Companion planting with the best rose companions enhances garden health and beauty. Aromatic plants like lavender and marigolds naturally deter pests, while pollinator-friendly options attract beneficial insects. Nutrient-boosting plants like lupines and living mulch options like creeping thyme enrich soil, suppress weeds, and ensure roses thrive in a harmonious environment.
Roses are often the centerpiece of the garden, but even the most stunning blooms can benefit from thoughtful companion planting. The right companions not only enhance the visual appeal of your rose garden but also play a crucial role in promoting its health and resilience. From natural pest control to improving soil fertility and extending the blooming season, companion plants offer a range of benefits. Let’s explore why companion planting is essential for creating a thriving, harmonious rose garden.
Growing roses in isolation makes them vulnerable to pests and diseases. Companion plants act as natural allies, repelling harmful insects like aphids and beetles or attracting beneficial predators such as ladybugs and lacewings. Aromatic plants like garlic, marigolds, and lavender naturally deter pests, reducing the need for chemical interventions and promoting a balanced ecosystem.
Companion plants ensure year-round garden vibrancy by filling the gaps between rose bloom cycles. Early-season plants like crocus and grape hyacinths provide color before roses bloom, while late-season perennials like Russian sage or anise-hyssop keep your garden lively well into fall. These carefully chosen companions ensure continuous interest and beauty throughout the seasons.
Complementary plants enhance the elegance of roses with contrasting textures, colors, and forms. Lavender and catmint create soft, feathery backdrops, while tall spires like foxgloves or delphiniums add vertical interest. Together, these combinations create stunning, harmonious displays that elevate the visual appeal of any rose garden.
Companion plants can significantly improve soil health. Deep-rooted plants like comfrey draw nutrients from the subsoil, enriching the topsoil where roses thrive. Nitrogen-fixing plants like lupines boost soil fertility while low-growing plants like creeping thyme and lady’s mantle act as living mulch. These companions suppress weeds, retain soil moisture, and regulate temperature, ensuring healthier, more robust roses.
Certain plants release natural compounds through their leaves, flowers, or roots, deterring common rose pests. Including these allies in your rose garden can significantly reduce pest pressure:
Allium is a genus of flowering plants that includes a variety of species, such as garlic, onions, leeks, and chives. These plants are known for their strong, pungent aroma and are widely used in cooking, especially in cuisines around the world.
Allium plants are also known for their insect-repelling properties and are often planted in gardens to keep insects at bay. Their strong scent repels aphids, Japanese beetles, mosquitoes, and other pests, making it a natural and effective alternative to chemical insecticides. Alliums are excellent companion plants for roses and among the best spring flowers to spruce up your garden.
Geraniums are treasured for their vibrant blooms, easy maintenance, and versatility. Their cheerful blue, purple, or pink flowers beautifully complement the hues of roses, creating a visually striking display. Their low-growing habit makes them an excellent ground cover, filling the spaces between rose bushes and concealing the often bare lower stems of roses.
Beyond their aesthetic appeal, geraniums are natural garden protectors. Their aromatic foliage deters common rose pests, including Japanese beetles, aphids, and rose beetles, reducing the need for chemical interventions. This makes them an eco-friendly choice for maintaining a healthy garden. Additionally, their dense foliage acts as a natural mulch, improving soil moisture retention, suppressing weeds, and enhancing overall soil health.
Marigolds are showy flowering plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae), native to the Americas, but have been widely cultivated and naturalized in other parts of the world. These annuals or perennials produce a profusion of vibrant yellow, orange, or red blooms. Their aromatic foliage helps repel pests, making them popular companion plants. Marigolds repel many pests, including aphids, and nematodes that can wreak havoc on plant roots. They also naturally repel pests such as deer and rabbits since they find their odor offensive.
Marigolds also attract various beneficial insects to the garden, including ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies, which feed on aphids and other common garden pests. They are also a good choice for gardeners who want to attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies or create a butterfly garden.
Salvia is a versatile companion plant for roses, offering pest control, beneficial insect attraction, and visual harmony in the garden. Its aromatic foliage deters aphids and Japanese beetles, while its nectar-rich flowers invite pollinators and predatory insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps. Salvia’s upright growth improves airflow around roses, reducing fungal diseases such as black spot. With vibrant spikes of blue, purple, or red flowers, Salvia complements the warm tones of roses, enhancing both health and beauty.
Lavender is native to the Mediterranean region but has been widely cultivated in other parts of the world for its fragrant, attractive flowers and essential oils. The silvery, feathery foliage of lavender pairs beautifully with roses, creating a striking visual contrast while adding its own fragrant appeal to the garden.
