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Not every gardener gets around to planting near blackberries. Some leave the rows to grow in neatly on their own for maximum sun and easy harvesting. However, companion plants for blackberry bushes can help those brambles thrive, if you choose the right ones. Read on for information about what to plant with blackberry bushes. Each of the best blackberry companion plants makes your berry patch prettier, healthier, or more productive.
Blackberries are not picky plants. These plants do well in a variety of climates and soil types as long as the area where they are planted drains well and has enough nitrogen. This tolerance gives gardeners flexibility in picking companion plants for blackberry bushes. Some gardeners use blackberries as understory plants.
Although blackberries produce best in full sun, they also grow in shade. If you want to plant a tree near blackberries, think about the white oak (Quercus alba) or the Pacific madrone. Because they store water in their leaves, both of these species do well as blackberry companion plants. Fallen leaves from these trees also produce nutrient-rich mulch that helps keep the blackberries strong.
Blackberries produce plump, juicy berries that are delicious in pies, jams, and smoothies. While blackberries are relatively carefree, choosing the right companion plants can help them thrive. The best plants to grow with blackberries attract pollinators, deter pests, and provide nutrients or shade.
Why Grow Companion Plants?
Companion planting offers several benefits for blackberry bushes
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Pest control – Certain plants repel insects and animals that damage blackberry canes and steal fruit
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Pollination – Bees and other pollinators are drawn to flowering companion plants, increasing pollination and fruit set.
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Soil health – Some plants help fix nitrogen or accumulate beneficial nutrients.
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Moisture retention – Low-growing companions act as living mulch, conserving water in soil.
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Shade – Larger plants give filtered sunlight to prevent young canes from overheating.
By selecting the right companions, your blackberry planting can be healthier, more productive, and easier to care for overall.
Best Companion Plants for Blackberries
Here are some of the top companion plant options to grow with blackberries:
1. Apple Trees
Fruit trees like apple, pear, and cherry provide dappled shade to blackberry bushes. Their fallen leaves also act as a natural mulch, improving moisture retention and adding organic matter to the soil as they decompose.
2. Grapes
Both grapes and blackberries enjoy the same growing conditions – full sun and well-drained soil. However, they can become tangled, so provide a trellis for the grapes to climb.
3. Mint
Mint thrives alongside blackberries, offering shade and retaining soil moisture. It also attracts pollinators while repelling pests like aphids and cabbage moths. But plant mint in containers to prevent its aggressive spreading.
4. Lemon Balm
Another aromatic herb, lemon balm attracts pollinators with its sweet nectar. Its lemon scent confuses pests like mosquitoes. It spreads readily, so contain it around blackberries.
5. Hyssop
The pungent fragrance of hyssop masks the scent of blackberries, deterring Japanese beetles and other pests. Its purple flowers also draw beneficial insects for pollination.
6. Bee Balm
With its bright blooms loaded with nectar, bee balm lures pollinating bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your blackberry planting.
7. Borage
Star-shaped borage blossoms provide food for pollinators. Its fuzzy leaves retain soil moisture while protecting against erosion.
8. Tansy
The camphor scent of tansy drives away Japanese beetles, ants, and other pests. It also attracts bees and beneficial wasps that prey on pests.
9. Beans
Bush beans and other legumes enrich soil by fixing nitrogen as they grow. They can be planted as a temporary cover crop then tilled under to fertilize blackberries.
10. Sunflowers
The bright blooms of sunflowers divert pests and birds from munching on ripening blackberries. Plus, they attract pollinating insects.
11. Chives
Onions and garlic contain sulfur compounds that deter insects like aphids, beetles, and moths. Plant chives along the border of your blackberry patch as a living pest repellent.
12. Strawberries
Low-growing strawberries work well planted under blackberry canes, acting as a living mulch. Both benefit from the accumulating organic matter as leaves decompose each fall.
How to Incorporate Companion Plants
There are a few ways to incorporate companion plants:
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Plant small herbs and flowers in the spaces between blackberry bushes.
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Allow spreading groundcovers like mint or strawberries to fill in around bases of canes.
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Interplant blackberries with young fruit or oak trees, positioning bushes halfway between trunks and canopy driplines.
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Alternate rows or clusters of blackberries with companion plants.
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Border the perimeter of your blackberry patch with repellent herbs like tansy or chives.
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Add companion plants in containers or raised beds if space is limited.
By thoughtfully selecting and placing companion plants, your blackberries will have the conditions they need to bear abundant fruit. Just be sure to leave enough room for harvesting and leave new canes space to fill in each year. With helpful plant partners, your blackberry patch will keep producing sweet berries for years to come.
Food Crop Planting Near Blackberries
Turn your blackberry patch into a mixed-produce garden by adding other edible-producing plants. Blueberry shrubs work well for planting near blackberries. They won’t find themselves shaded out since they are about the same height as blackberries.
Like blackberries, they prefer a sunny location. You could also plant lower shrubs that will tolerate the shade of higher brambles. Hazelnut bushes, serviceberry bushes, and thimbleberry shrubs are great companions for blackberries. Although, roses that bear hips, which are rich in vitamin C, can offer more color.
What to Plant with Blackberry Bushes for Pest Protection
Other companions for blackberries attract pollinators that increase your blackberry crop. Plants like bee balm (Monarda spp. ) and borage (Borago officinalis) are honeybee magnets. Low, groundcover crops can repel insect pests, attract bees, and look pretty at the same time. Consider mint (Mentha spp. ), lemon balm (Melissa Officinalis), or chives (Allium schoenoprasum) as companion plants for blackberry bushes.
The Basics for Growing Erect Variety Blackberries: Prolific, Delicious, & Great for Containers
FAQ
What not to grow near blackberries?
What are the best companion plants for blackberries?
What to plant at the base of a blackberry bush?
How many blackberry plants should you plant together?
Are Blackberries a perennial?
Raspberry plants grow best in moist, relatively cool conditions and are best suited for USDA hardiness zones 3-9. They’re perennial plants in the rose family native to Asia, Europe, and North America. Are blackberries and black raspberries the same? No, they are different plants but have similar growing needs.
Do blackberries bear fruit?
Blackberries (Rubus spp.) are included in the group of small fruits generally referred to as ‘brambles’ or ‘caneberries.’ They have perennial crowns and roots. Most blackberry types produce canes the first season (primocanes) that do not bear fruit. The following year these are called floricanes, and bear fruit and then die naturally after harvest.
Where do blackberries grow?
Thickets of rose, snowberry, or Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus discolor) in uncultivated corners of fields, orchards, and vineyards also provide some habitat (Campbell et al. 2001). Density of shrub cover is apparently more important than species composition of a thicket.