Every strawberry begins as a flower that a bee has to visit — and a poorly pollinated flower gives you a small, lopsided berry rather than a plump one. So the most useful companions for strawberries are the ones that pull pollinators in, with borage at the top of the list. Old hands have grown borage among their strawberries for generations, and it really does seem to bring sweeter, better-set fruit.
The other job for a strawberry bed's companions is gentle pest control: aromatic alliums like chives and garlic to confuse the pests hunting by smell, and a few flowers to bring in the hoverflies and ladybirds that deal with aphids. Keep the bed open and airy, mulch under the fruit so it stays clean, and the right neighbours do the rest.
Grow these alongside
The classic strawberry partner — a relentless bee magnet that lifts pollination and, by repute, the flavour of the fruit. Edible flowers too.
Pungent alliums that help confuse pests and are said to keep grey mould off the bed; tuck them around the edges.
Low, quick leaves that fill the gaps between young plants and are cropped before the strawberries spread.
Low aromatic herbs that cover the soil, deter some pests and bring in beneficial insects.
Bring in hoverflies whose larvae clear aphids, and brighten the edge of the bed.
Keep these apart
Long-standing poor partners — they seem to check strawberries and compete hard as heavy feeders.
Share some soil diseases (including verticillium wilt) that strawberries are prone to — keep them well apart.
Inhibits many neighbours generally; give it a bed of its own.
Flowers worth tucking in
The blooms that pull pests away and bring in the bees — beauty that earns its keep.
Number-one pollinator plant for strawberries.
Hoverflies in, aphids down.
Beneficial insects and a cheerful, edible edge.
Common questions
What grows well with strawberries?
Borage above all — it brings in the bees that pollinate every flower and is said to sweeten the fruit. Add chives or garlic to help keep pests and mould off, low herbs like thyme and sage to cover the soil, and a few marigolds for the hoverflies that eat aphids.
Why plant borage with strawberries?
Borage is one of the best bee magnets you can grow, and strawberries need plenty of pollinator visits for plump, well-shaped berries. Many growers also swear it improves the flavour. It self-seeds happily, so once you have it you tend to keep it — and the flowers are pretty in a summer drink.
What should not be planted near strawberries?
Keep strawberries away from brassicas (traditional poor partners) and from potatoes, tomatoes and other nightshades, which share soil diseases like verticillium wilt that strawberries catch easily.
Can I plant strawberries in a bed with other crops?
Yes — strawberries are happy sharing space with low, quick crops like lettuce and spinach while they establish, and with aromatic herbs and pollinator flowers around the edges. Just give them room to send out runners and keep the fruit mulched off the soil.
Want the whole picture?
The complete companion planting guide →