What to Plant With Roses: The Best Companion Plants

When choosing what to plant with roses, the right companion plants can look beautiful, improve growing conditions, and even solve problems. Many varieties can be selected to ward off pests, improve the soil, or have a beneficial effect on plant health in other ways.

Pick companion plants that are a good fit for roses because they thrive in the same sun exposure, soil type, and USDA zones and have similar growing needs. Catmint, lavender, and verbena are just a few classic options when choosing rose companion plants.

Plants That Look Good With Roses

Texture, color, and form are all important in the aesthetics of companion planting. Plants with tall spires like snapdragons complement the wide, cup-shaped flowers of roses, while perennials and shrubs with pale green, silver, or purple leaves like English lavender accentuate the sumptuous rose blossoms. Companion planting can also extend the flowering season by providing color between the main flushes of rose bloom in early summer and fall. Sun-loving annuals such as lantana and verbena fill in the space around roses well and do well in the same amount of light.

Plants That Solve Problems for Roses

Some plants can play a role in helping roses to thrive. The feathery purple and blue-gray catmint (Nepeta) beautifully offsets a pale pink rose, and its wispy spires gracefully camouflage any blemishes that may occur on the rose’s foliage.

While the tops of roses are nice and lush, the bottoms can become leggy and sparse. Good rose companions are those that hide their bare legs. Traditionally, lavender (Lavandula), catmint (Nepeta), and tall growing pinks (Dianthus) all make good partners. Good companions also act as living mulches—suppressing weeds and lightly shading the soil, keeping rose roots nice and cool.

Plants That Don't Compete With Roses

Ideal rose companions enjoy the same growing conditions but do not compete too aggressively with the roses. Roses do best in full sun and well-drained soil, and so should their companions. Plants that are too aggressive may crowd the roses and absorb too much water and nutrients from the soil.

Many sun-loving annuals, such as heliotropes (Heliotropium), lantana (Lantana), verbena (Verbena) and million bells petunia (Calibrachoa), hold up well throughout the summer and fill the space among roses nicely. They all have modest water requirements and will benefit from the heavy feeding regime that roses demand.

Plants That Discourage Pests

Good companions are said to enhance one another's growth or protect each other from harm in some way. Some companion plants may help discourage pests without the use of chemicals because there are natural substances in their leaves, flowers, or roots that repel insects.

Members of the onion family, such as chives, ornamental alliums, and edible onions, increase the perfume of roses, ward off aphids, and prevent black spot.

Herbs and other aromatic plants make wonderful rose companions and all may help ward off Japanese beetles and aphids, including:

• Scented geraniums (Pelargonium): This favorite flower repels Japanese beetles and cabbageworms.
• Rue (Ruta): The strong scent of the Ruel plant repels ants and beetles alike.
• Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium): This plant repels bees and flies because it contains pyrethrin.
• Parsley (Petroselinum): Parsley is known to repel beetles and attract beneficial insects instead.
• Thyme (Thymus): This herb keeps whiteflies and hornworms away.
• Marigolds (Tagetes): One of the strongest scented flowers, they guard against aphids and whiteflies.
• Culinary sage (Salvia): The strong scent of sage repels snails and cabbage moths.
• Anise-hyssop (Agastache): This plant can repel pests such as cabbage moths.
• Russian-sage (Perovskia): This plant has aromatic foliage that spider mites and aphids shy away from.
• Lavender (Lavandula): The sweet and pleasant smell of lavender scares away many types of moths and flies.
• Yarrow (Achillea): Yarrow repels many a flying pest and its natural oils are said to be stronger than some chemical repellants.
• Oregano (Origanum): This herb's peppery aroma repels cabbage worms and beetles.
• Catmint (Nepeta): The minty-flavored leaves are known to repel squash bugs as well as aphids.

Tomatoes allegedly prevent black spot, though not many people are inclined to combine roses and tomatoes. Lavender and catmint are good at keeping rabbits away. Four o’clocks (Mirabilis) and larkspur (Consolida) act as decoys by attracting rose-loving Japanese beetles to eat their poisonous leaves. Yarrow attracts ladybugs who in turn feed on aphids.

How to Plant Rose Companions

Remember to plant rose companions at least 1 foot away from your roses so that you do not disturb their roots. Leather gauntlet gloves might come in handy when working in your rose garden. Thorn-resistant kidskin leather molds to your hands and stress points at thumb and fingertips are reinforced for long-lasting wear.

Create a healthy open structure for your roses with good pruning practices. Always maintain good air circulation around your plants to help prevent attacks from pests and diseases. With proper care of your roses, you will be able to surround them with many interesting companions.