Short answer
- The best companion plants for strawberries are low, noncompetitive plants that support pollinators and beneficial insects, cover bare soil, or fit a planned rotation. Borage, thyme, chives, sweet alyssum, calendula, nasturtium, lettuce, spinach, and bush beans are the most useful strawberry specific choices. French marigolds are best used as a dense cover crop before strawberries are planted, not as a few scattered border plants. Avoid planting strawberries where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplants, melons, okra, mint, bramble fruits, stone fruits, chrysanthemums, or roses have grown in the past five years, because those plants can share the soil fungus that causes Verticillium wilt. Keep crowns clear, give plants sun and well drained soil, and treat most companion claims as traditional guidance unless a trial result is stated. No companion plant guarantees a larger harvest or a pest free bed.
By Emma Hudson
Strawberries are low growing and shallow rooted, so the plants beside them matter more than they do for a tall, sturdy crop. A good neighbor does not shade the crowns, does not fight for the same shallow layer of soil and water, and does not bring a disease that strawberries share.
This article is strawberry specific, not a general vegetable chart: where a claim is widely repeated but has not been shown in a strawberry trial, the article says so.
What Companion Planting Means for Strawberries
Companion planting means growing two or more plants together on purpose, in the hope that they help each other. Utah State University Extension defines it as an agricultural practice in which two or more plants are intentionally grown together to enhance mutual productivity, and notes that it can reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, increase yields, and attract beneficial insects such as pollinators. That describes a goal, not a promise. Whether a pairing helps in a given garden depends on spacing, timing, soil, climate, and pest pressure.
University of Delaware Cooperative Extension makes the same point from the other direction. Its fact sheet on adding diversity notes that traditional companion statements were often based on little more than folklore, while more recent science has found definite benefits from adding diversity, mainly because certain plants attract and support beneficial insects that help control pests or pollinate crops. It adds two warnings kept throughout this article. First, more beneficial insects do not always mean fewer pests on the crop you care about, because predators and parasitoids may not move to where they are needed. Second, added plants compete with the crop for light, water, and nutrients, so yield can fall if companions are too competitive. For strawberries, those tradeoffs are sharp: roots are shallow, crowns rot if buried under dense foliage, and fruit sits close to the soil, so a crowded, damp bed favors fruit rot.
How Companion Planting Is Claimed to Work
Attracting pollinators. Strawberries are pollinated by bees and wind, according to the University of California guide. Flowers offering nectar and pollen can bring more bees into the bed during bloom. Borage is the classic example. Utah State University Extension states that borage enhances strawberries’ flavor and yields by attracting pollinators. That statement is presented in the extension source as an example, not as a strawberry trial with a measured yield increase, so this article treats pollinator attraction as well supported in general and the flavor and yield part as traditional guidance. More pollinator visits during bloom are desirable. A specific increase in berry size, sweetness, or total harvest from borage alone cannot be promised.
Supporting beneficial insects. Flowering herbs and small flowers provide nectar and pollen for predators and parasitoids, the natural enemies of garden pests. The Delaware sheet explains that syrphid flies, also called hover flies, feed on nectar and pollen and lay eggs near soft bodied insects such as aphids, and the larvae that hatch are voracious feeders on those pests. Lacewings and ladybird beetles are also attracted to flowers and can help control aphids. Sweet alyssum is a strong example because it is low, compact, and long flowering, and the Delaware sheet reports numerous syrphid flies swarming about alyssum flowers in its demonstration garden. The sheet warns, however, that this does not always mean fewer pests on the desired crop.
Confusing or deterring pests. Strongly scented plants are said to repel pests or to hide the crop from pests that find host plants by sight and smell. Utah State University Extension notes that many strongly scented plants, including onions, garlic, and chives, are known to repel common garden pests. The Delaware sheet adds that mixed plantings can disrupt the ability of pests to find host plants, especially when aromatic or bushy plants are nearby. This mechanism is plausible and supported in general terms, but strawberry specific repellent effects for most herbs are not established by trials cited here. Aromatic herbs may reduce pest pressure in some gardens and seasons, and may do little in others.
Trap cropping. Trap cropping means planting something pests prefer, so they feed on the trap plant instead of the crop. Utah State University Extension gives nasturtiums as an example that attracts aphids and flea beetles. For strawberries, nasturtiums are usually planted at the bed edge so aphids gather there first. This works only if the gardener watches the trap plants and removes heavily infested growth before pests spill over onto strawberries. A trap crop left unmanaged can become a breeding ground that makes the problem worse.
