Companion Plants For Sunflowers

• 01 of 22 Cucumbers Barbara Rich/Getty Images The tall sunflower stalks that look like trees give cucumber vines something to climb. This keeps the fruits off the ground and lets air flow well. Climbing vines make these stately flowers more stable, but they can still fall over in strong winds. A tall, single-stem sunflower variety works best. Continue to 2 of 22 below .
• 02 of 22 Pole Beans The Spruce / Adrienne Legault If you want to grow pole beans on your sunflower trellises, you need to think about when to do it. This way of gardening is like the “Three Sisters” method of planting, in which corn, squash, and pole beans are planted together. Your sunflowers should be tall enough to give the bean seedlings enough sun. Some types of beans will naturally climb and attach to the sunflower stalks, but others may need to be tied or trained at first. Pick dried or butter beans instead of vining green beans, which can’t grow as tall when sunflowers are around. Beans add nitrogen back to the soil, which is good for plants that need a lot of food, like sunflowers. Choose a tall, single stem sunflower for best results. Continue to 3 of 22 below .
• 03 of 22 Lima Beans Uncle_Benny/Getty s Depending on the type, lima beans can be bushy or send out runners that can climb a sturdy structure like a sunflower. Lima bean roots add nitrogen to the soil, which replenishes nutrients that have been used up. You can plant both types of lima beans with sunflowers as long as there is enough space between the bean plants. Pick a medium to large sunflower with a single stem or few stems that grow together. Continue to 4 of 22 below .
• 04 of 22 Lettuce Kodiak Greenwood/Getty s When planting sunflowers next to lettuces, it’s important to do it at the right time. For early lettuce, choose a shorter, faster-growing sunflower variety. You can succession sow late-season lettuce under tall sunflowers. The goal is to keep lettuce from getting too hot in the afternoon. Some lettuces do better in cool weather, while sunflowers do best in warm, sunny weather. This can be hard to do early in the season. Consider choosing a summer variety lettuce for interplanting with sunflowers. Continue to 5 of 22 below .
• 05 of 22 Spinach JackF/Getty s Spinach grows best when it’s cool, so it won’t do well in the summer. You might be able to get more spinach by planting it more than once under sunflowers that are tall enough to keep the soil cool and give you shade when it gets hot. Other leafy greens, like mustard and Swiss chard, can also be grown next to sunflowers to make the most of the space you have. Continue to 6 of 22 below .
• 06 of 22 Tomatoes Platforma/Getty s Sunflowers are a good way to catch stinkbugs, which eat nightshade plants like tomatoes. Plant them about 2 to 4 feet apart instead of planting them next to each other, which can make it hard to get to your tomatoes because the plants will be competing for nutrients. Too much shade from tall, branching sunflowers can also kill tomato plants. Continue to 7 of 22 below .
• Page 7 of 22: Peppers / Getty Images Sunflowers attract aphids and can be used as a trap crop for these pests that hurt pepper plants. They also bring in lady beetles to devour the aphids. So, instead of planting them next to each other, space them 2 to 4 feet apart. Both plants like it hot and sunny. Sunflowers also attract pollinators to boost the pepper harvest. Any variety can pair well. Continue to 8 of 22 below .
• 08 of 22: Sweet Corn The Spruce / Autumn Wood! When planted next to each other in alternating rows, sweet corn and sunflowers don’t fight over space, sunlight, or nutrients. Plant tall sunflowers between your rows of sweet corn. The deep roots of the sunflowers will break up the soil and help the corn grow strong roots. Bees are drawn to sunflowers and help pollinate corn so that the ears are full and even. Continue to 9 of 22 below .
• 09 of 22 Squash Steve Cicero/Getty Images Summer and winter squash both have long vines that grow along the ground. They will help keep the soil cool and wet if you plant them at the base of your sunflowers. Sunflowers attract bees and other pollinators that squash plants need to make their flowers grow. They also bring in big-eyed bugs that eat squash bugs that hurt your crop. Sunflowers that are taller work best because they make room for squash plants’ big, straight leaves. Continue to 10 of 22 below .
