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9 Companions to Plant With Calendula Flowers

Calendula is one of my all-time faves to use as a companion to so many types of flowers and plants!

These pretty, vibrant-colored flowers don’t only make your garden look great, but they also protect nearby plants from pests and even attract pollinators.

I’ve been growing calendula for donkey’s years, and in that time I’ve found the very best companion plants include:

  • Carrots
  • Potatoes
  • Corn
  • Strawberries
  • Cucumber
  • Roses
  • Lavender
  • Geranium
  • Salvia

In this post, I’ll take a look at all of these, and throw in a load of top tips of the trade for getting your calendula and surrounding plants looking in perfect shape!

Calendula growing alongside tomato plants

5 Fruits and Vegetables That Grow Well With Calendula

Calendula plants can be awesome additions to your vegetable garden for a host of reasons. 

First off, their somewhat strong smell efficiently masks the delicious scent of nearby crops, which helps ward off rabbits and rodents.

Second of all, Calendula flowers release chemicals into the soil that keep damaging nematodes and microorganisms at bay. 

Plus, the color of these lovely blooms is eye-catching for butterflies and bees. The frequent visits of these pollinators contribute to the reproduction of companion plants.

Now that you understand the benefits of growing Calendula with vegetables and fruits, let’s take a look at the best candidates to pair it with in your garden!

1. Carrots

Carrots and Calendula plants can be wonderful partners in a vegetable bed, as carrots will greatly benefit from Calendula’s pest-deterrent nature.

The Calendula helps repel aphids and flea beetles—two of the carrot’s most annoying parasites.

Just remember that you need to space these two plants a foot apart because Calendula flowers tend to grow into big, bushy blooms. You don’t want them to crowd the carrots!

2. Potatoes

Next, you’ve got potatoes as companion plants for the Calendula. What makes them a successful pairing is that they both thrive in the full sun, not to mention that the Calendula aids in the protection of potato leaves by deterring rabbits and potato beetles.

Plus, Calendula plants release compounds into the ground that ward off root-knot nematodes. This minimizes the chances of your potato crop coming out with blemishes.

Potato leaves growing in raised wooden beds in our homestead
Potatoes growing in our homestead

3. Corn

Corn stalks tend to suffer from corn leaf aphids, which are the main concern of many gardeners when growing corn in their yards.

That’s why you can reduce or completely ditch the use of pesticides by planting Calendula with your corn crop.

4. Strawberries

Besides complementing each other’s looks when in full bloom, Calendula plants and strawberries are fantastic companion plants because of how they draw pollinators.

See, Calendula plants attract beneficial insects like bees and hoverflies that help pollinate strawberries. Even better, these tiny creatures often feed on pests that both plants are susceptible to, such as:

5. Cucumbers

Growing cucumbers is surely refreshing in the overpowering heat of summer, but these vegetables are always at risk of attacks by insects and animals like rabbits. They’re also prone to infestations led by:

That’s why we suggest you pair them with Calendula plants to provide a good degree of protection from hungry pests. 

Remember that cucumber is best planted on trellises or along fences because it takes up a lot of space. 

Because Calendula flowers grow quite large, too, try to interplant them next to the trellis or on the border of your vegetable garden to leave enough room for all the plants involved!

4 Flowers That Grow Well With Calendula

Besides having matching growing requirements like sunlight exposure and temperature, the following flowers are great Calendula companions because of how they complement each other’s appearance!

1. Roses

Whether you go for white, red, or pink, combining different-colored roses with your Calendula flowers will surely result in a beautiful flower garden with many eye-catching pops of color.

Better still, some rose varieties are multi-color or two-toned, further increasing the aesthetic appeal of your yard alongside lovely Calendula flowers. 

If you’re unsure which rose types to mix into your Calendula collection, here are our favorites along with their hardiness zones, light needs, and size:

Rose varietyHardiness zoneSun exposureMature size
Cherry Parfait6 to 11Full sun3 to 4 feet
Mardi Gras (Rosa floribunda)5 to 9Full sun3 to 4 feet
About Face (Rosa grandiflora)6 to 11Full sun5 to 6 feet
Falstaff (Rosa falstaff)5 to 11Full sun4 feet
Bonica (Rosa bonica)4 to 11Full sun3 to 5 feet

2. Lavender

You can’t say no to the soft yet proud appearance of lavender flowers, especially since it perfectly contrasts with the Calendula’s bright, daring attire.

Better still, both flowers are tall, creating an effective insect barrier that can contribute to the protection of any vegetables or fruits you interplant with them like tomatoes.

Finally, consider blending lavender into your Calendula collection because the former thrives in almost all soil types. Plus, both plants are pretty low-maintenance!

Close up of lavender flowers
Beautiful lavender flowers make a fantastic companion to calendula

3. Geranium

Geraniums also pair well with Calendula flowers thanks to their pink and purple blooms, giving your garden a colorful appeal that will definitely draw the eye!

Yet, we like these two flowers together even more because the Calendula helps repel the slugs that often feed on Geraniums. Plus, both flowers like the full sun and aren’t hard to grow, making them perfect for beginner gardeners.

In addition, they’re both useful in protecting other crops, like potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots from annoying parasites.

4. Salvia

If you want to add a desirable contrast in height to your flower garden, consider planting Salvia flowers toward the back and Calendula blooms at the front. The former stands tall at two feet with pretty violet blooms that are similar to those of lavenders.

What also makes these two flowers suitable partners is their love for the sun, pollinator attraction abilities, and all-season bloom!

Author

  • Kaylee Vaughn

    Kaylee is the Founder of Rootedrevival.com. She has set up and run two homesteads, a one-acre in Idaho, and her current two-acre dream homestead in the Pacific North West. Her qualifications include a Permaculture Design Certification from Oregon State University, and she is a Gardenary Certified Garden Coach. Kaylee currently produces at least 80% of her own food. She contributes to our site through articles, training and coaching to our clients. You can read more about her at rootedrevival.com/kaylee-vaughn