Improving soil or covering ground. Legumes such as beans, peas, and clover fix nitrogen, and low leafy plants shade soil, suppress weeds, and conserve moisture. Utah State University Extension describes legumes enriching soil with nitrogen, and the Delaware sheet notes that legumes such as alfalfa, clover, peas, and beans fix nitrogen and can be planted in rotation with non legumes. Two qualifications matter for strawberries. First, much of the nitrogen benefit becomes available as legume roots and tops decompose, or in a following rotation, rather than as an instant feed to strawberries growing beside them in the same weeks. Second, excess nitrogen can be a problem: the Massachusetts Verticillium guide warns against overfertilization, noting that excessive nitrogen increases susceptibility to that disease.
Good Neighbors for Strawberries
| Companion | Main role | Where to place it | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borage | Pollinator attraction | Bed corners and edges, not over crowns | Self seeds freely, can grow tall |
| Thyme | Low living mulch, aromatic foliage | Between rows and along paths | Slow to establish, keep clear of crowns |
| Chives and onions | Aromatic pest deterrence, edible bonus | Edges and between rows, in clumps | Deadhead chives before seed spreads |
| Sweet alyssum | Beneficial insect support | Bed edges and paths | Shear after flushes to encourage rebloom |
| Calendula | Insectary flower, living mulch | Bed fronts and edges | Can self seed, thin if crowded |
| Nasturtium | Aphid trap crop | Bed perimeter, outside the main bed | Check often, remove heavily infested growth |
| Lettuce and spinach | Ground cover, early harvest | Gaps between young plants | Harvest before runners need the space |
| Bush beans and white clover | Nitrogen fixing, soil cover | Rotation or bed edges, bush beans only | Pole beans shade strawberries, avoid them |
| Yarrow | General insectary flower (general guidance, not a strawberry trial) | Outer border, not inside the bed | Keep tall growth away from rows |
| French marigold | Nematode cover crop before planting | A full bed the season before strawberries | Scattered border plants are not the same method |
Borage and thyme
Borage, Borago officinalis, is among the most widely recommended strawberry companions, and it earns that place for a straightforward reason: its blue, star shaped flowers are highly attractive to bees, and strawberries benefit from bee visits during bloom. As noted above, the pollinator part is well supported, while a measured flavor or yield gain for strawberries from borage alone is traditional guidance rather than a trial result reported here. Plant borage at bed corners or along an edge where it can grow without shading rows. It self seeds readily, so deadhead or pull seedlings you do not want.
Thyme is a low, spreading perennial herb that works as a living mulch between strawberry rows. Utah State University Extension lists thyme with strawberries directly, stating that thyme repels worms that harm strawberries. That is a traditional pairing claim, reported here as such rather than as a proven control for any named strawberry pest. The stronger, more general case for thyme is that its aromatic foliage and low mat suppress weeds, keep soil covered, and do not shade crowns the way a tall herb would. Plant thyme along paths and between rows, keep it trimmed back from crowns, and allow a full season for it to establish.
Chives, onions, alyssum, and calendula
Chives and onions are the least disputed allium choices for strawberries. Utah State University Extension groups onions, garlic, and chives among strongly scented plants known to repel common garden pests, and the Delaware sheet lists chives among herbs shown in at least some studies to attract natural enemies or repel herbivores. Chives add a second benefit: their purple flowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects later in the season if a few flower heads are left to bloom. Plant chives in clumps at bed edges or between rows, and deadhead before seed drops. Small onions can be interplanted in a similar edge position. Garlic is the disputed allium, covered below.
Sweet alyssum, Lobularia maritima, is a low annual flower that punches above its size in a strawberry bed. The Delaware sheet describes alyssum as inexpensive, easy to grow, low growing and compact so it does not compete with vegetables, with a long growing season, and reports syrphid flies swarming about its flowers in a demonstration garden. A flower strip along a path or bed edge can therefore feed hover flies and other beneficial insects without shading fruit or crowding crowns. Shear alyssum after a flush of bloom to encourage rebloom. Calendula, often called pot marigold, and yarrow are general insectary flowers for the outer border, included here as general guidance rather than on the basis of a strawberry trial. They provide nectar and pollen over a long season without needing to sit inside strawberry rows. Calendula can act as a low living mulch at bed fronts, but it self seeds, so thin seedlings before they crowd strawberries. Yarrow grows taller, so keep it to the outer border where it will not shade rows. Neither plant should be presented as a pest repellent for strawberries on the basis of the sources opened for this article.
