Chamomile Companion Plants – The Complete List

Choosing which plants to have in your garden can be exciting and nerve-wracking. You want to be sure that the plants you have won’t compete for resources and will work well together in the same soil. That’s why finding companion plants is so important.

Some of the best companion plants for chamomile include cucumbers, peppers, and potatoes just to name a few. These companion plants will help your chamomile grow and thrive, which is why it’s so important to know the best plants to grow alongside your chamomile. 

Are you curious about which plants make good companions to chamomile? Our detailed guide will give you a list of suitable companion plants for chamomile and explain just what makes them such good neighbors. 

Cucumbers

Gardeners are frequently pairing up cucumbers and chamomile. It’s a beneficial relationship because the scent of the chamomile plant will help attract helpful insects like ladybugs and hoverflies. Those insects will help keep away aphids and other problematic pests that can cause severe damage to your cucumber crop.

Peppers

Chamomile is an excellent companion plant for peppers. The natural aroma that chamomile produces will attract helpful pollinators to the area, which will help your peppers produce large, healthy fruits. Your peppers will also benefit from chamomile’s anti-fungal properties. The anti-fungal properties will help prevent your pepper plants from developing nasty diseases like blossom-end rot or blight.

Potatoes

Potatoes are another great crop to grow next to chamomile, and for the same reasons why chamomile is a good companion plant for peppers. This herb’s anti-fungal properties will help protect your potatoes against diseases while also attracting helpful pollinators such as bees to the garden. Chamomile’s unique fragrance will also help keep away harmful insects and pests.

Fruit Trees

Chamomile is a bit of a caretaker plant because it does so much to help its neighbors. Planting fruit trees near chamomile will benefit from chamomile’s antifungal properties. Since fruit trees are naturally susceptible to fungal infections, planting chamomile near them will help reduce the risk of this issue.

Basil

Another excellent companion plant for chamomile is basil. This herb is a wonderful, aromatic plant, and chamomile will help increase those aromas. Basil plants will produce more essential oils when planted next to chamomile. This will improve the plant’s taste and scent.

Brassicas

Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and other cabbage family members will benefit enormously from having chamomile planted nearby. Chamomile will increase its flavors and aromas while also helping to keep away harmful pests.

The scent of the chamomile plants will mask the aroma of the brassicas, which draws in harmful insects like cabbage moths or cabbage worms. Without being able to smell their distinct scent, the insects won’t be able to harm your plants.

Alliums

Plants in this family include leeks, garlic, and onions. Planting chamomile next to alliums will help increase their production of essential oils, improving their taste and smell. Chamomile will also naturally regulate the moisture in the soil, which provides the perfect environment for these plants to thrive.

What Shouldn’t Be Planted Near Chamomile?

Certain plants won’t benefit from being planted near chamomile. As important as it is to know which plants are good companions for chamomile, it’s equally important to understand which plants could suffer from being planted near chamomile.

Mint

One such plant is mint. When mint is planted around chamomile, it won’t produce as much of its essential oils and aroma. This will greatly affect the taste and fragrance of the mint, but it could also be harmful to any plants that you’re using the mint as a companion. The scent of mint plants keeps away harmful pests, and without that potent fragrance, it won’t work.

Carrots, Parsnip, Parsley

You should avoid planting carrots, parsnip, and parsley near your chamomile. This is because these plants all tend to attract the same insects and pests. These pests will damage your carrots, parsnip, and parsley and damage your chamomile plants.

Lavender 

Lavender won’t harm your chamomile plants and vice versa, but these two still shouldn’t be planted in the same soil. If you want to have lavender and chamomile in your garden, one should be planted in a container.

Chamomile prefers moist soil, while lavender thrives best in drier soils. You can’t meet the needs of both plants in the same soil, and they won’t thrive to their full potential if the soil they’re planted in doesn’t have the right moisture level.

Where Should I Plant Chamomile?

You should plant your chamomile in an area of the garden that receives full, direct sunlight. It needs well-draining soil, but chamomile doesn’t need a lot of fertilizer. This plant can grow well in poor soil, so it’s a great plant to follow the year after heavy feeders like tomatoes.

Ensure that you’re planting chamomile at the right time of year, which is early spring. These plants need temperatures of 60-68 degrees F to thrive, so you want to make sure that you’re planting them well after the final frost of the year. 

Where you plant chamomile will largely depend on the space you have to work with. They need direct sunlight to thrive, but they can grow in partial shade. If you have fruit trees in your garden, then you should plant your chamomile nearby. The chamomile plants will help support the health of your fruit trees and will grow well in the soil where fruit trees quickly absorb the nutrients.

Final Thoughts

Chamomile makes a delicious and relaxing cup of tea, and it also makes a great companion plant! There are a variety of plants that will benefit from being planted near chamomile, including brassicas, basil, fruit trees, peppers, and cucumbers. Chamomile makes a great neighbor to various herbs and veggies and an excellent addition to your garden.