What Are the Best Companion Plants for Strawberries?
Strawberries grow best with borage, chives, sweet alyssum, marigolds and spinach. 11 plants in our chart pair well with strawberries, mostly by attracting pollinators and beneficial insects and deterring or trapping pests; 4 of those pairings are research-supported.
| Plant | Why | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| BoragePollinators & beneficials | Borage is a top bee plant, and well-pollinated strawberry flowers form larger, evenly shaped berries. The claim that borage improves berry flavor is folklore. | Research-supported |
| ChivesPollinators & beneficials | Chives flower in late spring, overlapping strawberry bloom, and their flowers are heavily visited by bees. | Research-supported |
| Sweet AlyssumPollinators & beneficials | Sweet alyssum's tiny flowers feed hoverflies and parasitic wasps; hoverfly larvae eat the aphids that attack strawberries. | Research-supported |
| MarigoldsPest control | French marigolds grown densely before strawberries suppress root-lesion nematodes, a documented effect; a few plants at the edge do little. | Research-supported |
| SpinachSpace & timing | Spinach grows in the same cool spring weather and fills gaps in new strawberry beds while the plants establish. | Traditional |
| LettuceSpace & timing | Lettuce fills the open spaces of a first-year strawberry bed and is harvested before runners spread. | Traditional |
| OnionsPest control | Onions along the strawberry bed edge are thought to mask the berries from pests; the benefit is anecdotal. | Traditional |
| GarlicPest control | Garlic is traditionally interplanted with strawberries to deter aphids and spider mites; both overwinter in the bed. | Traditional |
| ThymePollinators & beneficials | Low thyme borders strawberry beds without shading them, and its flowers attract small beneficial insects. | Traditional |
| BeansSoil & nutrients | Bush beans are a traditional strawberry partner; grown before a new strawberry bed, they leave nitrogen-rich residue. | Traditional |
| BlueberriesSpace & timing | Strawberries tolerate mildly acidic soil and can serve as a ground cover along the edge of a blueberry bed. | Traditional |
Good companion plants for strawberries, strongest evidence first.
What Should You Not Plant With Strawberries?
Don't plant strawberries near potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and mint. The conflicts come mainly from shared pests and diseases and competition for space, light or water; 4 of the 6 are research-supported and the rest are practical or traditional rules.
| Plant | Why | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| PotatoesShared pests & disease | Potatoes host Verticillium wilt, a soil fungus that survives for years and kills strawberry plants. Don't grow strawberries near or after potatoes. | Research-supported |
| TomatoesShared pests & disease | Tomatoes host Verticillium wilt, a soil fungus that survives for years and kills strawberry plants. Don't grow strawberries near or after tomatoes. | Research-supported |
| PeppersShared pests & disease | Peppers host Verticillium wilt, a soil fungus that survives for years and kills strawberry plants. Don't grow strawberries near or after peppers. | Research-supported |
| EggplantShared pests & disease | Eggplant hosts Verticillium wilt, a soil fungus that survives for years and kills strawberry plants. Don't grow strawberries near or after eggplant. | Research-supported |
| MintCompetition | Mint runners invade strawberry beds and are nearly impossible to weed out without digging up the berries. | Practical |
| CabbageClaimed growth inhibition | Cabbage-family crops are said to stunt strawberries; there's no good evidence, though both attract slugs and compete for nitrogen. | Traditional |
Plants to keep away from strawberries.
Which Strawberry Companion Claims Are Backed by Research?
8 of the 17 strawberry pairings in our data are research-supported: borage, chives, sweet alyssum, marigolds, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Of the rest, 1 rests on practical horticulture and 8 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 spinach, lettuce, onions and garlic are harmless to grow with strawberries, but don't rely on them for pest control — row covers, crop rotation and regular checks do more.
How Should You Plant Strawberries With Companions?
Set strawberries about 12 inches (30 cm) apart with chives or thyme along the bed edges and borage at the corners. Interplant spinach or lettuce in new beds for the first spring only.
Companions still need room of their own, so work out how many strawberries and partner plants fit in a bed with the plant spacing calculator. Strawberries are perennial, so check winter survival in your USDA hardiness zone by ZIP code before choosing a permanent spot for them and their companions.
Watering, feeding, light and harvest timing for strawberries are covered in the strawberry plant care guide.
Which Crops Share Companions With Strawberries?
Blueberries, borage and lettuce share companion plants or growing conditions with strawberries, so their companion guides help plan the same bed or rotation.
- The guide to companion plants for blueberries overlaps with this one: both crops grow well with borage and sweet alyssum, and blueberries are a good companion for strawberries too.
- The guide to companion plants for borage overlaps with this one: both crops grow well with blueberries, and borage is a good companion for strawberries too.
- The guide to companion plants for lettuce overlaps with this one: both crops grow well with chives, sweet alyssum and onions, and lettuce is a good companion for strawberries too.
To check strawberries 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 strawberries?
- Borage is one of the best-supported companions for strawberries. Borage is a top bee plant, and well-pollinated strawberry flowers form larger, evenly shaped berries. The claim that borage improves berry flavor is folklore.
- What should you not plant with strawberries?
- Avoid planting strawberries near potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, mint and cabbage. The most important conflict is with potatoes: Potatoes host Verticillium wilt, a soil fungus that survives for years and kills strawberry plants. Don't grow strawberries near or after potatoes.
- Can you plant strawberries and blueberries together?
- Yes, strawberries and blueberries are good companions. Strawberries tolerate mildly acidic soil and can serve as a ground cover along the edge of a blueberry bed.
- Does companion planting really work for strawberries?
- Partly. 8 of the 17 strawberry pairings in our data are backed by research, 1 is practical space or timing rules, and 8 are traditional. Flowers that feed beneficial insects and separating crops that share diseases have the strongest evidence.
- Can you plant strawberries where tomatoes grew?
- Avoid planting strawberries where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplant grew in the past three to four years. All four host Verticillium wilt, whose resting spores survive in soil for years and infect strawberry roots. Choose a bed that grew beans, corn or lettuce instead.
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.