Peppers and chillies are close cousins of the tomato, and they like the same things: warmth, shelter, steady water and plenty of food. Their most useful companions do the familiar jobs — herbs and flowers to bring in pollinators for a better fruit set, and decoy or aromatic plants to keep aphids off the soft new growth they love.
Basil is the classic partner, just as it is with tomatoes: it enjoys the same warm, sheltered spot, may help keep aphids and whitefly down, and the two are made for each other in the kitchen. Tuck marigolds around the edge and a nasturtium or two nearby, and you've given your peppers the best possible company.
Grow these alongside
Loves the same warmth, may deter aphids and whitefly, and a perfect kitchen partner.
Bring in hoverflies that clear aphids and brighten a warm, sheltered bed.
A sacrificial trap that lures aphids onto themselves, away from the peppers.
Aromatic alliums that help confuse pests hunting by scent, without crowding.
Low crops that make use of the ground at the base of the plants without competing for height.
A bee magnet that boosts pollination and fruit set in the warmth.
Keep these apart
Releases compounds that can check nearby plants — best in a bed of its own.
Heavy feeders that compete hard for the same food and prefer cooler, different conditions.
Same family, sharing some soil diseases — keep a little distance between them.
Flowers worth tucking in
The blooms that pull pests away and bring in the bees — beauty that earns its keep.
Hoverflies in, aphids down.
Sacrificial aphid trap, edible flowers.
Bees and better fruit set all summer.
Common questions
What can I plant with peppers and chillies?
Basil is the standout — same warm conditions, possible aphid deterrence, and lovely together in the kitchen. Add marigolds and nasturtiums to manage aphids and bring in hoverflies, chives or spring onions to confuse pests, and borage for the bees that improve fruit set.
Can you grow peppers and tomatoes together?
Yes — they're close relatives that want exactly the same warmth, feeding and watering, so they make easy neighbours in a greenhouse or sunny bed. Just give each plant room for air to move around it, and feed both well, as they're hungry.
What should not be planted near peppers?
Keep peppers away from fennel (which inhibits many plants), from heavy-feeding brassicas that compete for nutrients, and don't crowd them right up against potatoes, with which they share some soil diseases.
Want the whole picture?
The complete companion planting guide →