Nasturtium, leafy greens, beans, and marigolds
Nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus, is useful at the perimeter of a strawberry bed because aphids prefer it to many crops. Plant nasturtiums outside the main bed, along an edge or in a nearby strip, and inspect them at least weekly during aphid season. If a nasturtium plant becomes heavily covered with aphids, remove that growth and dispose of it away from the bed rather than leaving it to send aphids back onto strawberries. Nasturtiums sprawl, so do not plant them inside a strawberry bed where vines can cover crowns and fruit.
Lettuce and spinach are practical short term companions for young strawberry plants. They fill gaps, shade bare soil, suppress weeds, and conserve moisture, and they can be harvested before strawberry runners need the same space. Sow or transplant leafy greens between young strawberry plants in early season, harvest them young, and clear the space as strawberry growth fills in. Do not leave a dense leafy crop in place through peak strawberry season, when crowding reduces air movement and keeps fruit damp. Bush beans and peas fix nitrogen, and white clover can serve as a living mulch between rows. For strawberries, use this benefit in rotation or at bed edges, rather than by crowding bean plants into strawberry rows. Bush beans are preferable to pole beans, because pole beans and their supports shade strawberries and complicate picking. White clover between rows must be kept trimmed back from crowns.
French marigolds, Tagetes patula, deserve a careful paragraph because they are one of the most overstated companions in strawberry lists. The Delaware sheet states that marigolds are well known for controlling nematodes through toxic chemicals exuded by their roots, but adds that this works better when marigolds are planted as a cover crop, with their residues tilled into the soil before the crop is planted. That distinction changes the advice completely. A few marigold plants dotted around a strawberry bed for color are not the same method as a dense marigold cover crop grown across a whole bed for a season before strawberries go in, and the second method is the one with stronger support. If nematodes are a known problem in your soil, the marigold step belongs in the rotation before strawberries, not as a border added after strawberries are already planted. Calendula, sometimes called pot marigold, is a different plant from French marigold and should not be substituted for it in a nematode cover crop plan.
Plants to Avoid Near Strawberries
Verticillium hosts: the main avoid list
The University of Illinois Extension report on Verticillium wilt of strawberry states plainly: do not plant susceptible strawberry cultivars in soil where tomato, pepper, potato, eggplant, melon, okra, mint, bush or bramble fruits, stone fruits, chrysanthemum, roses, or related susceptible crops have grown for the past five years. The University of Massachusetts Extension guide gives the same rotation logic: rotate strawberry fields to alternative non host crops for at least five years before replanting to strawberries, and avoid solanaceous crops such as tomato or potato, as well as squash and raspberries. The University of California guide gives the same warning for site selection: choose a sunny site where plants susceptible to Verticillium wilt, such as tomatoes and potatoes, and other berry crops have not been grown.
This list matters for soil history as well as for neighbors. Verticillium fungi survive in soil as dormant resting structures that can remain viable for many years, according to the Massachusetts guide, and the Illinois report notes that once established in a field or garden, the fungus may remain alive in soil for 25 years or longer, surviving between cultivated crops on susceptible weeds. Planting strawberries next to a tomato plant this season is therefore only part of the risk. Planting strawberries in soil where tomatoes, potatoes, or raspberries grew in recent years is the larger and more common mistake. If you are unsure about a bed’s history, choose certified disease free plants, choose a variety with Verticillium tolerance where one is available, and keep a record of what grew where so the five year rotation can be followed. Peppers appear on this avoid list not because peppers and strawberries compete, but because peppers are among the solanaceous hosts that share Verticillium wilt susceptibility, a disease history reason that applies to soil history over five years.
Brassicas, fennel, garlic, and spreading plants
Cabbage family plants, including cabbage, broccoli, kale, and cauliflower, appear on many strawberry avoid lists. The Verticillium sources opened for this article do not list brassicas as Verticillium hosts for strawberries, and this article does not claim that they are. The traditional reasons for keeping brassicas away are different: brassicas are heavy feeders that compete for nutrients, they can shade low strawberries if they grow large, and they host their own pests. Those are practical reasons to give brassicas their own bed, not a disease rule.
Fennel is often listed as a plant to avoid near strawberries because it is said to release compounds that inhibit neighbors, a phenomenon called allelopathy. Fennel is also tall and strongly aromatic, so there are ordinary reasons to keep it out of a strawberry bed even before any chemical claim is considered. The allelopathy claim itself is traditional guidance in the sources reviewed here, not a strawberry specific trial result, so this article presents fennel as a plant to keep separate as a precaution, rather than as a proven strawberry inhibitor.