• 10 of 22 Pumpkin Will Heap / Getty s Plant sunflowers around the edges of your pumpkin patch to attract the pollinators that will help feed the crop. Putting pumpkins in between your sunflowers doesn’t work as well as this. Both plants need a lot of nutrients, and planting them together can make your pumpkin crop grow too slowly. Sunflowers have time to grow before pumpkins because they are planted later in the season. Any variety of sunflower works with pumpkins when planted properly. Continue to 11 of 22 below .
• Picture 11 of 22: Onions / Getty Images Planting alliums like leeks, shallots, and garlic at the base of your sunflower crop is a good way to save space in a small garden. Even though these plants need the same amount of water, they don’t get any of the same bugs. Animal pests like deer and rabbits are scared off by the strong smell of alliums. Before you plant, work well-rotted compost into the ground to give sunflowers and onions lots of nutrients. Continue to 12 of 22 below .
• 12 of 22 Carrots The Spruce / K. Dave Carrots are considered resistant to sunflower allelopathy. Their roots get nutrients from deeper in the ground than sunflower roots do, so they don’t have to compete for nutrients. Sunflowers block the hot afternoon sun, but remember that this plant needs at least six hours of sun every day. It makes sense to plant the two crops together, or you can plant sunflowers on the west side of the carrot crop. Continue to 13 of 22 below .
• 13 of 22 Beets The Spruce / K. Dave Like carrots, beets are resistant to sunflower allelopathy. Beets are often planted early in the garden and then sown again and again to get a longer harvest. Sunflowers in the afternoon also help crops that come after them. Plant sunflowers of any kind on the west side of your beet crop or move plants around to save space. Continue to 14 of 22 below .
• 14 out of 22: Denise Taylor/Getty s. turnips are the third vegetable crop that can’t be affected by sunflower allelopathy. Most of the time, turnips are grown in early spring or in the fall. Sunflowers protect young turnips seedlings from the hot summer sun. After the onions are picked, you might want to plant a late-blooming turnip crop with your sunflowers. Continue to 15 of 22 below .
• 15 of 22 Dill By Eve Livesey / Getty. The fern-like leaves of dill make the base of sunflower stalks more interesting. Ladybugs are drawn to this fragrant herb because it eats aphids that hurt your sunflowers. Also, lacewings and tachinid wasps eat dill pollen and help keep other bugs out of the garden. Sunflowers can’t compete with dill because it has a deep taproot and doesn’t need much food. Continue to 16 of 22 below .
• 16 of 22 Chives by Catherine McQueen/Getty Images Like other alliums, chives have a strong smell that keeps bugs and animals away. Because their roots are shallow and they don’t need much food, they might grow well with sunflowers. Continue to 17 of 22 below .
• Fig. 17 of 22: Basil Fig. 17 of 22: Basil is another herb with a strong smell that keeps many bugs away. Putting basil next to sunflowers may also help block the sun so basil plants don’t flower too early. Continue to 18 of 22 below .
• 18 of 22 Marigolds Lex20 / iStock / Getty s Marigolds and sunflowers look good together because of their bright orange and yellow colors. These flowers also repel aphids attracted to your sunflower crop. Continue to 19 of 22 below .
• 19 of 22 Nasturtiums Jenny Dettrick/Getty Images Nasturtiums keep certain bugs away that are drawn to sunflowers. These flowers that do well in cool weather benefit from sunflowers’ shade, which can make the blooming season last into fall. Continue to 20 of 22 below .
• 20 of 22 Zinnias The Spruce / Letõ­cia Almeida Zinnias are easy-to-care-for plants that bloom with single-ray or double flowers in a wide range of colors. They let all kinds of pollinators into your gardens. When planted with tall, single-stem or branching sunflowers, plants with branches make the garden look more interesting and beautiful. Before putting these two flowers together, work well-rotted compost into the soil. Both of them need a lot of food. Continue to 21 of 22 below .
• 21 of 22 Blueberries Fanny Martin / EyeEm / Getty s Blueberry bushes need a lot of pollination, so planting them near sunflowers can help catch the honeybees and wild bees that are needed for a good harvest. But make sure your sunflowers are far enough away that they don’t block the blueberries’ sunlight, which can make them grow slowly. Continue to 22 of 22 below .
• 222 of 2202 Raspberries The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova Sunflowers can hold up tall, straggly raspberry vines or, when planted next to them, can block wind from damaging the vines. Pick a type of sunflower and place it next to another plant so that both of them can get a lot of sun.

