Rosemary companion plants are easy to grow, as they need only a few requirements to thrive—well-drained soils and a location that receives plenty of sunlight.

Rosemary Companion Plants for Garden

If you want a bountiful harvest from your garden, learn how to grow plants together. Companion planting gives you a generous yield and keeps pests and diseases away.

Take advantage of companion planting to maximize the space with the following crops.

👩🏻‍🎓 Scientific Reference

“Companion planting encourages biological pest control measures.”North Carolina State University

Top Best Rosemary Companion Plants

1. Chives

Blooming Flowers of Chives

Characteristics
  • perennial plant 
  • Tubular and hollow leaves inside with a green to gray color.
  • Blades of grass forming individual tussocks. 
  • Having a leek-like smell
Flowering
  • The flowers are violet to red and rarely white. 
  • Blooming between May and August. 
  • Providing nectar for pollinators.
Uses
  • Used as a garnish, best for fresh salads and herbal dips. 
  • Used as a medicinal herb for high blood pressure, bloating, coughs, gout, and other conditions.
Growing Season 
  • February to March. 
  • Flowering happens between May and August of the following year.

Chives are famous for successfully growing with various crops except for beans, they are known from growing with a big amount, and in botany they are called the Allium Schoenoprasum.

They are loved for enhancing the growth and taste of plants that it is paired with, as they would grow in from four to 12 inches tall and would start to shoot their blooms in early spring.

It also grows easily in most types of soil and requires low maintenance. Chives ward off the common aphid that loves to attack rosemary and also enhance the flavor of rosemary

2. Brassica 

Yellow Flowers of Brassica

Varieties 
  • Broccoli, cabbage, kale. 
  • Growing with the same growing conditions. 
Characteristics
  • Part of the mustard family or Brassicaceae. 
  • They are categorized as cruciferous vegetables and members of the cabbage family. 
  • They are the most commonly grown vegetables worldwide, with many nutritional benefits.
Health Benefits
  • Vitamin C, vitamin K, glucosinolates, and beta carotene. 
  • An excellent source of soluble fiber.
Growing Season
  • For some, like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, it’s best to start them indoors at the end of January. 
  • Mustard, collards, and kohlrabi outdoors late in March. 
  • Follow them with indoor sowing of Brussels sprouts in April.

Brassicas are commonly attacked by cabbage moth that causes a ton of damage within a short time. If not taken care of, these pests can wipe out your brassicas in a short time. 

These flies lay eggs on the brassicas that hatch into caterpillars called cabbage loopers or worms that can devour your entire garden in a few days. Growing brassicas and rosemary allow their aroma to camouflage the scent of brassicas, protecting them from these notorious pests.

These vegetables are of a big number, because they are family members of a big genus, which would include the care, the cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and so many others.

3. Lavender

Lavender Blossoms in Field

Characteristics
  • Shrub or bush that lasts a long time in the garden and attracts pollinators with attractive flowers.
  • Repelling a number of pests.
Uses
  • Producing essential oils. 
  • Herbal medicine. 
  • In flower arrangements.
Growing season
  • Planting lavender is best in the spring and fall. 
  • Plant through cuttings.
Care
  • Harvest the flowers promptly. 
  • Prune the shoots to encourage more growth.

Growing lavender and rosemary together is a win-win situation as they both have Mediterranean roots. These two plants enjoy almost the exact growing conditions. They also attract the same pollinators making them ideal for companion planting. 

When you are growing them, note that they have so many uses and benefits, you can place them in a vase whether they are fresh or even dry.

Moreover, you can also cultivate them and see the medicinal properties that this herb has. In addition, it is always an option to make essential oils that will be helpful and beneficial for the body and helping overcome insomnia. 

4. Beans

Growing Beans in Yard

Characteristics
  • Green, purple, yellow, red, or streaked varieties. 
  • They are easy to grow in a limited space with incredible productivity.
Growing season 
  • After the last frost date when the soil has warmed up 
  • 48 degrees Fahrenheit soil temperature.
  • Germination needed.
Care
  • Consistent irrigation. 
  • Fertilizing is needed.
  • Adequate sun is needed.

 

Beans are an excellent companion to rosemary because they improve the soil by fixing the nitrogen in the soil. No matter if they are bush beans or pole beans, they will all require a proper amount of sun in order to thrive and to produce legumes.

The Mexican bean beetle often attacks beans in Mexico and the United States. These pests eat up the leaves of beans, stripping them of the ability to carry out photosynthesis. Planting these two plants together helps mask the aroma of the beans with the spicy, earthy scent of the rosemary plants

When you are growing them remember that you need to fertilize them after heavy bloom and the setting of pods using compost manure which is an exceptional alternative to liquid fertilizer. Pinch off the tops of pole bean vines, so they can put energy into the pods instead of the vines.

5. Thyme

Purple Flowers of Thyme

Characteristics
  • Pungent odor. 
  • Culinary properties. 
  • Repels pests
Uses
Growing season
  • Early spring to sow.
  • Mid-spring to bloom.
Care
  • Provide moisture.
  • Drought tolerant.
  • Prune them regularly.

Thyme is a small perennial evergreen shrub from the Mediterranean region. Its leaves are green or variegated and densely covered in hairs. It has lilac, pink, or purple flowers and tiny brown fruits with one seed. 

