17 Best Companion Plants for Lavender (And Why They Work So Well Together)

Lavender is a hardy, drought-tolerant plant that does well in full sun and well-drained, slightly alkaline soil.

Because it doesn’t need a lot of water or fertilizer, it grows best alongside plants with similar needs.

Choosing the right companion plants for lavender can make a big difference in your garden.

The right companions can help improve lavender’s growth, attract bees and butterflies, suppress weeds, and even keep pests away (all without using chemicals!).

In this article, you’ll find 17 plants that grow well with lavender. Each one brings its own benefit — whether it’s pest control, pollination support, or simply making the garden look more complete.

1. Rosemary

Rosemary is one of the best plants to grow with lavender because both have nearly identical growing needs.

They like full sun, dry conditions, and soil that drains well and isn’t too rich. Since both come from the Mediterranean region, they naturally thrive in the same type of environment.

Their strong scents help repel garden pests, and when planted together, they can offer better protection than either plant alone.

Both rosemary and lavender can be grown in the ground or in containers, and they don’t require much attention once established.

If you're planting them close together, be sure to leave space for airflow. This keeps the plants healthy and helps prevent disease.

With similar habits and low maintenance needs, rosemary and lavender make a practical and effective pair in any sunny garden.

2. Thyme

Thyme is a hardy, low-growing herb that does very well with lavender. It doesn’t need much water, grows best in full sun, and prefers soil that isn’t too rich — all things lavender also likes.

What makes thyme especially helpful is that it can handle colder weather better than many other Mediterranean herbs.

Thyme is also useful as a groundcover. It spreads out over the soil, helping to hold moisture, keep weeds down, and protect the roots of nearby plants.

When planted around the base of lavender, it creates a tidy, attractive look while improving the growing conditions.

Its strong scent helps keep pests away, offering extra protection for lavender without the need for sprays or treatments.

If you’re looking for a companion that’s both beautiful and practical, thyme is a solid choice.

3. Sage

Sage is another drought-tolerant herb that grows well in the same conditions as lavender. It needs full sun, well-drained soil, and doesn’t like to be overwatered.

These shared preferences make it easy to plant the two together.

One unique benefit of sage is that it may improve the essential oil quality in nearby lavender, making the flowers even more fragrant.

Its thick leaves also help shade the soil, which limits weed growth and keeps moisture from evaporating too quickly.

Sage also helps defend your garden from pests like carrot flies and cabbage moths. If you’re growing vegetables or other herbs nearby, this added protection is a nice bonus.

Sage and lavender make a strong pair both visually and functionally.

4. Oregano

Oregano is a cold-hardy herb that grows well with lavender in many climates. It can handle poor, dry soil and doesn't need much water or care once it's established.

Like lavender, it thrives in full sun and well-drained conditions, making it a low-maintenance addition to your garden.

If you let oregano bloom, it produces purple flowers that pair nicely with lavender and attract bees, butterflies, and other helpful insects. These pollinators support a healthy garden and help nearby plants produce more flowers or fruit.

Oregano also helps reduce pest problems without the use of sprays. Its strong scent works as a natural repellent, especially when paired with lavender.

When planted together, these two herbs support each other’s growth and help maintain a healthy balance in your garden space.

5. Basil

Basil isn’t always thought of as a lavender companion, but it offers a few benefits when grown nearby.

While it needs a bit more water than lavender, it still prefers full sun and can grow in the same type of soil if you avoid overwatering.

When balanced well, these two herbs can grow successfully in the same garden bed.

One reason to pair basil with lavender is pest control. Both plants release strong scents that deter harmful insects. At the same time, they attract bees and other beneficial pollinators. This helps nearby plants bloom better and stay healthier.

Some gardeners say that basil may even support better growth and flavor in nearby herbs, including lavender.

If you’re growing both for culinary or aromatic use, this combination can be worth trying — just be sure to monitor water needs so neither plant suffers.

6. Coneflowers (Echinacea)

Coneflowers are hardy perennials that make a great visual and functional match with lavender. They like full sun, can handle dry soil, and don’t need much fertilizer, which makes their care routine almost identical to lavender’s.

If you're looking to add color and pollinators to your garden, this is a strong choice.

The blooms of coneflowers attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects throughout the growing season. At the same time, lavender helps keep certain pests away, offering a kind of mutual support.

Some types of coneflowers may also improve the nitrogen content in the soil, which can benefit nearby plants over time.

Planting these two together creates a balanced, colorful space that’s low-maintenance and rich in pollinator activity. The difference in flower shape and size also adds visual interest without clashing in the garden.

7. Yarrow

Yarrow is a tough, sun-loving perennial that pairs well with lavender in dry, low-nutrient soil.

