What Are the Best Companion Plants for Chives?
Chives grow best with strawberries, basil, parsley, tomatoes and peppers. 7 plants in our chart pair well with chives, mostly by deterring or trapping pests and using space and time efficiently; 1 of those pairings is research-supported.
| Plant | Why | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| StrawberriesPollinators & beneficials | Chives flower in late spring, overlapping strawberry bloom, and their flowers are heavily visited by bees. | Research-supported |
| BasilSpace & timing | Chives and basil share watering needs and fit together in a kitchen herb pot. | Practical |
| ParsleySpace & timing | Parsley and chives both like moist, fertile soil and regular cutting, and fit together at a bed edge or in a pot. | Practical |
| TomatoesPest control | Chives are traditionally planted around tomatoes to deter aphids; the evidence is anecdotal, but the clumps take almost no space. | Traditional |
| PeppersPest control | Chives are a traditional aphid deterrent around peppers and take little space; the evidence is anecdotal. | Traditional |
| LettucePest control | Chives are traditionally planted near lettuce to deter aphids; the evidence is anecdotal. | Traditional |
| CarrotsPest control | Chives are traditionally planted near carrots to deter carrot rust flies; the effect is unproven. | Traditional |
Good companion plants for chives, strongest evidence first.
What Should You Not Plant With Chives?
Don't plant chives near beans and peas. The conflicts come mainly from a traditional claim of stunted growth; none of the 2 are research-supported and the rest are practical or traditional rules.
| Plant | Why | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| BeansClaimed growth inhibition | A widely repeated rule says chives stunt beans; it has had little controlled testing, but separating them costs nothing. | Traditional |
| PeasClaimed growth inhibition | A widely repeated rule says chives stunt peas; it has had little controlled testing, but separating them costs nothing. | Traditional |
Plants to keep away from chives.
Which Chives Companion Claims Are Backed by Research?
1 of the 9 chives pairings in our data is research-supported: strawberries. Of the rest, 2 rest on practical horticulture and 6 are traditional claims.
Research-supported pairings rest on documented biology: shared pathogens, pollination, nematode suppression or insects that feed on specific flowers. Practical pairings are plain logic about space, shade and timing. Traditional companions such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and carrots are harmless to grow with chives, but don't rely on them for pest control — row covers, crop rotation and regular checks do more.
How Should You Plant Chives With Companions?
Set chive clumps about 12 inches (30 cm) apart along the edges of carrot, tomato or strawberry beds, where they can stay for years.
Companions still need room of their own, so work out how many chives and partner plants fit in a bed with the plant spacing calculator. Chives are perennial, so check winter survival in your USDA hardiness zone by ZIP code before choosing a permanent spot for them and their companions.
Which Crops Share Companions With Chives?
Onions, garlic and strawberries share companion plants or growing conditions with chives, so their companion guides help plan the same bed or rotation.
- The guide to companion plants for onions overlaps with this one: both crops grow well with strawberries, peppers and lettuce; as members of the same plant family, the two should rotate together.
- The guide to companion plants for garlic overlaps with this one: both crops grow well with strawberries and tomatoes; as members of the same plant family, the two should rotate together.
- The guide to companion plants for strawberries overlaps with this one: both crops grow well with lettuce, and strawberries are a good companion for chives too.
To check chives against every other plant at once, or test a whole bed plan, use the companion planting chart and garden checker.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best companion plant for chives?
- Strawberries are one of the best-supported companions for chives. Chives flower in late spring, overlapping strawberry bloom, and their flowers are heavily visited by bees.
- What should you not plant with chives?
- Avoid planting chives near beans and peas. The most important conflict is with beans: A widely repeated rule says chives stunt beans; it has had little controlled testing, but separating them costs nothing.
- Can you plant chives and onions together?
- Yes, chives and onions can share a bed; neither is known to help or harm the other. Both belong to the onion family (Amaryllidaceae), so they share pests and diseases — rotate them together and don't follow one with the other.
- Does companion planting really work for chives?
- Partly. 1 of the 9 chives pairings in our data is backed by research, 2 are practical space or timing rules, and 6 are traditional. Flowers that feed beneficial insects and separating crops that share diseases have the strongest evidence.
Companion data: PlantoScan's own editorial compilation, written from general horticultural knowledge, plant pathology and published intercropping research. Evidence labels are our editorial judgment; results vary with climate, soil, variety and pest pressure.