On another note, when it is blooming its flower, they are ones that would provide nectar for bees for high-quality honey. Not only that but the leaves have essential oils that can manufacture perfume or toothpaste flavoring.

It is best to plant thyme in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Sow the seeds directly or propagate from cuttings. The best time to pick the leaves is early summer before the flowers have appeared. Mulch thyme plants to suppress the weeds and conserve soil moisture. 

Water is less frequent as it can withstand long periods of dryness. Thyme is a lovely herb companion to rosemary. These two enjoy the same conditions making them compatible choices and insect-repellant plants. If you add brassicas to a garden with these two plants, you will enjoy pest-free gardening. 

6. Carrots 

Farming Carrots Plants

Characteristics
  • Source of vitamin C.
  • They are a member of the Apiaceae family.
Varieties
  • Multiple colors.
  • Multiple sizes.
Growing season 
  • Sowing in April to June.
  • Harvesting in June to August.
Care 
  • Well draining soil.
  • Watering frequently.

Carrots are a cool season crop and an excellent source of vitamin A. They can be eaten raw or cooked and come in various colors, which would even include purple, in addition to this, they also come in various sizes, and shapes that include bolero, little finger, Danvers, or Nantes. If you want to try an unusual color, go for red cored chantenay or bright solar yellow.

Carrots are known as a little challenging to grow significantly in the wrong type of soil. However, with little effort, you can grow them starting from the spring season. Before planting your seeds directly in the garden, ensure the last frost date has passed and the soil is warm enough day and night.

Carrots grow easily and are only bothered by the carrot rust fly, a pest that loves to linger around these plants and destroy them. These pests use their sense of smell to find carrots and lay eggs in the surrounding soil.

These eggs hatch into larvae that feed on the carrots’ outer layers. Growing rosemary will release a strong scent that deters carrot rust flies with its strong smell of essential oils found in needle-like leaves.

Mulch the carrots to retain the moisture and block the sun from hitting the roots directly. In addition, you must provide an inch of water every week and fertilize them five to six weeks after sowing.

7. Alyssum 

White Flowers of Alyssum

Characteristics
  • Tiny flowers. 
  • Colorful flowers.
Growing season 
  • After frost passes.
  • After proper germination.
Care 
  • Moist soil.
  • Water less after maturing.
Best companion
  • fruit trees, and roses.
  • Lettuce, and tomato.

Allysum is the perfect flower to grow together with rosemary. They have pink, purple, salmon, yellow, and white blooms from June to October. They are tiny plants that grow up to three to six inches tall, producing clusters of small flowers in clumps. 

The best time to start your alyssum seeds is in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Sow the seeds directly into the soil and keep them moisturized until they germinate. Water alyssum well to settle the soil near the roots and keep it moist until well established. Provide less water after that but ensure it has enough to keep it growing.

It can grow beneath tall herbs or vegetables and be tucked into the corners of beds. It attracts wasps and other beneficial insects that are excellent for pollination, and rosemary repels any pests. Together, they make a team that protects your garden and keeps it pest-free.

8. Marigold

Blooming Marigolds in Garden

Characteristics
  • Clustered flowers.
  • Toxic to cats.
Types 
  • There are about 50 species.
  • Yellow and orange marigolds but are grown for medicinal purposes. 
Growing season 
  • It’s best to plant it early spring after the danger of frost has passed. 
  • Start them any time from spring to mid-summer.
Care 
  • Pruning it required 
  • Fertilize often
  • Water less after maturation

Marigolds have carnation or daisy-like flower heads that produce single or clustered flowers. Their leaves are finely cut and fernlike, with rich dark green foliage strongly scented and deer resistant. These flowers range from yellow and gold to red, orange, and mahogany, while some cultivars have bicolor, striped, white, or creamy blooms. 

Although there are a big number of their varieties, but three are the most common, namely: the French marigold, signet marigold, and African marigold. For instance the Mexican Terragon is an evergreen shrub grown for medicinal and culinary uses.

The best marigold companion plant is Rosemary.  Both have natural insect-repelling abilities that you can maximize in your vegetable garden to repel pests. 

In order to see them grow and establish themselves you must water them less frequently, allowing the soil to dry in between every irrigation. And remember that pruning the spent flowers to improve their appearance and encourage more blooms. On another note, add fertilizer during its active growth to boost foliage and flower growth.

Conclusion

Rosemary companion plants are all fantastic, including vegetables, herbs, and flowers. These ten viable options will do well in your garden; here are a few important points to remember.

  • When companion planting rosemary, it is best to ensure both can flourish in the same environment.
  • In most cases, rosemary supports the growth of its companion and protects it from harmful insects and pests.
  • Our favorite rosemary companion plants vegetables are brassica, carrots, and beans, as they grow organically without the risk of pests.
  • Good companions can greatly maximize your yields and keep your garden healthy and free from pests.

Rosemary companion plants should all have similar conditions to complement each other and help their growth and productivity. However, it’s important to avoid those with high water intake.

If you did not know what to plant with rosemary in container or garden, you now have a list you can choose from. Go ahead and grow your mixed garden of herbs and vegetables.

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