Great Rose Companion Plants: Nepeta, Salvia and Lavandula

Roses need friends or companion plants around them for various reasons, including pest and disease control, longer season of interest, and aesthetics.

Growing roses by themselves is an open invitation to the pests and diseases that favor roses. Roses are healthier when provided with companion plants that help repel destructive bugs while encouraging beneficial insects. For instance, Alliums repel aphids, weevils, borers, and moles.  Geraniums repel Japanese beetles, aphids, and other rose beetles. Marigolds help repel harmful nematodes and many pests, etc.

​Highly placed among the favorite rose companion plants are Nepeta (Catmint), hardy Salvia (Sage), and Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender), whose exquisite flower heads contrast beautifully with the billowing pink, red, yellow, or white roses.

• Pest Control: All three plants have aromatic foliage that can deter common rose pests. Nepeta and Lavandula, in particular, are known to repel aphids, a common rose pest, while Salvia can deter some beetles and other pests.
• Disease Prevention: The strong scents of these plants can help prevent disease by deterring pest activity. Reduced pests mean less likelihood of diseases that pests often carry.
• Visual Appeal: These companion plants have their aesthetic appeal. Nepeta provides a soft, undulating base with its mounding habit and lavender-blue flowers. Salvia offers erect, dense spikes of purple, blue, or white flowers. Lavandula is known for its silvery foliage and fragrant purple flowers. These contrasting forms and colors can enhance the beauty of rose blooms.
• Cultural Requirements: Roses, Nepeta, Salvia, and Lavandula all prefer full sun and well-drained soil, making them compatible from a cultural perspective. They can be watered and fed on a similar schedule.
• Attracting Beneficial Insects: These plants attract beneficial insects to your garden, such as bees and butterflies, which help with pollination, and ladybugs, which naturally control pests like aphids.
• Habitat Diversity: A varied planting with roses, Nepeta, Salvia, and Lavandula creates a diverse habitat supporting a wider range of beneficial wildlife, contributing to a healthier and more balanced garden ecosystem.

Easy to grow, these perennials make the roses appear more vibrant than they would on their own, and cover the exposed knees of your rose bushes without covering their rose blooms. They are also proficient at keeping rabbits away (lavender and catmint) and flower just as the roses bloom, providing an attractive early and long-lasting display. Grown in mass plantings, they give great texture and make a lovely foil for the roses.