Pepper Companion Plants: Full List of Pairings

Pepper Companion Plants: Full List of Pairings

From sprout to harvest, you want your pepper plants to stay happy, healthy, and productive. One of the best ways to manage that is by planting the right pepper companion plants! Luckily, there’s a very long list of plants that make good neighbors for your peppers.

Full List of Pepper Companion Plants

The following vegetables, flowers, and herbs all work well with both bell and hot peppers. They may improve soil quality, discourage harmful pests and diseases, and otherwise help your pepper plants grow large and tasty.

Plan how you’ll arrange your peppers and their companions ahead of time. Large companion plants need enough space to make sure that they won’t eventually choke out your peppers. Most seed packets come with spacing information, so take both your pepper and the companion’s needs into consideration when planning. If you purchase from a greenhouse, ask the staff for size and spacing information.

If you’re new to the potential benefits of companion planting in your garden beds, check out the beginner’s guide. Otherwise, read on for the full list of the best companion plants for peppers.

Vegetables to Plant with Peppers

• Beans, Peas, and Other Legumes – Bush beans, pole beans, peas, and other legumes grow happily alongside peppers and offer shade/wind protection. They are nitrogen fixers, which can help enhance soil fertility. While some suggest that the nitrogen from bean plants can be a problem for peppers, I’ve never had an issue planting the two together. The only worry is keeping them spaced properly so that they don’t crowd each other.

• Beets, Carrots, and Parsnips – These root crops can be grown in between pepper rows as ground cover, helping to retain soil moisture.

• Corn – While it may seem counterintuitive given its height, corn can actually make a good pepper companion plant. The corn’s shade and wind-breaking abilities can keep peppers from drying out, and it may act as an aphid trap crop for your peppers.

• Cucumbers – Sprawling cucumbers can offer ground cover for moisture retention and weed prevention. Make sure you leave plenty of room between the two or use a trellis.

• Lettuce, Spinach, and Chard – Lettuce plants, spinach, and chard all provide great ground cover for your peppers, retaining soil moisture and preventing weeds. In return, the peppers shade the cool-weather-loving leafy greens, keeping the soil cool.

• Okra – This southern favorite makes an excellent pepper companion, since it enjoys similar growing conditions. And yes, you can grow it in the north: simply start it indoors about 6 weeks ahead of time. A good variety is Clemson Spineless, which is ready to harvest in about 55 days.

• Onions, Garlic, and Other Alliums – Members of the allium family are excellent companions for peppers, since they all help keep harmful pests like aphids and spider mites at bay. 

• Other Pepper Varieties – Some gardeners worry about growing different pepper varieties close together. (For example, a few bell pepper plants, a tabasco, and a jalapeno all in one space.) While it’s true that they can cross-pollinate, the results are only noticeable when you grow seeds from the previous year’s crop. As long as you don’t intend to save the seeds, feel free to grow all your peppers together! They benefit from each other’s company and can improve pepper plant pollination.

• Pumpkins, Zucchini, Yellow, and Winter Squashes – Given ample space, even large squashes can make good companions for your peppers. They help retain soil moisture and prevent weed buildup.

• Radishes – Radishes grow quickly and pair well in between rows of peppers as ground cover. If started before your peppers, they can also function as a trap crop for flea beetles.

Flowers to Plant Near Peppers

• Alyssum – Alyssum acts as a ground cover while also attracting beneficial insects that feed on aphids and other pests. Its sweet scent draws in parasitic wasps and parasitoid wasps, offering natural pest control.

• Calendula – Pretty calendula attracts pollinators and other beneficial bugs.

• Geraniums – Large, attractive geraniums repel a number of bugs, including those awful Japanese beetles that infest the garden every summer.

• Marigolds – Both French and African marigolds can deter bugs like whiteflies and nematodes. French marigolds, in particular, are known for their pest control benefits. The strong scent of marigolds can repel many common garden pests for tomatoes as well.

• Nasturtiums – Nasturtiums can act as a great trap crop when planted near your peppers. They also bring in pollinators. But give them plenty of space – they get very bushy!

• Petunias – Colorful petunias help keep common pests at bay.

• Sunflowers – Sunflowers encourage beneficial insects, like pollinators and predatory bugs that feed on pests.

Herbs to Plant Near Peppers

The following herbs can all keep away pests, and some may improve the flavor of peppers:

• Anise

• Basil

• Bee Balm

• Borage

• Chives

• Cilantro

• Dill

• Hyssop

• Lovage

• Marjoram

• Oregano

• Parsley

• Rosemary

• Thyme

• Yarrow

What NOT to Plant Next to Peppers

You should place some plants and trees far away from peppers. They can share diseases or will otherwise stunt your pepper’s growth.

• Apricots – Apricot trees and peppers can share diseases.

• Broccoli, Cabbage, and Kohlrabi – These members of the brassica family have different soil preferences.

• Fennel – Fennel can inhibit the growth of pepper plants.

• Potatoes – Potatoes and peppers can share blight and other fungal diseases.

Possible Companion Plants: Tomatoes and Eggplants

I’ve added tomatoes and eggplants to an additional section for possible or “proceed with caution” companion plants. Eggplants and tomatoes are often considered good companions for peppers because they’re all in the nightshade family and have similar growth needs.

However, that can also be a problem: tomatoes and eggplants can share diseases and pests, and they’ll require the same nutrients as peppers since they’re in the same family.

If you choose to plant eggplants or tomatoes with your peppers, make sure you rotate your crops frequently and plant the nightshades in an area where they weren’t planted last year. Don’t crowd them all – offering space for airflow between all the tall, bushy plants will lessen the chance of rot and shared diseases.

Happy Planting!

By adding these great companion plants to your vegetable garden, you’ll be more likely to have a healthy and productive pepper patch, offering many health benefits for all plants involved. Companion planting can lead to improved soil health, better plant growth, and a more productive garden. Have fun growing your pepper plants, whether they’re sweet bell peppers, hot cherry peppers, or other varieties! 

Looking for more pepper-related tips? Here’s a guide to how often to water peppers for the best results in your home garden.