Lavender is known for its insect-repelling properties, effectively deterring aphids and other pests that can harm roses. Additionally, its nectar-rich blooms attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, making it an excellent companion plant.
Roses, Geranium, and Lady’s Mantle
Companion plants play a vital role in supporting a balanced ecosystem in your rose garden by attracting predatory insects that naturally control pests. Here are some excellent plants to pair with roses for pest management:
Native to Europe, Asia, and North America, yarrow is a hardy perennial known for its feathery, aromatic foliage and clusters of flat-topped flowers in shades of yellow, white, pink, and red. Blooming from late spring to late summer, it thrives in a variety of conditions, including poor, dry soils, making it a low-maintenance choice for gardeners. Yarrow is a versatile plant, often used in wildflower meadows, cottage gardens, and as a border filler.
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Achillea is valued for its role in supporting a healthy garden ecosystem. It attracts beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps, which prey on aphids and other soft-bodied pests that commonly attack roses.
Native to Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa, Catmint is a perennial herbaceous plant that features soft, aromatic, gray-green foliage and spikes of small, lavender-blue flowers that bloom profusely from late spring to early fall. Known for its drought tolerance and ability to thrive in various soil conditions, Catmint is a favorite in cottage gardens, borders, and pollinator-friendly spaces.
Catmint is a powerful ally for roses, both for its pest-repelling and pollinator-attracting properties. It draws lacewings and hoverflies, beneficial insects that feed on aphids and help protect roses from infestations. Additionally, its distinctive scent deters rabbits that might nibble on your plants.
Globe Thistle is a striking perennial known for its spherical, steel-blue blooms and spiny foliage. Ideal for garden beds and borders, it adds architectural interest and pairs beautifully with roses. Beyond its visual appeal, Globe Thistle is a powerhouse for attracting beneficial insects like hoverflies. These natural predators feast on aphids and other pests that can plague roses, reducing the need for chemical interventions. Hardy and drought-tolerant, this low-maintenance plant thrives in similar conditions to roses, making it an ideal companion.
The Blue Mist Shrub is a compact, deciduous shrub that produces delicate clusters of lavender-blue flowers from late summer to fall. Known for its long bloom season, it creates a harmonious backdrop for rose bushes. Blue Mist Shrub is particularly effective at attracting hoverflies, natural predators of aphids and other pests that threaten roses. This easy-to-grow, low-maintenance shrub thrives in sunny, well-drained locations and enhances the health and beauty of rose gardens while providing vital pest control.
Fiddleneck is an exceptional companion plant for roses, offering both practical and aesthetic benefits. Its nectar-rich, bell-shaped flowers attract pollinators like bumblebees and honeybees, while also luring hoverflies whose larvae feed on aphids and other common rose pests. This natural pest control reduces the need for chemical interventions. Additionally, Phacelia’s fibrous root system improves soil structure and captures excess nitrates and phosphates, enhancing soil health. Beyond its functionality, Phacelia adds ornamental value with its delicate, long-lasting blooms.
Native to Europe and the Mediterranean, Parsley is a bushy biennial forming a dense rosette of rich green, triangular, aromatic leaves finely divided into curly or flat leaflets. Rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and B, and minerals, including potassium, iron, copper, and manganese, parsley is cultivated worldwide for its aromatic edible leaves. It is one of the most popular herbs for growing at home in gardens and containers.
Parsley attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies, ladybugs, and predatory wasps, which feed on aphids, a notorious pest of roses.
Rosa ‘Teasing Georgia’, Achillea ‘Paprika’
Roses are undeniably show-stopping when in bloom, but their dormant periods can leave gaps in the garden’s visual appeal. Companion planting offers a solution by filling these gaps with vibrant color, texture, and structure throughout the seasons, ensuring that your rose garden remains lively and enchanting year-round.
Underplanting your rose bush with a succession of flowers will reinforce the beauty of their romantic blooms and extend the flowering season of your rose garden.
Underplanting roses with spring bulbs provides early-season interest before roses take center stage. These companions ensure a burst of color in the garden when roses are still waking up:
As the seasons progress, low-growing perennials and annuals create a continuous display of charm, filling the space around rose bushes when their blooms have faded. These companions add texture and color to your garden while complementing roses:
Anise-Hyssop is a perennial with aromatic foliage and tall spikes of lavender to purple flowers, blooming from summer to early fall. Its nectar-rich blooms attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, making it a valuable companion for roses. The plant’s vertical growth adds height and interest to rose beds. Hardy and drought-tolerant, Anise-Hyssop thrives in sunny conditions and complements roses with its vibrant color and ability to support garden biodiversity.
