable garden.

  • Name:Rosemary (Salviarosmarinus)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:8-10
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Sandy, loamy, well-drained

• 04 of 20

  Oregano

  

  Oregano is a low-maintenance herb that grows well next to lavender and repels aphids and small flies that could potentially damage your lavender plant. If you allow it to flower, oregano will also grow deep purple flowers.

  • Name:Oregano (Origanumspp.)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:4-10
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Well-drained

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• 05 of 20

  Yarrow

  

  If you want to attract bees and other pollinators to your garden, it's important to choose flowers of different shapes and colors. Yarrow is a great choice to complement lavender, as also thrives in full sun and is a drought-tolerant perennial. It comes in a variety of colors, including purple, white, yellow, pink, orange, and red.

  • Name:Yarrow (Achilleamillefolium)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:3-9
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Well-drained

• 06 of 20

  African Daisy

  

  The African Daisy is a tender perennial that has daisy-like flowers that come in an array of colors—purple, pink, yellow, orange, and white. Plant it in your garden bed as a filler or ground cover around your lavender plants. It will produce blooms continuously from spring to fall, even after your lavender plants have stopped flowering.

  • Name:African daisy (Osteospermumspp.)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:10-11
  • Light:Full sun, partial sun
  • Soil:Moist, well-drained

• 07 of 20

  Roses

  

  Roses and lavender are a classic garden pairing for good reason. They both produce fragrant flowers, love the sun, and grow well in most conditions and USDA hardiness zones. Roses tend to attract aphids, while lavender attracts ladybugs, which feast on the unwanted pests.

  • Name:Rose (Rosaspp.)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:2-11
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Loamy, well-drained

• 08 of 20

  Coneflower

  

  Purple coneflower, orEchinacea purpurea,is by the most popular variety of coneflower, but coneflowers come in a variety of colors and forms. They bloom around the same time as lavender, and their flowers look beautiful together in ornamental flower beds.

  • Name:Coneflower, echinacea (Echinacea spp.)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:3-8
  • Light:Full sun, partial sun
  • Soil:Well-drained

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• 09 of 20

  Red Hot Poker

  

  The cool-toned flowers and foliage of lavender balances out the bright, warm hues of red hot poker, which produces show-stopping flower spikes in red, orange, and yellow colors. Both red hot poker and lavender thrive in heat and sunlight.

  • Name:Red hot poker, torch lily, Devil's poker (Kniphofia)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:5-9
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Well-drained

• 10 of 20

  Zinnia

  

  Zinnias are colorful, cheerful, and present a great visual contrast to lavender in a garden. And like lavender, these sun-loving annual flowers are loved by all kinds of pollinators.

  • Name:Zinnia (Zinniaelegans)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:3-10
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Well-drained

• 11 of 20

  Red Valerian

  

  An ideal companion plant for lavender, red valerian (also known as spur valerian) is a drought-tolerant perennial with one of the longest blooming seasons. Its clusters of deep red flowers supply butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds with nectar all summer long.

  • Name:Red valerian, spur valerian (Centranthus ruber)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:5-8
  • Light:Full sun, partial sun
  • Soil:Well-drained

• 12 of 20

  Blue Fescue

  

  For a grassy companion plant for lavender, consider planing blue fescue. This silvery-blue ornamental grass has the same growing requirements as lavender and adds an attractive textured interruption in your garden.

  • Name:Blue fescue, blue fescue grass (Festuca glauca)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:4-8
  • Light:Full sun, partial sun
  • Soil:Moist, well-drained

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• 13 of 20

  Strawberries

  

  Planting lavender near fruit trees and bushes can help improve fruit production, as it attracts important pollinators while also repelling unwanted pests. When planted next to strawberries, the scent of lavender can help repel slugs, rabbits, and deer.

  • Name:Strawberry, garden strawberry (Fragariaxananassa)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:4-9
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Loamy, well-drained

• 14 of 20

  Bell Peppers

  

  While peppers are self-fertile, meaning they can fruit without cross-pollination, visits to their flowers by pollinators such as bees can improve the fruit set and size. One way to boost your pepper harvest and invite pollinators to your garden is by planting lavender.

  • Name:Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:9-11
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Loamy, well-drained

• 15 of 20

  Jasmine

  

  The scents of jasmine and lavender complement each other beautifully. Both plants thrive in full sun, and lavender's aromas can help repel the aphids and whiteflies that jasmine tends to attract.

  • Name:Jasmine (Jasminus)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:8-11
  • Light:Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil:Well-drained

• 16 of 20

  Black-Eyed Susan

  

  Black-eyed Susans are a quintessential late-summer garden flower. The easy-care plant produces golden daisy-like flowers that look like a pop of sunshine, and are often planted as companion plants for lavender, echinacea, and sage.

  • Name:Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:3-9
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Moist, well-drained

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• 17 of 20

  Catmint

  

  While its lavender-blue flowers and bushy shape make it similar in appearance to lavender, catmint is a more cold hardy perennial. They both love full sun and well-drained soil, and are great additions to any low-maintenance garden.

  • Name:Catmint (Nepetaspp.)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:4-8
  • Light:Full sun, partial sun
  • Soil:Well-drained

• 18 of 20

  Sedum

  

  These low-maintenance plants have a low growth habit and produce flowers that come in red, pink, yellow, and white colors. As a ground cover, sedum can fill in the spaces around lavender quite nicely.

  • Name:Sedum, stonecrop (Sedumspp.)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:3-10
  • Light:Full sun, partial sun
  • Soil:Sandy, loamy, well-drained

• 19 of 20

  Oleander

  

  This warm-climate landscape plant blooms year-round and tolerates sun, heat, and drought. Its showy, fragrant flowers contrast nicely with lavender's spiky blooms.

  • Name:Oleander (Nerium oleander)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:8-10
  • Light:Full sun, partial sun
  • Soil:Sandy, loamy, neutral acidic

• 20 of 20

  Alliums

  

  Alliums, commonly referred to as ornamental onions, are an onion relative grown from bulbs. These fast-growing plants grow tall and have showy globe-shaped flowers, which contrast with the spiky tips of lavender blooms. Plant alliums to fill in gaps around your lavender plants.

  • Name:Ornamental onions (Allium)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:4-10
  • Light:Full sun
  • Soil:Well-drained