15 Flowers That Are Perfect Companion Plants for Your Vegetable Garden

Improve the taste and quantity of your harvest by adding these colorful blooms to your garden.

Many beautiful pink petunias bloom in spring in the botanical garden. Flowers as a background for advertising. Summer bloom.
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Oleksandr Shchus / Getty Images

Companion planting is the key to creating a thriving vegetable garden. The practice of growing mutually beneficial plants next to one another, companion planting can keep pests and diseases at bay, improve flavor, fix nitrogen in the soil, and so much more.

But the best companion plant for a vegetable isn't always another vegetable. Many flowers make wonderful companion plants by repelling pests, attracting pollinators that increase harvest, and providing shade to sun-sensitive plants. Not to mention, they look great while doing so.

Here, we're sharing the flowers experts say make great companions to your vegetables. Some of them are even edible—making them a perfect fit for your backyard kitchen garden.

01 of 15

Zinnia

Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)
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Place colorful zinnias (Zinnia elegans) among your vegetables for better pollination and soil health, says Laura Walsh of Oasis Forage Products. "Zinnias are colorful, long-lasting flowers that attract pollinators like butterflies and bees. Their vibrant blooms add beauty to the garden while also attracting beneficial insects," she says. "They can also indirectly benefit soil health by attracting beneficial microbes and fungi." Zinnias also attract ladybugs, which are natural predators for garden pests.

  • Zones: 3 to 10
  • Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 8 to 10 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil
02 of 15

Purple Coneflower

closeup of pink coneflowers with orange centers in garden against green leaves

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The pretty petals and contrasting centers of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) can boost the health of your vegetable garden. "Echinacea, also known as coneflower, is a perennial flower with colorful daisy-like blooms that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, which can enhance the yield of vegetables through improved pollination," says Walsh. "Its aromatic foliage may also help repel some pests."

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 36 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun to part shade; well-draining soil
03 of 15

Lavender

Lavender in a field

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While you may be drawn to lavender's (Lavandula spp.) iconic hue and instantly recognizable fragrance, garden pests have the opposite response. "Lavender repels pests like mosquitoes, flies, and moths," says Walsh. Even more good news: The plant attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that ensure your garden turns out a bountiful harvest.

  • Zones: 5 to 9
  • Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 36 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun to part shade; well-drained, slightly alkaline soil
04 of 15

Chamomile

White chamomile in blossom

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Chamomile's (Matricaria chamomilla) feather-like leaves and tiny flowers are a dainty complement to your vegetable garden. "Chamomile attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and predatory wasps, which prey on garden pests. It can also be used as a natural fungicide," says Walsh. You may want to harvest it, too: "It is known for its calming properties and is commonly used in teas and herbal remedies," she says.

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 6 to 24 inches tall x 6 to 24 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil
05 of 15

Petunia

petunias
Narinnate Mekkajorn / Getty Images

Petunias (Petunia spp.) come in a rainbow of shades, so whether you want them to stand out or blend in against your tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, there's a hue that will work. They are known for being low-maintenance, prolific bloomers. "Petunias attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, which can enhance the yield of vegetables," says Walsh.

  • Zones: 2 to 11
  • Size: 6 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil
06 of 15

Marigolds

Marigolds

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Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) beautify your landscape with their colorful blooms, while other qualities help your vegetables. "Marigolds are known for their ability to repel nematodes and other garden pests," says Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of Park Seed's From Seed to Spoon app. "Marigolds repel pests like grasshoppers, aphids, and spider mites, and some gardeners also believe that marigolds improve the flavor of nearby vegetables."

Eric Preston Stout, a certified master gardener and landscaper, recommends planting marigolds alongside tomatoes. "Marigolds can attract bees, ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps that help control pests like aphids," he says. "The essential oils in marigolds can also repel the moths that lay tomato hornworms."

  • Zones: 2 to 11
  • Size: 6 to 36 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil
07 of 15

Calendula

Calendula

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Layers of tiny petals on yellow or orange calendula (Calendula officinalis) are a colorful, edible addition to your vegetable plot. "Calendula is prized for its medicinal properties and culinary uses," says Spoonemore. "It attracts pollinators and beneficial insects like hoverflies and ladybugs; its strong scent may also deter pests like aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies."

