Rosemary thrives alongside sun-loving companions like cabbage, beans, carrots, and peppers. It pairs beautifully with Mediterranean herbs like oregano and sage. Avoid pairing rosemary with fennel, basil, or water-loving cucumbers to prevent competition and growth issues.
Rosemary is a perennial herb or shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, lavender, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae, along with basil, mint, sage, oregano, and thyme.
Rosemary is widely used as a culinary herb and in traditional medicine. It is also grown as an ornamental plant in gardens and is prized for its distinctive fragrance and essential oil, widely used in aromatherapy. Discover the key benefits of growing Rosemary in your garden.
Companion planting is an organic method of preventing or protecting plants from pests and diseases, attracting the right types of insects for pollination, enhancing nutrient uptake, and increasing crop production simply by growing specific plants near each other. In essence, companion planting helps bring a balanced ecosystem to your landscape, allowing nature to do its job.
Some plants can emit scents that either repel insects, attract them, or confuse insects or disease organisms in search of their favorite host plants. They make insects less likely to land on your garden vegetables.
Rosemary naturally repels cabbage loopers, bean beetles, carrot flies, mosquitoes, slugs, and snails.
Some plants help attract beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, bees, and butterflies, that pollinate and help control harmful bugs. Beneficial insects feed on common garden pests like aphids and caterpillars.
Rosemary flowers are a magnet for pollinators, drawing in bees, honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds.
Tall sun-loving plants offer shade to smaller shade-loving plants. This results in better products and can also potentially provide pest control. A good example is The Three Sisters Garden. Practiced by Native Americans thousands of years ago, this garden includes corn, beans, and squash. The tall corn provides shade for the lower squash but also stops the squash vine borer beetle.
Some plants can provide windbreaks and prevent soil erosion. Strong winds can damage gardens by removing mulch, topsoil, and eroding beds and hillsides. Rain can also cause severe damage by beating down young seedlings. By carefully selecting the right ground cover, you can help prevent soil erosion.
Some companion plants can physically support each other, reducing the need for staking. The example of planting corn, beans, and squash together applies here again. Corn provides tall stalks for the beans to climb so that they are not out-competed by sprawling squash vines.
Interplanting different crops greatly maximizes space and improves productivity in small gardens.
Some plants can subtly enhance the flavor of other plants. Most herbs have been found to enhance the flavor of fruits and vegetables grown nearby, and basil grown beside tomatoes is an excellent example. Similarly, chamomile has an aromatic scent that is believed to improve the growth and flavor of cabbage, cucumbers, and onions when grown beside them.
Some crops help fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and reduce fertilizer needs. Similarly, planting plants with different root structures together can aerate the soil and allow plants to pull nutrients from different parts of the soil. Not only can companion planting help your plants to grow better, but it also makes the vegetable garden more attractive thanks to the addition of colorful flowers that help or hinder nearby vegetables. Companion planting combines beauty and purpose to create an enjoyable, healthy environment.
Examples: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts.
Why: Rosemary’s strong fragrance masks the scent of brassicas, helping to deter cabbage moths and cabbage loopers. This natural protection reduces pest damage and promotes healthier crops.
Why: Rosemary’s aromatic oils help ward off Mexican bean beetles, protecting beans from leaf damage. They also have compatible growth habits and do not compete for soil nutrients.
Why: Rosemary repels carrot flies and other root pests. Its scent confuses harmful insects, leading to stronger, healthier carrots and parsnips and better yields.
Why: Rosemary’s strong scent helps repel common pepper pests such as aphids, spider mites, and other insects. Scientific experiments and gardening sources confirm that rosemary significantly reduces aphid numbers and reproduction on pepper plants, thanks to its volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Why: Sage and rosemary enjoy similar conditions—full sun and well-drained soil—and support each other’s growth. Sage is one of the few herbs that grows harmoniously alongside rosemary.
Why: Lavender, marjoram, oregano, and thyme are Mediterranean herbs that love the same dry, sunny conditions as rosemary. Together, they form a resilient, aromatic herb bed that attracts pollinators and helps conserve soil moisture.
Examples: Onions, garlic, and chives.
Why: They mutually enhance pest resistance, do not compete for resources, and thrive under similar growing conditions, making them ideal partners in both herb and vegetable gardens
Why: Rosemary’s pest-repelling scent protects strawberries from slugs and insects. Its deeper roots also help improve soil structure for shallow-rooted strawberries.
Why: Marigolds, alyssum, borage, and zinnia bring in beneficial insects and pollinators, while rosemary drives pests away. Together, they create a colorful, balanced garden ecosystem.
| Hardiness |
8 - 11 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
8 - 12 |
| Climate Zones | 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, H1, H2 |
| Plant Type | Herbs, Perennials, Shrubs |
| Plant Family | Lamiaceae |
| Genus | Rosmarinus, Salvia |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Spring (Early, Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter |
| Height | 2' - 6' (60cm - 180cm) |
| Spread | 2' - 5' (60cm - 150cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Fragrant, Showy, Evergreen |
| Tolerance | Deer, Drought, Dry Soil, Salt |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers, Ground Covers, Hedges And Screens |
| Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Coastal Garden, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Mediterranean Garden |
While rosemary pairs beautifully with many herbs and vegetables, some plants have very different needs and can actually hinder its growth. Here are the worst companions for rosemary and why they should be avoided:
Basil thrives in rich, consistently moist soil and requires frequent watering, which contrasts sharply with rosemary’s preference for dry, well-drained soils. Growing them together often leads to one or both plants struggling with inappropriate moisture levels.
Mint is a vigorous spreader that can quickly overtake a garden bed. It competes aggressively for space, sunlight, and nutrients, and prefers more moisture than rosemary tolerates. Keeping them apart helps prevent mint from overwhelming rosemary’s slower growth.
Tomatoes demand frequent watering and nutrient-rich soil, the opposite of rosemary’s dry, low-fertility preferences. Planted together, rosemary risks overwatering and root rot, while tomatoes may suffer from poor soil nutrition if rosemary dominates the area.
Like tomatoes, cucumbers require abundant water and rich, well-fed soil. Rosemary’s low water needs make them a poor match, and competition for moisture can stunt cucumber growth or endanger rosemary with excessive wetness.
Pumpkins love moist, fertile ground and sprawl aggressively across garden spaces. Their dense vines can smother smaller rosemary plants, and their need for consistent watering increases the risk of fungal diseases like powdery mildew around rosemary.
Fennel is allelopathic, meaning it releases chemicals into the soil that can inhibit the growth of nearby plants. It may stunt rosemary’s growth and attracts pests that could further damage delicate rosemary plants.
For the healthiest rosemary plants, stick to companions that share its love of full sun, dry soil, and low-maintenance care.
angelakatharina/Shutterstock
| Hardiness |
8 - 11 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones |
8 - 12 |
| Climate Zones | 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, H1, H2 |
| Plant Type | Herbs, Perennials, Shrubs |
| Plant Family | Lamiaceae |
| Genus | Rosmarinus, Salvia |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Season of Interest | Spring (Early, Mid, Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall, Winter |
| Height | 2' - 6' (60cm - 180cm) |
| Spread | 2' - 5' (60cm - 150cm) |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Fragrant, Showy, Evergreen |
| Tolerance | Deer, Drought, Dry Soil, Salt |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers, Ground Covers, Hedges And Screens |
| Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Coastal Garden, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Mediterranean Garden |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!
