18 Great Companion Flowers for Vegetables (Complete Guide)

If you struggle with poor pollination or pest problems, try planting these beautiful companion flowers and you can have a healthier and more productive vegetable garden.

Flowers are a veggie gardener’s best kept secret. One of the best ways to increase a garden’s productivity is through companion planting flowers.

Those not in the know may think gardeners grow flowers just for their beauty, but flowers actually help our vegetable gardens thrive, too.

If you’ve seen a lush, healthy backyard garden packed with flowers and all kinds of vegetables and wondered how to get the same results, companion planting flowers could be the answer you’re looking for!

New to companion planting? Start with 9 practical reasons to grow flowers in your veggie patch to understand why this works so well.

What are Companion Flowers?

Companion flowers are flowering plants that are grown with vegetables to provide specific benefits.

They attract beneficial insects, confuse or repel pests, support pollinators, add beauty, and create biodiversity.

Unlike monoculture vegetable rows, companion planting with flowers mimics nature’s diversity. And it’s beautiful!

bumblebee visiting a zinnia in a vegetable garden with companion flowers

18 Great Companion Flowers for a Productive Vegetable Garden

I’ve divided the list into warm and cool seasons, so you can get a better idea of when to grow these companion flowers.

Warm-Season Companion Flowers

These types of flowers thrive in the warm summer months and will bloom until first frost if continuously deadheaded. Plant them after your last frost date alongside warm-season vegetables

Marigolds

Marigolds are known for their ability to repel a number of pests because of its strong smell. Its roots also emit a chemical that can repel nematodes, a pest that attacks the roots of vulnerable plants like tomatoes.

These cheerful, vibrant flowers are great companion flowers that are easy to grow, readily available as started plants or as seed, and will bloom prolifically until frost if kept deadheaded.

Start with marigolds if you are new to gardening and companion planting.

Best with: Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers

Zinnias

Few butterflies, bees, or hummingbirds can resist the magnetic pull of the zinnia.

Zinnias come in a variety of colors and sizes with new varieties now being bred every year. It’s such a versatile and easy to grow flower, both as a companion for vegetables and as a cut-flower for bouquets. I love this flower and have written a few posts all about zinnias here.

Best with: Peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers (match zinnia height to vegetable height for best look)

Sunflowers

Sunflowers easy to sow and grow and attracts bees with their huge flowers. Seed-loving birds like finches will enjoy feasting on your sunflower seeds if you leave the stalks after the flowers have bloomed. See my post on how to grow sunflowers for more info.

Best with: Beans (can grow on sunflower stalk), cucumbers, squash

Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are more of a trap crop in my garden. Trap crops are plants that you grow to attract pests and keep them off the plants that are more valuable to you. Aphids love the soft nasturtium stems, and they end up leaving my peas and other tender plants alone when companion-planted.

Nasturtium flowers, leaves, and immature seeds are all edible. The flowers and leaves have a peppery taste like arugula, and the seeds can be pickled and made into poor man’s capers.

Best with: Peas, beans, cabbage, tomatoes

Cosmos

Cosmos are very easy to grow and attracts pollinators with their bright colors and open centers. It tolerates poor soil and really doesn’t require much care beyond deadheading. I like growing the open-centered tall types because I like seeing their flower faces dancing and waving above the low-growing plants in the breeze.

See my post on how to grow cosmos for more info.

Best with: All vegetables (back of the border)

Celosia

There are three different kinds of celosia you can choose from—wheat, plume, and crest—and all of them should serve your garden well. I’ve grown all but the crested types, and the bees absolutely love them in my garden. Celosia is in the same plant family (amaranthaceae) as beets, amaranth, and spinach and the young leaves are edible.

Best with: Peppers, eggplant, okra, other heat-loving crops

Dahlias (Open-Centered)

If you really want to attract pollinators, choose open-centered dahlias which are easier for bees to reach the nectar and pollen. I love the fluffy blooms of other types of dahlias, but if you are growing dahlias primarily to benefit your vegetables, I would stick to the open-centered types. I’ve heard that dahlia tubers are edible, but I’ve never tried them. They really don’t look all that appealing to me anyway!

Browse my posts about growing dahlias here.

Best with: Melons, cantaloupe, watermelon, squash pumpkins

Pineapple Sage

Red flowers and a subtle pineapple scent mark pineapple sage as an excellent companion flower for vegetable gardens. I typically buy this plant already started at the nursery rather than growing from seed, but it grows quickly and can get big. Pineapple sage will flower all summer long, well into late summer and early fall if the weather holds, and its red flowers are beloved by hummingbirds and butterflies.

