Thyme is a wonderful companion plant in the garden. The creeping nature of many varieties of this herb means it makes an excellent living mulch, and its strong fragrance deters insect pests like whiteflies and cabbageworms. And when its lovely little flowers bloom, thyme attracts pollinators and other beneficial insects too! Some plants, however, don’t get along well with thyme. So which are the best companion plants for thyme?
Best Companion Plants for Thyme
The best companion plants for thyme will share similar growing requirements, such as average to dry soil and full sun, though thyme can also be planted in a container and placed near its companions. This is a great option when using thyme, which is a perennial, as a companion for annuals.
While most thyme companion plants are on the receiving end of benefits, some will also improve the growth of the thyme. Here are some of the best options to help you decide where to plant thyme in your garden.
1. Brassicas
My attempts to grow broccoli and other brassicas have often been frustrated by caterpillars decimating my crop. It seems I should try growing them with thyme, which deters cabbageworms, cabbage moths, and cabbage loopers, as well as aphids and flea beetles! Plus, thyme flowers attract ladybugs and other predatory insects that feed on these devastating pests.
Potted thyme can be placed near plants in the cabbage family, or the brassicas can be sown into an established patch of thyme to benefit from its helpful quality as a low-growing ground cover.
2. Eggplant
Eggplants are also unfortunately popular with moths, and whiteflies like to munch on them too. Here, again, thyme comes to the rescue! Its strong aroma helps repel moths, whiteflies, and other eggplant pests, and its pretty little blooms attract predatory insects that feed on any pests that get through anyway. As with brassicas, arrange pots of thyme near eggplants or plant the eggplants into a thyme patch.
Tips for growing delicious eggplants.
3. Lavender
Like thyme, lavender needs full sun and average to dry soil with excellent drainage. It also has some wonderful pest-repelling qualities that overlap with and complement those of thyme, so planting these two together multiplies the impact. If you want to establish an herb garden in or near your vegetable garden, Mediterranean herbs like lavender and thyme are great to grow together, as they get along well and complement each other.
Here’s an easy to follow lavender growing guide.
4. Marigolds
A list of companion plants would hardly be complete without marigolds! These annual flowers brighten up any space with their showy ruffled blossoms, ferny foliage, and spicy fragrance. But they also deter a range of pests and attract many beneficial insects to the garden. Sound familiar? It should! Thyme offers many similar benefits, meaning marigolds and thyme work great together to alleviate problems in the vegetable garden.
Check out these tips for growing marigolds.
5. Marjoram
Marjoram shares cultural requirements with thyme, making them great companions to grow together in the perennial herb garden. It too helps keep away pests with its aroma and draw in pollinators and predatory insects with its flowers. And it is said that marjoram benefits nearby plants by improving their growth as well as their flavor — so this is one of those rare plants that has something to offer to thyme.
6. Oregano
Very similar to marjoram — and in fact sometimes called wild marjoram — oregano is a good thyme companion plant for many of the same reasons. If you struggle with cabbage butterflies, oregano will double the effects of thyme, as it also repels cabbage butterflies. Plus, this versatile herb shows up in many recipes and is often used alongside thyme in the kitchen.
7. Rosemary
Yet another Mediterranean herb, rosemary also has the same growing requirements as thyme. Lavender, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme are great herbs to plant in the same section of the herb garden, and any of them can be paired in containers too. Rosemary deters cabbage moths as well as bean beetles, carrot flies, and Japanese beetles. Make sure to grow this tender perennial near a wall or move its pot to sheltered location in winter if temperatures where you live frequently drop below freezing.
8. Strawberries
Plant a creeping variety of thyme around strawberries to act as a weed-suppressing ground cover. As an added benefit, the scent of the thyme will help keep insect pests away from the strawberries, and of course the flowers encourage pollinators and other beneficial insects to visit. Grow these two around the base of a fruit tree, and you have yourself a fruit tree guild!
9. Tomatoes
I have struggled with two major pests in my tomato beds: whiteflies, which can destroy newly planted seedlings, and tomato hornworms, which can devour entire branches or even whole fruits overnight. The first are miniscule, and the second are absolutely ginormous. The good news is that thyme deters both of these devastating tomato pests! And it serves as a nice living mulch under the tall, spindly tomato plants.
Worst Companion Plants for Thyme
Although thyme is a great companion for many plants in the garden, there are a few it just doesn’t grow well with. For the most part, this has to do with incompatible growing requirements. Here are four of the worst companion plants for thyme:
- Celery
- Cilantro
- Corn
- Cucumbers
All four of these plants need a lot of water, whereas thyme doesn’t like wet feet, so either one wouldn’t get enough water, or the other would get too much. And corn provides too much shade to keep thyme happy.
With the exception of a handful of plants, thyme provides some wonderful benefits to a wide range of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Whether you’re looking to repel pests, provide ground cover, or feed pollinators, thyme is an excellent addition to the garden.
