Lavender is not only an eye-catcher in the garden, but also a valuable plant for bees and butterflies. However, not every plant feels comfortable next to lavender. If you want to combine your lavender in the best possible way, you should consider the soil and location requirements. Here you can find out which plants are perfect neighbours – and which should keep their distance.
Lavender’s location and soil requirements
Lavender comes from the Mediterranean region and loves it sunny, warm and dry. The soil should be well-drained, rather poor and calcareous. Lavender does not tolerate waterlogging at all – a sandy or gravelly substrate is ideal. Its neighbours should have similar requirements so that all plants grow healthily.
Good neighbours for lavender
Some plants share lavender’s preferences and complement it perfectly, both visually and ecologically. Here are the best companions:
- Culinary Sage, Common Garden Sage, or Garden Sage (Salvia oficinalis): The garden sage is drought-loving and is flowering from June to September.
- Thyme (Thymus): Ideal for dry locations, flowers from May to August in white, pink or purple, depending on the variety.
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare): Mediterranean herbs harmonise perfectly, oregano flowers in delicate shades of pink from June to September.
- Woodland sage (Salvia nemorosa): blooms from May to September in shades of white, blue, purple and pink.
- Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina): This plant tolerates dry conditions well and is therefore an ideal companion for lavender. Stachys byzantina bears rather inconspicuous pink or red flowers from June to August and is cultivated mainly for its silvery, tomentose leaves. Woolly estuary grows as a ground cover and is well suited for bed edging.
- Catmint (Nepeta): Catnip is a long-lasting bloomer with blue or purple flowers from May to September.
- Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis): This evergreen herb bears blue flowers from July to September and loves lean soils.
- Lindheimer’s bee blossom (Gaura lindheimeri): This low-maintenance perennial flowers from June to October. The delicate white or pink flowers, which seem to dance like butterflies over the flower bed, form a beautiful contrast to the spike-shaped flowers of the lavender.
- Ornamental grasses: ornamental grassesbring movement to every herbaceous border and create a harmonious overall picture.
- Carthusian pink (Dianthus carthusianorum): The purple-red flowers of this wild perennial harmonise particularly well with the white-flowering lavender species and varieties. Its small, cupped flowers bloom from June to September.
- Petunias (Petunia): annual petunias look good in a border or pot next to lavender. Petunias flower throughout the summer in many different colours.
These plants create a harmonious look and attract many pollinators without crowding the lavender.
Bad neighbours for lavender
Plants that require moist or nutrient-rich soil do not go well with lavender. These include hostas, ferns, asters, dahlias and rhododendrons.
Why roses are not good neighbours for lavender
Roses and lavender are often planted together, but this combination is problematic. While lavender prefers dry, lean soil, roses need nutrient-rich, moist soil. If you want to provide both plants with optimal conditions, you will either have to water the lavender too often or let the roses go hungry. In addition, lavender has a short lifespan compared to roses, so the design will be difficult in the long term.