Best with: Kale (beautiful contrast), brassicas, peppers

Lavender

English lavender (lavandula angustifolia) is a perennial herb where I live in zone 6A, but Spanish lavender (lavandula stoechas) is an annual. Each type require slightly different care, but both enjoy drier conditions and make excellent and beautiful companions to plant around the garden. Lavender flowers are edible, as well as the leaves. You will want to harvest lavender buds to have the most potent flavor for baking, brewing, and cooking.

Try it in my lavender simple syrup recipe!

Best with: Cabbage, Mediterranean herbs like oregano

Anise Hyssop

Anise hyssop is a total bee magnet. The small flowers are a rich source of nectar for pollinators. There are quite a few beautiful varieties of this plant, so you can choose the one you like best. Almost all anise hyssop has spikes of small flowers, smells like licorice, can be made into tea, and is edible.

Best with: All vegetables

Cool-Season Companion Flowers

These flowers thrive in cool spring and fall conditions, and may go dormant during the heat of summer. Plant these companions alongside cool-season vegetables, such as radishes, carrots, cabbages, arugula, spinach, or beets.

Calendula

Calendula, also known as pot marigold, is easy to grow, repels pests, and attracts beneficial insects. It’s often used medicinally for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties which can help with eczema, rashes, and insect bites. Calendula will self-sow freely in many gardens, so remove the flowers once they begin going to seed if you don’t want calendula to re-grow in your garden. Though, honestly, it’s such a great plant, why wouldn’t you want it to re-grow?!

Best with: Ruby Red chard, Bulls’ Blood beets, brassicas (the bright flowers pop agains dark, bluish-green leaves)

Sweet Alyssum

Sweet alyssum is one of my favorite companion flowers. It’s edible, smells wonderful and is frost-tolerant, so you can plant it in early spring and expect it to bloom well into fall until first frost.

Sweet alyssum attracts all the tiny pollinators and also beneficial insects such as ladybugs and hoverflies which feed on pest insects. Allow it to spill over the sides of your raised beds and it will look amazing all season long. I cannot say enough about sweet alyssum; it’s one of my favorite companion flowers!

Best with: Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, pretty much anything

Bachelor’s Buttons

Bachelor’s buttons, or cornflower, grows well in the cool spring and draws in bees because of its early bloom time. Plant these in winter to get the earliest spring blooms and pair with cool-season vegetables like radishes or carrots.

Bachelor’s buttons are a welcome sight in my garden, adding color in that awkward in-between season where spring plants are nearly spent, but summer plants haven’t begun to take off yet. Plan to remove bachelor’s buttons when the weather warms as it will die in the heat.

Best with: Radishes, carrots, lettuce

Dill

Allow your dill to flower and you’ll be reward by all the beneficial insects swarming in to fight the bad buggies. Dill self-seeds and grows throughout the spring and summer for me. If you don’t want dill to self-sow, remove the flowers once they start setting seeds. Flowers and seeds (and of course the leaves) are edible.

Best with: Cucumbers (supposed to improve flavor), cabbage, lettuce

Borage

Borage has an edible flower that tastes like cucumbers. It grows a long taproot and needs to be direct-sown, but the benefit is that the taproot can help break up hard soil. To reap its benefits, be sure to leave the taproot in the soil when the plant is finished growing by cutting the plant off at soil level. Like dill, it freely self-sows, so remove spent flowers if you don’t want it to reseed.

Best with: Tomatoes, squash, strawberries

Violas or Pansies

These classic cool-season flowers are a welcome sight in any spring garden. It’s easy to start violas and pansies from seed, but they are also readily available at nurseries in the springtime. Plant these among your vegetables to add color and diversity to your garden beds. I typically remove mine once the weather warms and relocate to a pot. The flowers go dormant in the heat, but begin to bloom again in the fall.

Best with: All spring vegetables, especially brassicas

Bee Balm

Bee balm can be grown as a perennial or annual and, as the name implies, is a bee magnet. Grow this colorful flower to add beauty and attract pollinators to your garden.

Best with: All vegetables, especially perennials

Cilantro

Here’s another herb that you can allow to flower in your garden to attract beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps. Cilantro grows best in cool weather, but bolts, or goes to seed, once the weather warms up. Instead of pulling out your cilantro, allow it to flower to encourage beneficial insects to stay in your garden. You can also allow the flowers to set seed and collect the seed to use as a spice known as coriander in your kitchen.