It doesn’t need much water, and once established, it can handle hot weather and drought without issue. This makes it a dependable companion if you're building a garden with low-maintenance needs.

One of yarrow’s best traits is how well it supports pollinators. It produces clusters of small flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and other helpful insects throughout the season.

Even more helpful is its ability to bring in predatory insects that feed on common garden pests, which gives surrounding plants like lavender an extra layer of protection.

Yarrow can grow aggressively in rich soil, so it’s best kept in slightly leaner areas where lavender naturally thrives.

When managed properly, yarrow and lavender create a pollinator-friendly planting that also keeps pest populations in check without extra effort from you.

8. Marigolds

Marigolds are popular for their bright flowers, but they also have strong pest-repelling properties that make them useful near lavender.

While they need a bit more water than lavender, they still enjoy full sun and can grow side by side as long as the soil drains well.

One of the main reasons to grow marigolds near lavender is to protect against nematodes — tiny pests that live in the soil and attack plant roots.

Marigolds release compounds that suppress these pests naturally. In return, lavender helps deter flying insects that might bother marigolds.

Both plants also bring in pollinators, which improves the health of your entire garden. If you're growing vegetables or flowering plants nearby, adding marigolds and lavender to the mix can improve the overall balance and productivity of the space.

9. Sedum

Sedum is a low-maintenance plant that thrives in poor, dry soil and full sun, just like lavender. It’s especially useful if you're designing a garden that needs very little watering or upkeep.

Once sedum is planted, it requires almost no care and grows well alongside other drought-tolerant plants.

One of sedum’s strengths is that it blooms later in the season than lavender. This means your garden keeps supporting pollinators well into fall, long after lavender has finished flowering. The overlap helps maintain pollinator activity and adds seasonal interest.

Some low-growing varieties of sedum can also be used as groundcover.

They help hold moisture in the soil, reduce weed growth, and create a clean border around taller plants like lavender. This combination works well in both ornamental and practical gardens.

10. Catmint

Catmint is a flowering herb that pairs well with lavender because of its similar growing needs. It thrives in full sun, handles dry soil easily, and doesn’t need much attention once it's settled in.

Visually, the soft purple blooms of catmint look good next to lavender, creating a calm, blended color palette.

What makes catmint stand out is how well it supports both soil health and pest control. Its roots help stimulate beneficial microbes in the soil, which can improve growing conditions for nearby plants like lavender.

Above the ground, its strong scent deters several types of pests, while its flowers bring in bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Catmint also has a low, spreading growth habit that can help cover bare soil and reduce weed growth.

If you’re aiming for a productive and low-maintenance garden, growing catmint near lavender can make the space healthier and more attractive without extra effort.

11. Alliums (Onions, Garlic, Ornamental Types)

Alliums, which include garlic, onions, and ornamental varieties, are known for their natural pest-repelling abilities.

They release sulfur compounds into the soil that help suppress harmful microbes and soil-borne pests. This benefits nearby lavender by creating a cleaner, healthier growing environment.

These plants enjoy full sun and well-drained soil, which means they match lavender’s basic growing needs.

They don’t compete heavily for water or nutrients, making them easy to grow alongside lavender in both ornamental beds and mixed-use gardens.

Alliums also support pollinator activity. While their flower heads are very different in shape from lavender, they still attract bees and other beneficial insects.

The combination of pest control and pollination support makes alliums a smart and practical companion in the garden.

12. Roses

Roses and lavender are often grown together because they thrive in similar conditions and look good side by side.

Both enjoy full sun, slightly alkaline soil, and good drainage. While roses usually need a bit more water and feeding than lavender, they can still grow well together if the soil is balanced and water is managed properly.

One of the reasons this pairing works is that lavender’s scent helps deter pests that may target roses, including deer.

At the same time, lavender fills in the space around rose bushes with soft color and structure, reducing the need for extra groundcover or mulch.

This combination is common in cottage gardens and fragrance gardens because it brings together beauty, scent, and natural pest control.

With a bit of care to match watering routines, roses and lavender can share a space successfully and benefit one another.

13. Black-Eyed Susans

Black-eyed Susans are hardy, sun-loving flowers that pair well with lavender in both ornamental and pollinator-friendly gardens.

They grow best in full sun and well-drained soil, which makes them easy to maintain alongside lavender. These plants can also handle dry conditions once they’re established, so they won’t compete for water.

One of the biggest benefits of this pairing is the visual contrast. The bright yellow petals of black-eyed Susans stand out next to lavender’s purple blooms, making the garden more vibrant without adding much maintenance.

Both plants bloom during the warm season, helping to support pollinators when they’re most active.

