Sunflowers are the quintessential happy flower, lighting up any garden or vase with their sunny color and abundance of blooms. But did you know certain companion flowers can make sunflower plantings even more spectacular when paired together?
Choosing complementary flower pairings allows you to enhance the beauty of your sunflowers, attract pollinators, and create stunning floral displays. In this article, we’ll highlight the top flower varieties that look and grow their best when planted alongside cheerful sunflowers.
Sunny Shasta Daisies
Shasta daisies make a striking companion plant for sunflowers primarily based on their looks. Sunflowers and daisies have a similar joyful appearance that’s perfect for the sunny days of summer.
The bright white petals of the daisies contrast beautifully with the sunny yellow sunflower blooms. And since both flowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, they’ll have help producing an abundant floral show all season long.
For best results, plant shorter daisy varieties in front of taller sunflowers so both flowers are visible. Keep them close together for a coordinated look.
Vibrant Nasturtiums
You can’t go wrong pairing low-growing nasturtiums as a colorful “living skirt” around the base of towering sunflowers. The edible red, orange and yellow nasturtium blooms and leaves add a peppery punch of flavor while complementing the sunflower hues.
Plus nasturtiums deter pests like aphids whiteflies, and squash bugs that could bother the sunflowers. And they thrive in moderately dry, low-nutrient soils, making nasturtiums an ideal choice for thrifty companion planting.
Cheerful Marigolds
Another classic companion flower for sunflowers is the marigold. Their bright golden, yellow, and orange blossoms share the sunflower’s warm, summery personality. Marigolds also deter nematodes and other garden pests.
For best effect, pair shorter marigolds like ‘Petite’ varieties in front of sunflowers. The coordinated colors look fantastic together, especially when the flowers fully face the sun.
Elegant Zinnias
While zinnias come in almost every color, the warm red, orange, and yellow varieties make perfect partners for sunflowers Their bold, daisy-like blooms add complementary height and form
Zinnias also attract beneficial ladybugs, lacewings, and syrphid flies to help control pests. To ensure both flowers can soak up sunlight, plant taller zinnias toward the back or around the sides of sunflowers.
Fragrant Lavender
The cooling purple flowers of lavender offer a beautiful contrast of color and texture when planted with sunflowers. And the lavender’s relaxing fragrance balances the sunflower’s bright, bold personality.
Plus, lavender repels deer, rabbits, and flea beetles that could damage nearby sunflower plantings. For best effect, cluster mounds of lavender around sunflowers in drifts and swaths.
Showy Cosmos
Another excellent backdrop for yellow sunflower blossoms is the airy, pink flowers of cosmos. The daisy-like blooms on tall, slender stems create visual interest and attract pollinators.
For optimal joyful combinations, look for pink and white cosmos varieties to complement the yellow sunflower hues. Allow cosmos to intermingle and reseed among the sunflowers for a cottage garden look.
Supportive Corn
While technically not a flower, corn makes one of the best companion plants for sunflowers. The tall corn stalks help physically support top-heavy sunflower plants once mature.
And corn is unaffected by sunflower allelopathy, meaning they won’t hinder each other’s growth. For an edible and ornamental combo, alternate short rows of corn and sunflowers across your garden.
Sunflower Companion Planting Tips
When pairing sunflowers with companion flowers, keep these tips in mind:
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Choose companion flowers with similar sun exposure and soil needs as sunflowers for optimal growth.
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Use flower colors that complement yellow sunflower hues for a cohesive look, like red, orange, white or purple.
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Alternate heights and forms to allow both flowers visibility and avoid crowding.
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Research pest-repelling properties of flowers like lavender and marigolds to protect sunflowers.
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Allow ample spacing for growth, especially with spreading flowers like nasturtiums or cosmos.
With the right floral companions, your sunflower plantings will be even more spectacular and productive. Experiment with these ideal pairings to highlight the signature flower of summer.
Which Vegetables Grow Well with Sunflowers?