Best with: Spinach, lettuce, brassicas

Best Companion Flowers for Specific Vegetables

For Tomatoes

Basil, marigolds, nasturtiums, borage, calendula, sweet alyssum. See my complete guide to companion planting for tomatoes for detailed instructions and layout ideas.

For Peppers

Zinnias (match heights for visual appeal), marigolds, celosia, pineapple sage, sweet alyssum. The bright flowers create a stunning display alongside colorful peppers.

For Cucumbers

Dill (supposedly improves flavor), nasturtiums, sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds. Nasturtiums work especially well rambling at the base of cucumber trellises.

For Squash and Pumpkins

Marigolds (combat squash bugs), nasturtiums, dahlias, sunflowers. Open-centered dahlias provide shade for soil, reducing water needs.

For Brassicas (Cabbage, Broccoli, Kale, Cauliflower)

Sweet alyssum, calendula, nasturtiums (trap crop for aphids), violas/pansies, pineapple sage. The combination of alyssum beneath cabbages is particularly effective.

For Lettuce and Greens

Sweet alyssum, calendula, bachelor’s buttons, cilantro. All cool-season flowers that thrive alongside spring and fall salad crops.

For Beans and Peas

Nasturtiums, sunflowers (pole beans climb them), cosmos. Nasturtiums protect tender pea shoots from aphids.

For Root Vegetables (Carrots, Beets, Radishes)

Bachelor’s buttons, calendula, sweet alyssum. These don’t compete for soil space with underground crops.

spiky red pineapple sage flowers contrasting with blue-green kale leaves; beneath, sweet alyssum mingling with oregano and chives in the corners

My Favorite Flower and Vegetable Combos

Some flowers and vegetables just look and grow great together. The colors just pop when the plants are next to each other, or the plants contrast and add a lot of texture in the garden bed. Try it out for yourself!

Here are some pairings that I’ve tried and enjoyed in my own garden.

Short marigolds beneath tall tomatoes – Plant 8-10 inches from tomato stem after removing lower tomato leaves
Sweet alyssum with brassicas – Frost-tolerant flowers with frost-tolerant vegetables
Lacinato kale with pineapple sage – Red flowers contrast gorgeously with blue-green leaves
Yellow/orange calendula with Ruby Red chard or Bulls’ Blood beets – Dark leaves make bright flowers pop
Zinnias with peppers – Match zinnia color and height to pepper variety for stunning effect
Nasturtiums with pole beans on vertical trellis – Nasturtiums ramble at bottom, beans climb above
Dill with cucumbers – Traditional pairing that supposedly improves cucumber flavor
Violas/pansies with cabbage in containers – Perfect for spring potager pots
Dahlias with melons – Open-centered dahlias shade soil beneath sprawling melon vines

bright orange marigolds companion planted with basil with dark purple leaves

Tips for Planting Companion Flowers

As you begin planning your garden, here are some helpful tips and best practices for planting companion flowers with vegetables.

Pair by season: Grow warm-season flowers with warm-season vegetables; cool-season flowers with cool-season vegetables.
Consider heights: Plant short flowers in the understory of tall vegetables (marigolds beneath tomatoes), or use tall flowers as backdrops.
Think about color: Pair complementary colors (orange flowers with purple cabbage) or contrasting textures (spiky sage with broad kale leaves).
Grow vertically: Use tall flowers like sunflowers as living trellises for climbing vegetables.
Match water needs: Don’t plant water-hungry flowers next to drought-tolerant vegetables.
Leave roots in soil: When removing spent plants, cut at soil level rather than pulling roots. Decomposing roots feed soil organisms.
Deadhead regularly: Most flowers bloom longer when spent blooms are removed.
Use pots for flexibility: Keep some flowers in containers so you can move them around for color pops or fill gaps.
Space properly: Follow seed packet spacing guidelines. Crowding leads to poor airflow and disease.
Start small: Choose 2-3 companion flowers your first year. Observe what works in your specific garden, then expand.

Your Flowers and Vegetables Want to Grow Together

There are so many great reasons to companion plant flowers and vegetables together in your potager or vegetable garden. You’ll be adding beauty, attracting beneficial insects, increasing pollinator activity, enjoying edible flowers, and experiencing overall healthier plants as a result.

I personally get excited thinking about what flowers and vegetables will look and perform well together, and I have so many ideas I hope to try this coming year.

Do you feel inspired to add more flowers to your vegetable garden? Or do you have experience with a great flower and vegetable combination? I’d love to hear about it!

Leave a comment below and tell me what you’re excited to plant this year or share your go-to companion plants.