If you're looking to add long-lasting color and beneficial insect activity to your garden, planting black-eyed Susans with lavender can be a simple and reliable option.

14. Zinnias

Zinnias are annual flowers that grow well in sunny, dry spots — just like lavender.

While they may need a little more water during hot spells, they still prefer soil that drains quickly and don’t do well in soggy conditions. Because of that, they can grow successfully near lavender as long as you're careful not to overwater.

What makes zinnias a good companion is their ability to attract pollinators. Their bold, colorful blooms draw in bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects throughout the growing season.

This increased pollinator activity helps improve the health and productivity of the entire garden.

Zinnias also offer a strong visual contrast. Their bright colors — which range from red and pink to orange and white — stand out sharply against lavender’s cooler tones.

If you want to create a colorful, pollinator-friendly space with minimal effort, zinnias are a great fit next to lavender.

15. African Daisies

African daisies are another good match for lavender, especially in gardens that receive strong sun and experience dry spells.

These flowers are known for their ability to handle drought and poor soil conditions, which makes them easy to grow alongside lavender without needing special treatment.

Their brightly colored blooms, which often include shades of orange, yellow, and purple, blend well with lavender and help attract pollinators.

They bloom through the warmer months, providing color and pollination support through most of the growing season.

African daisies are also low-maintenance. Once they’re established, they don’t require much water and won’t compete with lavender for nutrients.

This pairing is a good choice if you want a resilient and attractive garden with plants that look good together and support a healthy growing environment.

16. Creeping Thyme

Creeping thyme is a low-growing herb that works especially well as a groundcover around lavender.

It enjoys the same growing conditions — full sun, dry soil, and good drainage — and doesn’t need much water once it’s established. This makes it a practical and attractive option for filling space around the base of lavender plants.

One of the biggest advantages of creeping thyme is its ability to suppress weeds. Its dense, spreading growth helps cover bare soil, blocking sunlight from reaching unwanted plants.

At the same time, it helps retain moisture in the soil, which benefits lavender during hot weather. As it grows, creeping thyme also adds organic matter to the soil, slowly improving its structure over time.

Because of its small size and gentle spread, creeping thyme won’t compete with lavender for nutrients or space.

Instead, it creates a tidy, living mulch that supports both the health and appearance of your garden.

17. Olive Trees

Olive trees and lavender share a natural compatibility, especially in warm, dry climates. Both plants prefer full sun, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil, and don’t require frequent watering.

If you're working with a Mediterranean-style garden or growing in a region with hot summers and mild winters, this pairing makes a lot of sense.

Olive trees grow tall and offer a soft, silvery-green canopy that complements the look of lavender’s foliage.

The two plants look balanced when planted together, especially in larger garden beds or open landscape areas. Since neither plant needs rich soil or heavy feeding, they’re easy to manage together.

Lavender can be planted around the base of olive trees, creating a layered garden look that’s both attractive and functional.

As long as you avoid overwatering and maintain good drainage, lavender and olive trees can thrive side by side with very little upkeep.

Choose lavender companions now to boost growth and cut maintenance!

Choosing the right companion plants for lavender can help you create a garden that’s not only attractive but also more productive and easier to care for.

All 17 plants listed above grow well in similar conditions — full sun, dry soil, and low-maintenance environments.

Some help by repelling pests, others attract pollinators, and many add visual contrast or structural balance to your garden layout.

Whether you're growing herbs, flowers, or shrubs, planting them near lavender can lead to better growth, fewer problems, and a healthier garden overall.

By understanding what each companion plant offers, you can build a space where everything works together naturally.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What plants should not be planted near lavender?

Avoid planting moisture-loving or shade-preferring plants near lavender. These include mint, hostas, and most ferns. Lavender needs dry, sunny conditions, and plants with opposite needs can lead to root rot or poor growth.

Can lavender grow next to vegetables?

Lavender can grow near some vegetables like tomatoes or peppers, which prefer similar sunlight and drainage. However, avoid pairing it with vegetables that need frequent watering or rich soil, such as lettuce or spinach.

How far apart should I plant lavender and its companions?

Spacing depends on the size of the plant, but in general, leave at least 12 to 18 inches between lavender and other small to medium plants. This allows for airflow and reduces the chance of disease.

Will lavender survive winter with these companion plants?

Lavender is hardy in warmer zones, but in colder areas, choose cold-tolerant companions like thyme or oregano. You can mulch around the plants or grow them in containers to move indoors if needed.

Do I need to fertilize companion plants around lavender?

Most of these companion plants do best in low-nutrient soil, just like lavender. Avoid over-fertilizing, as rich soil can weaken the plants and lead to poor flower production.