Garlic shows why companion lists should not be copied without checking. Some guides recommend garlic near strawberries for its strong scent, and Utah State University Extension groups garlic with onions and chives among strongly scented plants known to repel common garden pests. Other strawberry guides advise against garlic near strawberries and favor chives and onions instead. The sources opened for this article do not settle the question for strawberries specifically, so this article treats garlic near strawberries as unproven rather than as a recommended or a forbidden pairing.
Corn and tall sunflowers are poor strawberry neighbors for a simple physical reason: they shade low strawberry plants and compete for water. Mint is a different problem: it spreads aggressively by runners and can take over a strawberry bed, competing for the same shallow soil and making picking difficult. Grow mint in a container, not in a strawberry bed.
Spacing, Soil, and Rotation Basics
Companion planting cannot fix a badly sited strawberry bed. Strawberries need a sunny site and well drained soil. The University of California guide advises selecting a sunny site, and notes that strawberries do best in well drained sandy loam, with heavier soils improved by adding organic amendments such as aged manure, compost, and leaf mold weeks to months before planting. Its stated soil pH range for strawberries is 5 to 7.0. The Massachusetts Verticillium guide adds the same drainage point: plant in well drained soil. If your soil stays wet, use raised beds or containers rather than planting strawberries in a low, wet spot and hoping companions will compensate.
The University of California guide advises spacing plants in rows about 10 to 12 inches apart in beds, with raised beds about six inches high, and keeping the midpoint of the crown even with the soil surface, with roots fanned out and soil firmed around the plant before watering deeply. The crown rule matters for companion design: the crown is the short stem between roots and leaves, and burying it under mulch, clover, thyme, or leafy greens can cause rot. Every companion should be placed so that air can move around strawberry crowns and so that mulch and living ground cover stop short of the crown. When in doubt, leave a clear ring around each crown.
Rotation is the most important companion related decision for strawberries, and it happens over years rather than weeks. The Massachusetts guide advises rotating strawberry fields to alternative non host crops for at least five years before replanting to strawberries. The Illinois report uses the same five year period for soil where susceptible crops have grown. In a home garden, that means keeping a simple written record: which bed held strawberries, which held tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplants, or raspberries, and in which year. When a strawberry bed finishes, the University of California guide advises replanting every two to three years with new starts, a separate point from rotation: strawberry plants themselves decline in production over time, so a bed should be renewed with fresh, certified disease free plants rather than kept indefinitely.
Water strawberries at the root zone and keep foliage and fruit as dry as practical. The University of California guide advises watering regularly, and notes that mulch helps separate fruit from the ground in the context of Botrytis fruit rot. Straw mulch is the traditional choice, because it keeps berries clean, suppresses weeds, and conserves moisture, but it must be kept clear of crowns. Companions that increase crowding work against all of this: they trap humidity, slow drying after rain, and make it harder to see fruit and pests. Air movement, visible crowns, and berries held off the soil are better signs of a healthy bed than a bed that merely looks lush.
What the Evidence Actually Supports
| Claim type | Example for strawberries | Support level |
|---|---|---|
| General ecological principle, supported by extension sources | Flowering plants support pollinators and beneficial insects | Supported in general, benefit to a specific bed varies |
| Disease and rotation rule, supported by extension sources | Do not plant strawberries where Verticillium hosts grew in the past five years | Strong, based on disease biology and extension guidance |
| Site and spacing rule, supported by extension sources | Sunny site, well drained soil, pH 5 to 7, rows 10 to 12 inches apart, crown at soil level | Strong, based on extension growing guides |
| Traditional pairing guidance, repeated without a strawberry trial in sources opened here | Borage improves strawberry flavor, thyme repels strawberry worms, fennel inhibits strawberries | Traditional, plausible or widely repeated, not proven for strawberries here |
| Unverified percentage or outcome claim from a non extension list | A named percentage yield increase or pest reduction from one companion | Not used in this article, do not rely on it without a trial source |
Companion planting can make a strawberry bed more diverse and easier to manage for weeds and soil cover. It cannot replace site selection, drainage, spacing, rotation, certified disease free plants, or regular inspection. The companions are the finishing layer, not the foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best companion plants for strawberries?
Borage, thyme, chives, sweet alyssum, calendula, nasturtium at the perimeter, lettuce and spinach as early ground cover, and bush beans or white clover in rotation or at bed edges are the most useful strawberry specific choices. French marigolds are best used as a dense cover crop the season before strawberries, not as scattered border plants.
