What Are the Best Companion Plants for Nasturtiums?
Nasturtiums grow best with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkins. 11 plants in our chart pair well with nasturtiums, mostly by deterring or trapping pests; none of those pairings are research-supported.
| Plant | Why | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| TomatoesPest control | Nasturtiums act as a sacrificial trap for aphids and cover bare soil under staked tomatoes; trap-crop results vary. | Traditional |
| PeppersPest control | Nasturtiums can pull aphids away from peppers as a trap crop; pull infested nasturtiums before aphids move on. | Traditional |
| CucumbersPest control | Nasturtiums are a traditional deterrent for squash bugs and cucumber beetles around cucumbers, and they trap aphids; field trials are inconclusive. | Traditional |
| ZucchiniPest control | Nasturtiums are a traditional deterrent for squash bugs and cucumber beetles around zucchini, and they trap aphids; field trials are inconclusive. | Traditional |
| PumpkinsPest control | Nasturtiums are a traditional deterrent for squash bugs and cucumber beetles around pumpkins, and they trap aphids; field trials are inconclusive. | Traditional |
| MelonsPest control | Nasturtiums are a traditional deterrent for squash bugs and cucumber beetles around melons, and they trap aphids; field trials are inconclusive. | Traditional |
| WatermelonPest control | Nasturtiums are a traditional deterrent for squash bugs and cucumber beetles around watermelon, and they trap aphids; field trials are inconclusive. | Traditional |
| KalePest control | Nasturtiums often draw aphids and cabbage white butterflies away from kale as a sacrificial trap crop; results vary, and infested nasturtiums must be pulled. | Traditional |
| CabbagePest control | Nasturtiums often draw aphids and cabbage white butterflies away from cabbage as a sacrificial trap crop; results vary, and infested nasturtiums must be pulled. | Traditional |
| BroccoliPest control | Nasturtiums often draw aphids and cabbage white butterflies away from broccoli as a sacrificial trap crop; results vary, and infested nasturtiums must be pulled. | Traditional |
| CauliflowerPest control | Nasturtiums often draw aphids and cabbage white butterflies away from cauliflower as a sacrificial trap crop; results vary, and infested nasturtiums must be pulled. | Traditional |
Good companion plants for nasturtiums, strongest evidence first.
What Should You Not Plant With Nasturtiums?
No common garden plant is a known bad neighbor for nasturtiums. Give them enough space, sun and water, and nasturtiums can grow beside any crop in the chart without a documented conflict.
Which Nasturtium Companion Claims Are Backed by Research?
None of the 11 nasturtium pairings in our data has direct research support: none rest on practical horticulture and 11 are traditional claims passed down in gardening books.
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, cucumbers and zucchini are harmless to grow with nasturtiums, but don't rely on them for pest control — row covers, crop rotation and regular checks do more.
How Should You Plant Nasturtiums With Companions?
Plant nasturtiums at the bed ends or corners, a few feet from the crops they protect, and check them weekly; pull infested plants before the pests move on.
Companions still need room of their own, so work out how many nasturtiums and partner plants fit in a bed with the plant spacing calculator. Planting dates for nasturtiums and their companions follow your local spring and fall frost dates, so warm-season partners go in together after the last spring frost, while cool-season fillers such as spinach and radishes use the bed before then.
Watering, feeding, light and harvest timing for nasturtiums are covered in the nasturtium care guide.
Which Crops Share Companions With Nasturtiums?
Marigolds, cucumbers and cabbage share companion plants or growing conditions with nasturtiums, so their companion guides help plan the same bed or rotation.
- The guide to companion plants for marigolds overlaps with this one: both crops grow well with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
- The guide to companion plants for cucumbers overlaps with this one: both crops grow well with pumpkins, and cucumbers are a good companion for nasturtiums too.
- The guide to companion plants for cabbage covers a crop grown in similar conditions, and cabbage is a good companion for nasturtiums too.
To check nasturtiums 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 nasturtiums?
- Tomatoes are one of the best-supported companions for nasturtiums. Nasturtiums act as a sacrificial trap for aphids and cover bare soil under staked tomatoes; trap-crop results vary.
- What should you not plant with nasturtiums?
- No common garden plant is a known bad companion for nasturtiums. Watch spacing instead: any plant that shades nasturtiums or competes for water will reduce growth.
- Can you plant nasturtiums and marigolds together?
- Yes, nasturtiums and marigolds can share a bed; neither is known to help or harm the other.
- Does companion planting really work for nasturtiums?
- Partly. None of the 11 nasturtium pairings in our data are backed by research, none are practical space or timing rules, and 11 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.