When beginning a herb garden or if you want something lush and lovely, rosemary is the herb to choose. Many other herbs and plants can be grown with rosemary as a companion plant.
Like many fragrant herbs, rosemary keeps pests away and promotes healthy growth in your garden.
However, if you are starting a herb garden, you will need to grow additional herbs in addition to rosemary. That begs the question, which herbs pair best with rosemary?
Not all vegetables or herbs are good companions for rosemary. Select the wrong companion, and you risk losing your priceless rosemary.
But first, let’s define the term “companion planting” before we look at the list of companion plants for rosemary.
What Is Companion Planting?
The act of cultivating two different plants in the same container is known as companion planting. A minimum of 6 to 12 inches should separate each plant from the next.
When companion planting, there are a few things to keep in mind. This can be accomplished only if the needs for light, water, and soil of both plants are similar.
People generally advise against planting herbs close to one another because they often compete with one another for water and nutrients.
But Some herbs can grow close to one another without creating a problem, though.
Rosemary’s Companion Plants
The following herbs can grow with rosemary as companion plants:
Lavender
Both lavender and rosemary are native to the Mediterranean region and thrive in hot climes.
With essentially equal care needs, including weekly watering and lots of suns, these two plants get along pretty well. Additionally, many different pollinators are attracted to both rosemary and lavender.
Chives
The vibrant hues of chives make for spectacular landscapes, and they also taste delicious.
In addition to that, they make an excellent companion for rosemary. When cultivated close, this herb is known to improve the flavor and growth of rosemary and to keep pests away from your rosemary.
Oregano
Low-growing oregano has lush, green foliage. It can be planted in planting zones 5 and up. The herb pile grows larger each year it returns, providing a soft charm to the growing area.
Growing oregano has the additional benefit that it pairs well with rosemary. Due to their comparable growing environments, these two plants do well together.
Thyme
If you decide to cultivate thyme and rosemary together, you might be happy with the results.
These plants grow in similar environments, and their perfumes work together to deter pests.
Thyme is a lovely herb to grow and is excellent for cooking. Keep in mind that thyme has a strong flavor and aroma when using it because a little can go a long way.
Sage
Sage’s distinctive foliage and flavor characteristics make it popular in herb gardens.
If you want to cultivate this herb in your yard, you might be happy to discover that it goes well with rosemary.
Due to the same growing conditions of the two plants, this herb thrives when grown with them. Additionally, sage is said to thrive and taste better when rosemary is present.
Alyssum
A beautiful flowering plant known as sweet alyssum is normally grown as an annual in most growing environments.
This plant prefers a warmer growth temperature because it is native to the Mediterranean region. Usually, this plant is appreciated for its aesthetic qualities and lovely little blossoms.
Alyssum, though, might make a wonderful addition to your rosemary plant. Your alyssum plants will benefit greatly from rosemary’s ability to repel undesirable pests.
Alyssum uses its blossoms to entice pollinators and other advantageous insects to the growing region in exchange.
Marjoram
Another herb with vibrant green foliage, this one brings life to whatever landscape it is planted in. Marjoram goes well with rosemary as well.
Marjoram is renowned for enhancing rosemary’s general health and for releasing a substance into the soil that, when ingested by rosemary, promotes better growth.
Marigold
This is a flowering herb. These plants are commonly used in gardens because they create brilliant colors and strong fragrances.
They create lovely row markers and their scent works wonders to keep pests away.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that marigolds go well with rosemary because of this.
The scents of both plants make it a terrific idea to cultivate them together in a private space or to group them together in a bigger environment.
Since most pests are turned off by their perfumes, they can defend one another and any nearby plants.
Strawberries
It’s a wise gardening move to plant strawberries and rosemary alongside. The fertility of these two plants will increase as a result of their companionship.
Strawberries are known to respond strongly to the companion plants around them, significantly enhancing their flavor among other effects.
Moreover, slugs and parasites frequently prey on strawberries.
But a plant with insect-repelling properties like rosemary would be able to defend the strawberry plant from a number of dangers while also boosting the pest resistance of the strawberries.
Brassicas
Plants in the brassica family do well with rosemary. Brassica plants frequently suffer from cabbage moth and specific butterfly attraction, which makes them vulnerable to caterpillar attacks.
But rosemary has a potent scent that hides the smell of brassicas and has pest-repelling properties.
Therefore, rosemary is quite effective in keeping insects out of your garden that wants to eat any of your plants.
Plants to Avoid Planting with Rosemary:
After looking at plants that grow well with rosemary, let’s move on to those that should be kept far away.
- Mint
- Basil
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Pumpkins
- Celery
- Aubergines
- Broad beans
- Sweet corn
- Runner beans
Conclusion
Every gardening enthusiast’s go-to technique is companion planting, but if you’re just getting started, you need to be cautious about the plants you cultivate together.
Rosemary is an adaptable plant and a good companion plant to many other plants. It supports and protects its partner plants.
However, there are some plants that it needs to be kept away from for sake of both plants.