Russian Sage is a hardy perennial known for its silvery-gray foliage and airy spires of lavender-purple flowers that bloom from midsummer to fall. Its delicate, wispy appearance creates a sense of movement and contrast against the structured blooms of roses. This drought-tolerant plant thrives in sunny locations and requires minimal maintenance. The soft, cool hues of Russian Sage harmonize beautifully with roses, adding elegance and depth to mixed borders or garden beds.
Million Bells is an annual with a profusion of small, trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom continuously from late spring to frost. Available in a variety of colors, it is perfect for edging rose beds or spilling over containers and hanging baskets near roses. This low-maintenance plant adds vibrant accents and softens garden edges. Million Bells’ trailing habit and cheerful blooms complement roses beautifully, enhancing the overall garden design while requiring minimal care.
Verbena is an annual or perennial (depending on the variety) that produces clusters of tiny, vibrant flowers in a range of colors, blooming from late spring to frost. Its long-lasting blooms attract pollinators such as butterflies and bees, creating a lively garden environment. Verbena’s spreading growth habit makes it an excellent groundcover, filling gaps around rose bushes and suppressing weeds. Thriving in full sun, it pairs seamlessly with roses, adding extended seasonal color and visual appeal to garden beds.
Pairing climbing roses with clematis is a timeless combination that ensures continuous color and vertical interest. If both roses and clematis bloom during the same period, you get twice the flower power and enrich the color palette of one single garden spot. If you select roses and clematis with different flowering periods, you will be extending their spectacular color show over a longer period of time. In both cases, you win!
Companion plants enhance the visual appeal of roses through complementary textures, colors, and forms. While roses are captivating on their own, pairing them with thoughtfully chosen plants creates a harmonious and dynamic visual effect.
Delphinium is a perennial known for its tall, majestic spikes of blue, purple, pink, or white flowers, blooming from early summer to fall. These towering blooms provide dramatic vertical interest and contrast beautifully with the rounded forms of rose blossoms. The cool hues of delphiniums complement warm-toned roses, creating a balanced and visually striking garden display. Ideal for mixed borders, delphiniums enhance the elegance of rose beds and contribute to a romantic, cottage-style garden aesthetic.
Foxgloves are biennials or short-lived perennials that produce tall spires of bell-shaped flowers in pastel shades, blooming from late spring to midsummer. Their soft, ethereal appearance pairs wonderfully with roses, offering a layered and textured look. The vertical growth of foxgloves adds height and structure to rose gardens, while their delicate flowers contrast with the boldness of rose blooms. Perfect for cottage or wildlife-friendly gardens, foxgloves bring charm and sophistication to any rose planting scheme.
Lady’s Mantle is a perennial with soft, scalloped, lime-green foliage and airy clusters of chartreuse flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer. Its low-growing habit complements the vibrant hues of roses, acting as a neutral base that allows the blooms to stand out. The plant’s lush foliage also hides the bare legs of roses, creating a more polished and cohesive appearance. Additionally, its rounded leaves catch dew, adding a magical touch to the garden. Perfect for edging rose beds, Lady’s Mantle enhances both the aesthetic and functional aspects of a rose garden.
Garden Phlox is an excellent companion plant for roses, offering both aesthetic and practical benefits. Its tall, colorful flower clusters, blooming from summer to early fall, provide vertical interest and a charming cottage-style appeal to rose gardens. The fragrant blooms attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, enhancing rose health and pollination. With vibrant hues of pink, purple, white, or red, Garden Phlox creates a striking contrast with roses while seamlessly sharing similar growing conditions like full sun and well-draining soil. Additionally, its extended bloom time ensures consistent garden color when roses are between bloom cycles.
Roses, Rose Campion, Geranium, Allium
Companion plants play a vital role in enhancing soil health, creating a fertile and supportive environment for your roses to flourish. Among the best allies for soil improvement are nitrogen-fixing plants and living mulch plants, which bring unique benefits to your garden.
Nitrogen-fixing plants significantly enhance soil fertility by capturing nitrogen from the atmosphere and converting it into a form that nearby plants, like roses, can readily absorb. This natural nutrient boost promotes vigorous growth and prolific blooming, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Living mulch plants serve as a protective and functional groundcover around roses. These low-growing companions suppress weeds, conserve moisture, and regulate soil temperature, creating stable conditions for root health and reducing garden maintenance. Additionally, as they decompose, they add organic matter to the soil, further enriching it and supporting long-term plant vitality.