Plants to Avoid Pairing With Sunflowers

• Plants that grow potatoes can get sunflower allelopathy, which makes the seeds not germinate well and makes the potatoes small and misshapen.
• Peas: Peas could hang from sunflowers, but sunflowers won’t get tall enough to support them because peas are an early crop and sunflowers won’t grow into fall crops.
• Green Beans: Sunflower toxins can hurt green beans, making plants grow slowly and not harvest much fruit.
• Cole crops: Aphids can get into cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, and other cole crops that are grown next to sunflowers.
• Strawberries: These low-growing berries stunt and don’t produce fruit when sunflowers block too much sunlight.
• Sunflowers and black-eyed Susans are both in the same family, Asteraceae, and can pollinate each other if they are planted too close to each other.

Best Companion Planting Flowers for the Vegetable Garden

FAQ

What flower goes best with sunflowers?

• Roses:

  Red or white roses create a striking contrast against the bright yellow of sunflowers. 

• Dallias:

  Offer rich colors and intricate petal shapes, adding sophistication and depth. 

• Red Lilies:

  Provide a vibrant pop of color and complement the sunflower’s cheerful nature. 

What is a good companion plant for sunflowers?

• Zinnias:

  Zinnias are vibrant, attracting beneficial insects like bees and butterflies, which are important for sunflower pollination. They also have similar growth needs to sunflowers, so they can thrive alongside them. 

• Corn:

  Corn can be planted near sunflowers to break up the soil, potentially improving the growth of both plants. 

• Beans:

  Beans, like lima beans, can be planted near sunflowers as they climb up the sturdy sunflower stalks, offering a natural support system. They also add nitrogen to the soil, benefiting the sunflower. 

• Tomatoes:

  Sunflowers can attract pollinators like bees and birds to tomato plants, helping with fertilization. 

What is the best combination with sunflower?

Zinnias. Zinnias are vibrant flowers in various colours, from red and pink to orange and yellow. Lavender. Lavender’s delicate purple flowers are the perfect contrast to sunflowers’ bold yellow. Cosmos. Black-eyed Susans. Daisies. Marigolds. Peonies. Coneflowers.

What do you associate with sunflowers?

… ancient Greek mythology to Van Gogh’s iconic paintings, sunflowers have been celebrated as representations of joy, loyalty, and even spiritual enlightenmentApr 7, 2025.

What flowers grow well with sunflowers?

Sunflowers can make great companion plants with a variety of flowers that have similar growing requirements. Here are some flowers that grow well with sunflowers: Marigolds: Marigolds are easy to grow and are known to repel pests like nematodes and whiteflies. They also have bright, cheerful flowers that can complement the large, showy sunflowers.

Are sunflowers companion plants?

But even more than companion plants benefitting sunflowers, sunflowers can help other plants thrive. Their tall stature can shade and support summer plants and flowers that can’t handle the hot sun, and their bright yellow flowers will bring pollinators to your whole garden. What Are The Best Sunflower Companion Plants?.

What plants grow in the shade of a sunflower?

Cucumbers are another plant that thrives from the shade a sunflower provides to its surroundings. The sturdy stocks of sunflowers also provide structure for cucumber vines to grow.

Which plants are good neighbors to sunflowers?

Here’s a guide on which plants serve as great neighbors to sunflowers: Repels nematodes and mosquitoes while attracting pollinators like bees. Tomatoes benefit from the shade provided by taller sunflower stalks in peak summer. Zucchinis can grow heftier with the stalk support from sunflowers.

Should you plant sunflowers with friends?

Laura Janney is the founder and owner of The Inspired Garden. While sunflowers are known for being low-maintenance, easygoing flowers, they can benefit from growing with friends. Planting sunflowers alongside companion plants can help shield them from pests like beetles, aphids, and weevils.

Are sunflowers good for summer?

Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are our most beautiful summer and autumn flowers. They are perfectly fine when planted independently but can create many benefits when paired with various plants and vegetables.