Can you plant sunflowers near vegetables? Sunflowers can make great companion plants with many types of vegetables. Here are some great sunflower companion vegetables:
Corn: When our little corn seedlings were having the same hard time staying alive as our little sunflower sprouts, we grew them together under a bird net tent. Once the plants were about a foot tall, we removed the bird netting and let them grow. They only needed a little help and safety to get started. As they got bigger, they helped each other out.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes need full sun and well-draining soil to grow well. Sunflowers can give young tomato plants some temporary shade and attract good bugs like bees that can help pollinate plants.
Cucumbers: Cucumbers also need full sun and well-draining soil to grow well. Some support for cucumber vines can come from sunflowers, and they can also attract good bugs like bees and ladybugs that help get rid of pests.
Squash: Squash is a warm-season vegetable that needs full sun and well-draining soil to grow well. Some support for squash vines can come from sunflowers, and they can also attract good bugs like bees and predatory wasps that help get rid of pests.
Beans: As a legume, beans can fix nitrogen in the soil, which is good for sunflowers and other plants. Sunflowers can attract beneficial insects like bees that can help with pollination.
Peppers: Peppers need full sun and well-draining soil to grow well. Sunflowers can give young pepper plants some temporary shade and attract good bugs like bees and predatory bugs that help get rid of pests.
Carrots, beets, and turnips are root crops with long taproots. They do well with sunflowers because they don’t get sunflower allelopathy, which is talked about further down.
Where is the Best Place to Plant Sunflowers in a Vegetable Garden?
You should think about the sunflowers’ height and size, as well as how they will affect the other plants, before you plant them in a vegetable garden. Here are some tips for where to plant sunflowers in a vegetable garden:
Choose a sunny location: Sunflowers need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day to grow well. Look for a location in your garden that gets plenty of sun throughout the day.
Plant in the back of the garden. Sunflowers can get very tall, so it’s best to put them in the back where they won’t shade other plants. Sunflowers should be planted on the north side so they don’t block other plants’ sun.
Consider the spacing: Sunflowers need to be spaced at least 1-3 feet apart depending on the variety. Be sure to leave enough space between the sunflowers and other plants in your garden.
Plan to protect your plants from wind. Sunflowers can help protect your garden’s more delicate plants from wind, but strong winds can also hurt them. Consider planting sunflowers in a location that is protected from strong winds.
Change where you plant: If you want to grow sunflowers every year in the same garden bed, you should change where you plant them to avoid soil-borne diseases.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to grow sunflowers in your vegetable garden and enjoy their beauty and health benefits.
How to Grow Sunflowers at Home
FAQ
What flowers look nice with sunflowers?
Can sunflowers be planted with other flowers?
How to use sunflowers in flower arrangements?
What happens if you plant sunflowers too close together?
What plants go well with sunflowers?
The best companion plants for sunflowers include crimson clover, corn, squash, and pumpkin, along with Brassicas, and some nightshades. However, the list of compatible plants to pair with sunflowers is broad. As mentioned earlier, sunflowers can be stubborn and don’t grow well with some plants.
Are sunflowers good companion plants?
While sunflowers are known for being low maintenance, easy going flowers, they can benefit from growing with friends. Planting sunflowers alongside companion plants can help shield them from pests like beetles, aphids, and weevils. But even more than companion plants benefitting sunflowers, sunflowers can help other plants thrive.
Do sunflowers grow well with other plants?
Pairing sunflowers with other compatible plants does wonders for the garden. After all, each plant comes with its perks, whether to add interest, deter pests, or promote better growth. Sunflowers are beautiful but are known to be stubborn to a myriad of other plants. This, in turn, affects or completely stops the growth of the plants.
What are the worst companion plants from sunflowers?
A collection of several other unrelated plants may also be the worst companion plants from sunflowers. This is primarily for their unattractive aroma and lack of flowers that don’t attract beneficial pollinators. These include eucalyptus, spearmint, ferns, mosses, citronella, and some evergreen shrubs.