Blueberry Companion Plants: Full List of Pairings
Blueberry Companion Plants: Full List of Pairings
Blueberry bushes make wonderful additions to any backyard, serving as attractive and practical shrubs that can feed you and any bird visitors! That said, they take time to grow, and once they’re fully grown they can take up a lot of space. Here are some of the best blueberry companion plants to grow around them so you can maximize both plants’ health, yield, and space needs. There’s also a list at the end with bad companion plants for blueberries so you know which ones to avoid.
Growing Requirements
Blueberries love acidic soil with a pH level around 4.5. They prefer full sun, although they can survive with partial sunlight when needed. They have delicate, shallow root systems (around 2 feet deep and wide at their largest) that shouldn’t be disturbed. Their mature size can vary greatly, with highbush varieties growing up to 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Most are smaller, but it’s important to carefully read the spacing requirements for your variety before planting them or planning companions.
The biggest problem for potential companions is the acidic soil part – ideal companion plants for blueberry bushes love acid and won’t compete for sun or root space. Blueberry plants don’t have too many issues with pests aside from the spotted wing drosophila and the dreaded Japanese beetle. They benefit from having lots of pollinators in spring, so fellow spring blooming flowers make great companions.
Naturally, some of the best companion plants for blueberries are fellow blueberries, since they all like the exact same growing conditions and enjoy cross-pollinating in the same blueberry patch. You’ll always get the best results when you have at least two blueberries, even if they’re different varieties! That said, there are many other excellent companion plants you can grow nearby to benefit your patch, whether that has just one blueberry plant or several.
Full List of Blueberry Companion Plants
The following plants can help aid the health, pollination, and fruit production of your blueberries, along with maximizing the space around these large bushes. Some require growing the companion a short distance away from the blueberry bush, while others require interplanting them amongst the blueberry shrubs.
If you need help with the basics of companion planting, check out the full companion planting guide with links to many other pairings for fruits, vegetables, and herbs in your home garden. Otherwise, here’s the list that’s specific to blueberries:
Fruits to Grow with Blueberries
• Cranberries – While not a traditional backyard fruit, cranberry bushes make a great companion plant for blueberries! They’re both native to North America and like similar conditions, including acidic, moist soil.
• Strawberries – Perennial strawberry plants make excellent ground cover for keeping weeds down year after year. Just be careful to get a shade-loving variety or plant the strawberries on the south side of your blueberries so they’ll still get sun, or the fruits won’t ripen properly.
Annual Flowers to Plant Near Blueberries
• Nasturtiums – Nasturtiums enjoy similar soil and may attract pollinators to blueberry blossoms if planted early enough.
• Native Wildflower Mixes – Plant low-growing native wildflowers around blueberries to encourage pollination and add ground cover. This works particularly well if you grow your blueberries on a little used hill or border of your property where weeds and grasses would normally fill in, so you’ll have beautiful flowers and better pollinated blueberry flowers instead! You can discover which wildflowers are native to your region by using a native plant finder.
Perennial Flowers and Bushes to Grow Near Blueberries
• American Holly – Holly bushes enjoy the same acidic, well-drained soil that blueberries do, and they grow happily side by side. While they seem like purely ornamental plants, these bushes offer berries that are great for attracting birds in winter!
• Azaleas – Azaleas also love acidic soil, so they go great near blueberry bushes. They like living in partial shade and can be planted slightly in the shadow of your blueberry. Just make sure you leave a few feet between the two plants since they both grow so large.
• Columbine – Columbine is another great perennial that draws in pollinators. It works especially well if you choose a variety that blooms at the same time as your blueberry flowers.
• Heather – Heather makes a great ground cover for blueberries, since it likes similar growing conditions. In warmer zones of the northeast, it can come back as a perennial each year.
• Lilacs – Lilacs produce beautiful white, pink, or purple flowers that attract pollinators and bloom around the same time as blueberries. Both lilacs and blueberries can grow large, though, so give them plenty of space in between. Check to see how large both plants will get and space them accordingly. Lilacs are usually larger and should be grown on the north side to ensure they don’t impede sunlight for the blueberries.
• Mountain Laurel – Mountain laurel likes the same soil as blueberries. Since it’s a bush too, give plenty of space between the two so they won’t interfere with each other once they reach maturity.
• Rhododendrons – Rhododendrons like some shade and the same type of acidic soil that blueberries do, making them great companions. Both can grow large, though, so plant the rhododendron several feet north of the blueberries to make sure it doesn’t interfere with the berries’ sun.
• Hydrangea – Hydrangea bushes love acidic soil as much as blueberries! They prefer shade, so plant them on the north side of your blueberry garden to make both plants happy.
Trees to Plant Blueberries Near
• Conifers – Planting blueberry bushes near established evergreen trees, including pines, spruces, hemlocks, and firs, is a great way to make sure blueberries get the acid they need. Pine trees in particular make great options, since the pine needles are acidic. While the blueberries shouldn’t be planted directly under the trees (they won’t get enough full sun if you do) growing them on a sunny or southern side of your trees can work. You can plant them below the outer rim of branches, where they’ll naturally have needles and cones dropped on them.