  • Zones: 2 to 11
  • Size: 12 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil
08 of 15

Cosmos

magenta, pink, and white cosmos flowers with yellow centers, brown stems and green feathery leaves in garden

Jacky Parker Photography/Getty Images

Pink, white, and red cosmos (Cosmos spp.) are known for their airy foliage and prolific flowering, says Spoonemore. But they also improve your garden by attracting pollinators and warding off harmful insects. "They help deter pests such as aphids, flea beetles, spider mites, and thrips," says Spoonemore. "Cosmos can also contribute to soil health by attracting beneficial soil microbes and fungi."

  • Zones: 2 to 11
  • Size: 12 to 48 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil
09 of 15

Sunflowers

Helianthus annuus or sunflower is an annual plant in the family Asteraceae.

John Lawson / Getty Images

Towering sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are an eye-catching addition to any yard. "Sunflowers are tall annual flowers with large, vibrant blooms that follow the sun throughout the day," says Spoonemore. "They provide shade and support for taller vegetables like tomatoes and pole beans, and attract pollinators like bees and butterflies." Consider their snack-ready seeds a natural addition to your backyard food garden.

  • Zones: 2 to 11
  • Size: 2 to 16 feet tall x 12 to 36 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil
10 of 15

Hibiscus

Hibiscus Disco Belle Pink

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Hibiscus (Hibiscus spp.) are most famous for the large, colorful flowers associated with warm-weather climates, but some members of this diverse family of annuals and perennials also attract bees and butterflies, says Spoonemore. "In some cases, hibiscus plants can provide shade for certain vegetable crops that prefer cooler temperatures or part shade," she says.

  • Zones: 4 to 11
  • Size: 2 to 16 feet tall, depending on variety
  • Care requirements: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil
11 of 15

Nasturtiums

Nasturtium flowers

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In addition to adding flavor to salads and baked goods, nasturtiums (Tropaeolum spp.)—known for their edible, peppery petals—also discourage aphids, squash bugs, and white flies from making your plants their home. They also attract ladybugs and other helpful insects, says Alex Betz, landscape designer with Plant by Number. "Nasturtiums also thrive in poor soils and can help improve soil quality over time," he says.

When planted alongside kale and tomatoes, "Nasturtiums act as a decoy crop, attracting aphids away from the more desirable edibles," says Stout. "Once the nasturtium plant has attracted aphids, it is removed from the garden before the aphid young develop wings."

  • Zones: 2 to 11
  • Size: 6 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil
12 of 15

Bee Balm

Bee balm plant

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Bee Balm (Monarda spp.), also known as bergamot, is a perennial flower with showy blooms in shades of red, pink, purple, and white, says Betz. "It attracts pollinators, which enhances the yield of vegetables through improved pollination, and its aromatic foliage may also help repel some pests," he says.

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 12 to 48 inches tall x 12 to 48 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; moist, well-drained soil
13 of 15

Alyssum

Sweet alyssum flowers
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At just a few inches tall, alyssum (Lobularia maritima) won't fight your vegetables for space, but it will attract predatory insects that keep your garden free from aphids and spider mites. "Alyssum is a low-growing flower with clusters of tiny blooms in white, pink, or purple," says Betz. "It forms dense mats of flowers and attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and lacewings."

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 3 to 6 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil
14 of 15

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace
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The intricate, lace blooms that give Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) its name provide a perfect spot for predatory insects to create a home. "Queen Anne's lace is an excellent habitat for small predator wasps that lay their eggs in the bodies of aphids," says Stout. "Parasitic wasps are a beneficial insect that kills aphids and other foreign insect pests."

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 12 to 48 inches tall x 12 to 48 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil
15 of 15

Mint

Mint plant, fresh green mint or mentha spicata, UK
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So long as its kept in containers, growing any kind of mint (Mentha) in your garden is always a good choice, as it provides a fragrant flowering herb to dry or use fresh. The plant also repels ants and cabbage moths, says Stout, which protects the rest of your harvest from these insects. Note: mint is a fast-grower that can take over the landscape, so it should always be grown as a potted plant.

  • Zones: 3 to 10
  • Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x up to 8 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil
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