10 Pest-Repelling Herbs That Make Great Companion Plants

Chives

Chives are easy to grow and an absolute spring delight. These tasty—and wonderfully aromatic—alliums are super hardy and seem determined to grow no matter what. Chives are useful as an added flavor punch to salads, potato dishes, breads, and deviled eggs. The rich, colorful chive blossoms are highly attractive to pollinators—while the classic pungent allium odor can help discourage pests like aphids—not to mention slimy slugs!

• Zones: Perennial to zone 3
• Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall x 12 to 18 inches wide
• Care requirements: Rich, well-drained soil; full sun

Basil

This glossy-leafed herb packs an aromatic punch along with its tasty culinary uses. But basil can also play an interesting role in garden pest control, especially when planted near tomatoes. “Basil attracts parasitoid wasps which then lay their eggs in the cabbage white caterpillar,” says Debra Knapke, horticulturist and author of The Garden Sage. “So [growing basil] is an instance of supporting biological controls in the garden. Basil seems especially attractive to the braconid wasp that parasitizes the tobacco and tomato hornworms, which can eat a lot of a tomato plant.” She explains that basil itself doesn’t actually repel pests like cabbage white butterflies, hawkmoth moths, sphinx moths, or their caterpillars. Instead, the goal is to use basil to attract the natural predators of these pests. 

• Zones: Annual, can overwinter in zones 10 to 11
• Mature size: 12 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Well-drained soil; full sun; likes containers

Rosemary

This member of the mint family has a unique appearance—the sprigs look a little bit like a miniature conifer tree. The distinct fragrance of rosemary also attracts pollinators. Rosemary has plenty of uses in the kitchen, but it’s useful in the garden to help repel cabbage moths, so consider planting near brassicas. 

• Zones: 7 to 8, or grown as an annual 
• Mature size: 36 inches tall x 36 to 48 inches wide
• Care requirements: Moist soil; full sun

Dill

Some members of the Apiaceae family are notoriously tricky to grow, but that’s not the case with dill. It’s an easy-going plant with lots of culinary uses and plenty of beauty to add to the garden. It’s an important host plant for swallowtail caterpillars while at the same time effectively repelling cabbage moths. “I have not seen cabbage moths on the parsley-celery family herbs like dill, fennel, and cilantro,” says Knapke. “I have those species in abundance in my garden because they are also excellent attractors of braconid wasps which includes Cotesia glomerata.”

• Zones: Perennial in zones 8 to 10; annual in zones 3 to 7
• Mature size: 2 to 5 feet tall
• Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil

Sage

An attractive herb with gorgeous leaves and an interesting texture, sage is always a welcome ingredient in soups, stews, Thanksgiving stuffing, sausages, and even bread. But this aromatic plant can also double as a pest control, potentially discouraging an array of beetles, snails, and those pesky cabbage moths. 

• Zones: Varies by variety: 4 to 9
• Mature size: 12 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Well-drained soil; full sun

Mint

Mint is easy to grow—maybe a little too easy to grow. It easily spreads into areas of the garden beyond your original intent. “I either plant it in a place where it can take over an area and yet stay contained from my other garden beds or plant it in a container,” says Jennifer Ott, landscaping consultant, garden coach, and owner of My Thyme Gardens. “[Mint] is definitely one I think long and hard about introducing to a space,” she adds. Ott sometimes plants lesser calamint (Calamintha nepeta) instead. “Great scent, still fairly effective at repelling quite a few pests (plus those deer and rabbits), and they are not as aggressive in the garden,” she says.

• Zones: 3 to 9
• Mature size: 12 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Moist, slightly acidic soil; full sun

Parsley

You probably know parsley best as a garnish, but it's also used in soups, salads, with fish and poultry, and in chimichurri. In the garden, parsley is a handy aphid repeller and, when planted near your asparagus, can help prevent asparagus beetles from invading—along with a whole host of other insect pests. “I even started using parsley and thyme in my annual containers,” says Ott. “The parsley is [to attract] the swallowtails, and it helps with aphids too.”

• Zones: 4 to 9
• Mature size: About 12 inches tall x 10 inches wide
• Care requirements: Well-drained soil; partial to full sun

Thyme

If you’re looking for a truly lovely herb, try thyme. It’s charming and beautiful, abundantly useful in the kitchen, and easy to grow. And it’s useful against pests! “Silver thyme provides a great contrast to my gardens, so that checks a color feature, plus the light lavender flower is stunning too,” says Ott. “I use this along the borders of beds to deter rabbits and deer; it also helps with hornworms, mosquitoes, and whiteflies. The other magic happens below the ground. It actually calls in the earthworms. They need the antifungal properties the roots produce, and in turn, the worms leave behind their rich fertilizer feeding the thyme (and the rest of the garden).” 

• Zones: Perennial to zone 4
• Mature size: Up to 12 inches; makes an excellent groundcover
• Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil

Lavender

Lavender is one of those fragrant herbs that sees perhaps more use as an ingredient in cosmetic products than in food. In your garden, lavender can provide a wonderful aesthetic addition, and it’s known for repelling mosquitoes. (What’s not to like?!)

• Zones: 5 to 9
• Mature size: 12 to 30 inches tall x 24 to 36 inches wide
• Care requirements: Well-drained soil; full sun

Trap Crops

Here’s one more idea you can use to help with insect pest control—plant a “trap”  or “sacrificial” plant. Instead of planting companion herbs to deter pests, you plant a crop that will attract them—and then you let them go ahead and enjoy it. The idea is to keep the pests occupied with the trap crop in hopes that they won’t bother your “real” crops as much. 

“One of my favorite trap plants is nasturtium, an annual that has edible leaves and flowers. They are excellent aphid attractors,” says Knapke. She adds that, while not an herb, radishes are also incredibly easy to use as a trap crop. “They are great for being a decoy for the cabbage white butterfly and for being an indicator that the larvae are present in the garden,” she says. “Radishes also attract the cabbage fly which lays its eggs which hatch into maggots on the radish instead of one’s preferred brassicas.”

An important point for trap plants: plant them at least 8 to 12 feet away from the plants you’re trying to protect.