• Flowering Dogwood – Flowering dogwood grows as a shrub or tree, but either one makes a great partner for blueberries. Both dogwood trees and blueberries enjoy acidic, moist soil.
• Oak Trees – Oaks like acidic soil and can actually improve soil conditions for blueberries, since the oak helps retain water and offers some natural mulch. Don’t plant the blueberry too close to the tree, though, or it will get too much shade.
Herbs to Plant Near Blueberries
• Basil – Basils are also acid-loving plants, making them great companions around your blueberries.
• Borage – Borage enjoys the same acidic conditions as blueberries and, when blooming, draws in pollinators. Borage can also reseed itself, making it an excellent long-term ground cover for blueberries. It can take over areas if not trimmed back, though, so avoid it if you grow your blueberry shrubs in the backyard.
• Catmint – Catmint can help deter Japanese beetles and enjoys similar soil conditions to blueberries.
• Chives – Chives may help prevent Japanese beetles. They are fellow perennial plants that like slightly acidic soil.
• Comfrey – Comfrey fixes nitrogen, which can help improve soil quality for the blueberries. It reseeds easily, so don’t plant it if you keep your blueberries near your lawn or garden.
• Dill – Dill attracts lacewings, whose larvae feed on spotted wing drosophila. Dill enjoys similar soil conditions to blueberry shrubs.
• Lemon Balm – Lemon balm helps attract beneficial insects that may help cut down on the Japanese beetle population near your blueberries.
• Lovage – Lovage enjoys the same soil conditions as blueberries and helps attract beneficial insects like lacewings.
• Parsley – Parsley helps attract insects like the tachinid fly, which lays eggs on Japanese beetles and ultimately kills them. It also likes acidic soil.
• Rosemary – Rosemary enjoys similar soil and attracts pollinators during blueberries’ blooming time.
• Sage – Sage grows happily in acidic soil and may help deter pests.
• Thyme – Thyme makes a great ground cover around blueberries and may help with pest control due to its strong scent. It is a perennial in most northeast states.
• Yarrow – Yarrow draws in beneficial pollinators during the blueberries’ blooming season.
Other Good Companion Plants for Blueberries
• Clover – Clover is one of the best cover crops for any plant, including blueberries. It adds nitrogen to the soil while also offering weed control and soil moisture around the base of your blueberries.
• Ferns – Acid-loving ferns make good ground cover around tall, dense blueberry varieties. They’ll appreciate the shade that blueberries offer.
Bad Companion Plants for Blueberries
Some vegetables, fruits, and trees should be kept away from blueberries. These bad companion plants for blueberries require different soil conditions or can otherwise hurt the blueberry bushes.
• Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Other Brassicas – Brassicas compete with blueberries for water and essential nutrients. They also prefer alkaline soil.
• Cucumbers, Melons, and Squashes – These plants feed heavily on water and nutrients, leading to lots of competition with blueberries. They also prefer a more alkaline soil pH and won’t flourish in the acidic soil blueberries love.
• Eggplants, Peppers, Potatoes, Tomatoes, and Other Nightshades – Nightshades aren’t fond of the acidic soil blueberries need.
• Walnut Trees – Walnut trees emit juglone, which is toxic to blueberry bushes.
FAQs About Blueberry Companion Plants
What should you not plant next to blueberries?
Most vegetables, along with melons and walnuts, should not be grown near blueberries.
What is good to put around blueberry bushes?
Low-growing plants (usually referred to as ground cover) are best for growing around the base of blueberry bushes, since they act as a living mulch by keeping weeds down and making harvesting easier. Clover, thyme, and strawberries are all great options.
Do blueberries need full sun?
In general, blueberries prefer full sun. That said, they can survive and still produce in partial shade, especially in warmer zones where the sun’s rays are more intense.
Do blueberry bushes need a trellis?
No, blueberries do not require trellises, so other self-supporting plants are fine to grow around them.
What is a companion plant for blueberries?
Great companion plants for blueberries include strawberry plants, thyme, parsley, dill, borage, clover, and many others.
Can you plant blueberries next to other plants?
Yes, blueberry bushes can be planted near previously established conifers, oak trees, dogwoods, lilacs, cranberries, rhododendrons, and more. The important thing is to not plant the blueberries and their companions so close together that the blueberries lose access to direct sunlight. They also need adequate underground space for the blueberry roots to develop.
Do strawberries and blueberries grow well together?
Yes, blueberries and strawberries make great companion plants! They both like acidic soil, and the strawberries offer ground cover to help with weeds around the blueberries.
Happy Blueberry Companion Planting!
You now have plenty of great blueberry companion plants to consider adding to your blueberry garden. If you’re getting new blueberry bushes, try to plant them strategically around the trees and bushes you already have. If you’re planning to maximize the space around already established blueberries, go for small herbs, flowers, and fruits that will fill in around the plants and potentially offer ground cover.
Are birds bothering your blueberries? Here’s how to keep them away.