Together, these plant types not only improve soil quality but also support robust rose growth, making them invaluable additions to any garden.
Lupine is a striking perennial known for its tall, spiky clusters of pea-shaped flowers in vibrant shades of blue, purple, pink, and white, blooming from late spring to early summer. This nitrogen-fixing plant improves soil fertility by enriching it with nitrogen, benefiting roses and other nearby plants. Its deep taproots aerate and stabilize the soil, reducing compaction and erosion. Additionally, Lupine attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies, enhancing the ecological balance and beauty of any rose garden.
Baptisia is a hardy perennial prized for its striking, lupine-like flowers in shades of blue, white, or yellow. Its deep roots improve soil structure, while its nitrogen-fixing ability enriches the surrounding soil, providing essential nutrients for nearby roses. Baptisia thrives in full sun and is low-maintenance, making it ideal for enriching rose gardens. By improving soil fertility and reducing the need for supplemental fertilizers, it supports healthier rose growth while adding vibrant vertical interest.
Euphorbia is an excellent companion for roses, providing both practical and aesthetic benefits. Its dense growth habit naturally suppresses weeds, reducing competition for nutrients, while its foliage decomposes to enrich the soil with essential organic matter. Acting as living mulch, Euphorbia helps retain soil moisture and regulate temperature, ensuring roses receive consistent hydration. Its vibrant green foliage and unique, colorful bracts create a striking contrast to rose blooms, enhancing the overall beauty of the garden while supporting healthy, thriving plants.
Creeping Thyme is a low-growing perennial herb known for its dense mat of aromatic foliage and tiny, lavender to pink flowers that bloom from late spring to early summer. Ideal for ground cover, it thrives in sunny, well-drained areas and requires minimal care. Its spreading habit helps suppress weeds, improve soil moisture retention, and reduce soil erosion. Additionally, its fragrant leaves help deter rabbits, while the flowers attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies, making it an excellent companion for roses.
Native to the Mediterranean region, Borage is a spreading annual boasting a profusion of open racemes of beautiful, star-shaped, bright blue flowers from early summer to the first frost. The flowers are also edible with a fresh cucumber flavor. Borage is an excellent companion plant in the garden, adding trace minerals to the soil and aiding any plants it is interplanted with by increasing their resistance to pests and disease. It also attracts a wide variety of beneficial insects, such as parasitic wasps, hoverflies, and lacewings, which prey on garden pests. Borage is a magnet for bees, honeybees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
Roses, Salvia, Catmint, and Lady’s Mantle
Thoughtful companion planting is essential for maintaining the health and beauty of your rose garden. Follow these practical guidelines to ensure your roses and their companions thrive together:
There is a wide variety of companion plants that can enhance the beauty and health of your roses while sharing their space in perfect harmony. Whether ornamental grasses, perennials, annuals, or shrubs, ensure your selections align with the specific growing requirements of your roses.
Roses perform best in full sun, well-drained soil, and under moderate care. To create a harmonious garden, choose companion plants with similar growing needs:
For companions to thrive alongside roses, they should respond well to the same care routine:
Roses do not like too much competition and it is recommended to surround them with plants that are not too aggressive or invasive as they might overpower your roses.
Companion plants should be planted at least 12 inches (30 cm) away from your roses so that their roots are not disturbed
Make sure you maintain good air circulation to prevent attacks from insects and diseases.
Roses, Peonies, Salvia, and Foxgloves
| Hardiness |
4 - 10 |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Roses |
| Plant Family | Rosaceae |
| Genus | Rosa, Rosa - English Rose, Rosa - Floribunda Rose, Rosa - Grandiflora Rose, Rosa - Hybrid Tea Rose, Rosa - Shrub Rose |
| Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
| Season of Interest | Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall |
| Maintenance | Average |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Showy |
| Attracts | Butterflies, Bees |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders, Underplanting Roses And Shrubs |
| Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Formal Garden, Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden |
* Pictures are courtesy of David Austin
| Hardiness |
4 - 10 |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Roses |
| Plant Family | Rosaceae |
| Genus | Rosa, Rosa - English Rose, Rosa - Floribunda Rose, Rosa - Grandiflora Rose, Rosa - Hybrid Tea Rose, Rosa - Shrub Rose |
| Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
| Season of Interest | Spring (Late), Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall |
| Maintenance | Average |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Showy |
| Attracts | Butterflies, Bees |
| Landscaping Ideas | Beds And Borders, Underplanting Roses And Shrubs |
| Garden Styles | City and Courtyard, Formal Garden, Informal and Cottage, Traditional 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!