Can you plant tomatoes next to strawberries?
It is not advisable, and the stronger reason is soil history rather than side by side competition. Tomatoes are solanaceous hosts that share Verticillium wilt susceptibility with strawberries, and extension guidance advises against planting strawberries in soil where tomatoes have grown in the past five years. Give tomatoes and strawberries separate beds with separate rotation histories.
Can you plant peppers next to strawberries?
The same disease reasoning applies as for tomatoes. Peppers are listed among the susceptible crops in the Illinois Verticillium report, which advises against planting susceptible strawberry cultivars in soil where pepper has grown in the past five years. Keep peppers and strawberries in separate beds and separate rotations.
How far apart should strawberries and companions be planted?
Strawberry plants themselves should be spaced about 10 to 12 inches apart in rows, according to the University of California guide, with crowns kept clear and at soil level. Companions should sit at bed edges, between rows, or at row ends, never over a crown. Low companions such as thyme and alyssum can sit close to rows if crowns stay clear, while taller plants such as borage and yarrow belong at corners and outer borders where they will not shade strawberry rows.
How long should you wait before planting strawberries where tomatoes grew?
At least five years, according to the Massachusetts and Illinois extension guidance on Verticillium wilt. That period applies to soil where tomato, pepper, potato, eggplant, melon, okra, mint, bramble fruits, stone fruits, chrysanthemum, roses, or related susceptible crops have grown. In that interval, rotate to non host crops, use certified disease free strawberry plants when strawberries return, and consider a variety with Verticillium tolerance where one is available.
Sources & references
- Utah State University Extension, "Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Companion Planting" (July 2025): companion planting defined as growing two or more plants together to enhance mutual productivity; thyme listed with strawberries; borage stated to enhance strawberries' flavor and yields by attracting pollinators; nasturtiums as a trap crop example attracting aphids and flea beetles; strongly scented plants including onions, garlic, and chives known to repel common garden pests; legumes enrich soil with nitrogen. https://extension.usu.edu/utah4h/research/creating-sustainable-school-and-home-gardens-companion-planting
- University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, "A New Approach to Companion Planting: Adding Diversity to the Garden" (1 August 2018, Judy Hough-Goldstein): traditional companion statements often based on folklore; diversity benefits mainly through beneficial insects for pest control and pollination; hover fly larvae feed on soft bodied pests; marigold nematode control works better as a cover crop with residues tilled in before planting; diverse plantings do not always reduce pests on the desired crop; added plants compete for light, water, and nutrients; legumes fix nitrogen; alyssum described as low, compact, and long flowering with syrphid flies observed on its flowers; herbs including borage, dill, and chives shown in at least some studies to attract natural enemies or repel herbivores. https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/cooperative-extension/fact-sheets/a-new-approach-to-companion-planting/
- University of Massachusetts Extension, Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, "Strawberry IPM: Verticillium Wilt" (March 2020, updated 16 July 2020): Verticillium fungi survive in soil as microsclerotia viable for many years; rotate to non host crops for at least five years before replanting strawberries; avoid solanaceous crops such as tomato or potato, as well as squash and raspberries; plant in well drained soil; avoid overfertilization because excessive nitrogen increases disease susceptibility; plant only disease free transplants. https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/fruit/fact-sheets/strawberry-ipm-verticillium-wilt
- University of Illinois Extension, "Reports on Plant Diseases, RPD No. 707: Verticillium Wilt of Strawberry" (June 1996, Stephen M. Ries): fungus may remain alive in soil for 25 years or longer; do not plant susceptible strawberry cultivars in soil where tomato, pepper, potato, eggplant, melon, okra, mint, bush or bramble fruits, stone fruits, chrysanthemum, roses, or related susceptible crops have grown for the past five years; plant in fertile well drained soil and avoid low, wet spots; use only certified disease free plants of tolerant or resistant cultivars in infested soil. http://ipm.illinois.edu/diseases/series700/rpd707/
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Master Gardener Program, "Strawberry" grow sheet (Marin County): strawberries pollinated by bees and wind; select a sunny site where Verticillium susceptible plants such as tomatoes and potatoes and other berry crops have not been grown; space plants in rows about 10 to 12 inches apart; keep midpoint of crown even with soil surface; strawberries do best in well drained sandy loam with pH 5 to 7.0; replant every two to three years with new starts; mulch separates fruit from ground in the context of Botrytis fruit rot. https://ucanr.edu/node/152232/printable/print
