Combining your roses with complementary perennials, annual flowers, ornamental grasses, shrubs, and vines that enjoy the same growing conditions is a wonderful way to add visual interest and biodiversity to your garden. Some of the best companion plants for roses include lavender, allium, salvia, catmint, marigold, yarrow, and dianthus. Let’s look at some more plants to pair with rose bushes!
Companion planting with roses
There are a few things to consider when choosing companion plants for roses. First, you’ll want to choose plants that will help to support the roses. This includes plants that will add nutrients to the soil and help to keep the roses healthy. You’ll also want to choose plants that will attract beneficial insects and potentially provide protection from the wind. Lastly, certain plants help to deter pest insects, which is an important part of natural rose care.
1. Lavender
Lavender is one of the best companion plants for roses. This small shrubby herb has silvery green-blue foliage and flowers in the summertime. Its fragrant flowers help to repel harmful insects and other garden pests. Most lavender plants have purple flowers, but white lavender varieties are also available.
2. Allium
Allium is another great companion plant for roses. This hardy perennial adds color and texture to the garden, helping attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. The onion-like scent can also deter pests such as aphids. Allium tends to flower in mid-spring before rose bushes start to flower. The alliums can, therefore, help attract these helpful insects to the area before the roses bloom.
3. Salvia
Salvia is another popular plant for companion planting with roses. This herb has beautiful flowers that come in a variety of colors, including red, pink, purple, and white. Salvia adds interest to the garden as it grows throughout the seasons, and its flowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies.
4. Catmint
Catmint is another excellent perennial plant to grow with roses. This perennial herb has grey-green leaves and lavender-blue flowers. It’s a hardy plant that can tolerate some shade, making it ideal for growing under rose bushes. Catmint is also a good plant for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. The spikes of flowers are particularly long-lasting and often stretch from summer into autumn.
5. Marigold
Marigolds are annual flowers known as one of the best overall companion plants available. Marigolds attract beneficial insects and can also repel garden pests such as nematodes and aphids. Adding marigolds to your garden can help to keep roses healthy and thriving, as well as attract pollinators to the garden.
7. Dianthus
Dianthus is another annual flower that’s perfect for growing with roses. This plant has colorful flowers that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. Dianthus is also known for its strong, sweet fragrance. This plant can tolerate some shade, making it ideal for growing beneath rose bushes.
8. Yarrow
Yarrow is a perennial herb that’s perfect for adding color and texture to the garden. It has fern-like leaves and small flowers that come in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, pink, and red. Yarrow is a good plant for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. It’s also known for its ability to tolerate drought conditions, making it ideal for growing in hot, dry climates and for planting in areas that receive full sun.
9. Baby’s breath
Baby’s breath is a perennial with an ethereal airy texture in the garden. This plant pairs well with roses and can add a soft, romantic touch to the landscape. Baby’s Breath is also easy to grow and can tolerate some shade.
10. Feather Grass
Feather Grass is a great ornamental grass to pair with roses. This plant has fine, feathery leaves that add texture and movement to the garden. It’s a drought-tolerant plant that does well in hot, dry climates.
11. Daylily
Daylily is a low-maintenance perennial that works well in front of roses. It adds color and interest to the garden as it grows throughout the year, as well as attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies. Daylilies tolerate dry conditions and some shade, making them ideal for companion planting with roses in hot, dry areas.
12. Agastache
Agastache, also known as Giant Hyssop, is a perennial herb that’s perfect for growing with roses. It has multi-colored flowers that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, as well as help to repel garden pests. Agastache is also tolerant of dry conditions, making it ideal for growing in hot, dry climates.
13. Verbena
Verbena is a tall perennial that’s perfect for adding color and texture to the garden. It has long, arching stems that are covered in small flowers. Verbena comes in a variety of colors, including purple, pink, red, and white. This plant is known for its ability to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. It’s also tolerant of dry conditions, making it ideal for growing in hot, dry areas.
14. Sedum
Sedum is a low-maintenance perennial with interesting foliage and flowers that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. This plant does well in dry conditions and tolerates some shade, making it a great option for companion planting under roses.
15. Campanula
Campanula, also called Bellflower, is a perennial that’s perfect for growing with roses. It has showy, bell-shaped flowers that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. Campanula is also tolerant of dry full-sun conditions.
16. Cosmos
Cosmos is an annual flower that’s perfect for adding color to the garden. These plants are very easy to grow from seed. Sow the seeds around the time that roses are pruned in the spring. Cosmos is available in a variety of colors, including pink, purple, white, and burgundy.
17. Lily
Lilies are a well-known companion plant for roses. These beautiful flowers not only add color to the garden but also attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. Lilies are available in a wide range of colors including white, pink, yellow, and orange.
18. Bee Balm
Bee Balm, also known as Monarda or Wild Bergamot, is a perennial herb that’s perfect for pairing with roses. It has colorful flowers (pink or purple) that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, and it tolerates dry conditions making it ideal for growing in hot climates.
19. Clematis
Clematis is a flowering vine that’s perfect for adding height and variety to the rose garden. This plant attracts a variety of pollinators like bees and butterflies, as well as helps to repel garden pests. Clematis is available in a variety of colors, including pink, white, red, and purple.
20. Echinacea
Echinacea is an herb that comes in many varieties and grows well with roses. It has showy flowers that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, plus it’s known for its ability to repel garden pests. Echinacea is available in colors including purple and white. This plant does well in dry conditions and tolerates some shade, making it ideal for companion planting with roses in hot climates.
21. Coreopsis
Coreopsis is a perennial with yellow, pink, or red daisy-like flowers. This long-blooming plant is a colorful companion for roses in cottage border gardens. It also tolerates dry conditions.
22. Black-Eyed Susan
Black-Eyed Susan is a similar perennial that’s perfect for adding color to the garden. These plants are available in shades of yellow, orange, and red and attract pollinators like bees and butterflies.
23. Nasturtium
Nasturtiums are a popular all-around companion plant. While not commonly planted with roses, they do make wonderful neighbors. These annual vining flowers have a very long blooming period. The flowers are usually orange, but there are also red, cream, and pink varieties available.
24. Delphinium
Delphinium plants are a spectacular companion for roses in the back of a flower border bed. Use them sparingly to avoid overshadowing the roses. Blue delphiniums are a particularly good choice for planting with roses due to the incredible color contrast between the flowers.
25. Foxglove
Foxglove flowers are another popular rose companion plant. Commonly available in pink, purple, white, and peach, these pretty spikes of flowers are a must in a cottage border. They attract many beneficial creatures and are quite low-maintenance once established.
