Companion planting is a great way to optimize space in your garden and improve the health and success of your crops.
If you’re new to this companion planting, it may feel like an overwhelming process. Every plant has different needs, so how do you know what plants to choose and where to begin?
Listed below are the eight best companion plants for blueberries that will help get you started on not only helping your berries thrive but also keeping your garden beautiful and lively.
Fruiting Companion Plants for Blueberries
Some of the best companion plants for blueberries are other berries and flowers with complementary characteristics. Keep reading to learn about enhancing your garden with these vivacious plants.
1. Cranberries
Cranberry and blueberry bushes have similar growth requirements that allow them to complement each other and make them a great pick of the best companion plants for blueberries. This means, if your cranberry bush is thriving, chances are your blueberry bush will too!
Cranberries and blueberries both favor acidic and moist soils with good drainage and are also both native to North America. Because they’re able to tolerate the same climates, these berries make a great pair!
Placing these bushes nearby each other will not only help create a beautiful berry garden but it also helps enhance your blueberries’ chances for growth and success. This is because cranberry bushes attract beneficial insects that help fertilize plants throughout your garden and increase your berry yield.
To get started on growing this companion plant, visit Stark Bro’s to order American Cranberry bushes!
2. Strawberries
Sticking with the berry theme, strawberries are another type of fruit that makes a perfect companion plant for blueberries. Like the cranberries, strawberries and blueberries both prefer moist and acidic soil. This allows your fruits to be planted together in berry bush clusters that require minimal upkeep, giving you more time to tend to other plants in your garden.
Strawberries also make great companion plants for blueberries because they’re excellent ground covers. Ground covers prevent weeds from taking hold in your land and establishing themselves in your garden.
Lastly, strawberries are favored as companion plants for blueberries because of their beauty. They bring a bountiful yield of bright red berries that add a pop of color to any garden bed.
Strawberries also require minimal effort for care, making them a perfect choice for anyone looking to use another berry as a companion plant for blueberries.
Flowering Shrub Companion Plants for Blueberries
3. Azaleas
Azaleas, like blueberries, prefer acidic soils and bloom at the same time as blueberries, which is part of why they’re suitable companion plants for blueberries.
These flowering shrubs also provide shade, helping to protect your blueberries from excessive sunlight (especially in the summer).
Although azaleas like to grow in the same environments as blueberries, they’re pretty low maintenance, so they won’t compete with your blueberries for nutrients. Not to mention, azaleas bring color to any setting, so using them as companion plants for blueberries is sure to enhance both your blueberry’s growth and your garden’s beauty!
If you’re looking to grow azaleas, take a look at the inventory available at Nature Hills Nusery, one of our favorite garden plant retailers.
4. Hydrangeas
Like azaleas, hydrangeas increase your garden’s aesthetic and perfectly complement your blueberries.
Overall, flowers make good companion plants for blueberries, but specifically, they need to thrive in acidic soil (which hydrangeas do).
Their blossoms not only provide the benefit of beauty but also attract pollinators and other beneficial insects to your garden to help maximize your yield and keep your plants fertilized.
Hydrangeas are also perennial plants, which are preferred when picking the right flowers to use as companion plants for blueberries. Although they take more effort to get started, once established hydrangeas are long-lasting and low-maintenance, allowing your garden to thrive for years to come.
For an easy-to grow companion plant, you can purchase a Ruby Slipper Hydrangea from Stark Bro’s.
Tree Companion Plants for Blueberries
When planted correctly (so as not to block too much sunlight), trees can be beneficial companion plants for blueberries and provide the perfect amount of shade and visual appeal to your garden.
5. Evergreens
Evergreens like pines, firs, spruces, and junipers are incredible choices to use as companion plants for blueberries. Their large size and abundant foliage can provide the perfect mix of shade and sunlight to help your blueberry bushes thrive.
Be careful when planting these trees near your blueberries, however, because too much shade can stunt your blueberry bush’s growth. Although they take time to grow and do have the potential to hinder your crops’ success, evergreens prove to have much more benefit than they do harm.
Plus, evergreens’ size and appearance bring a wow factor to any landscape, especially in a home garden!
To find the right tree for your blueberries, take a look at Nature Hill Nursery’s selection of evergreen trees.
6. Dogwood
Like many of the flowers previously mentioned, dogwoods also favor moist, well-drained, acidic soils, making them a complementary companion plant for blueberries. Many dogwood varieties are out there, allowing you to customize your garden based on your visual preferences and maintenance needs.
Depending on the variety, a dogwood can grow from 10 to 30 feet tall, which provides ample shade for your blueberries during hot summers. If you’re short on space or don’t want anything too tall in your line of sight, don’t worry! There are also dogwood shrub varieties that complement the size, appearance, and nutritional needs of your blueberries perfectly.
If you’re eager to grow dogwood, we recommend buying your tree from Stark Bro’s.
Other Companion Plants for Blueberries
7. Thyme
Using thyme as a companion plant for blueberries is guaranteed to improve the health of your bush. Thyme is low-growing and improves your plant’s health by increasing the surrounding soil’s moisture and reducing weed growth. It works as a ground cover which helps blueberry bush roots withstand harsh temperatures and periods of drought.
Thyme is also loved by many for its intense smells and flavors, which is pleasant tofavorable to us as humans, but luckily not to harmful pests. This herb’s fragrance will deters any unwanted insects from attacking your blueberry bushes and leaving them to die.
If these pest-control propertiesprotective factors aren’t enough to convince you to use thyme as a companion plant for blueberries, certain varieties also produce little pink and purple flowers which can be used as ornamental plants in your garden. Thyme has both function, and beauty, and is an ideal choice for companion planting with blueberries.
To get growing this fragrant herb, check out the Thyme inventory from one of our favorite and most trustworthy retailers. And then be sure to read our post on how to plant thyme for all the tips and information you’ll need to get started.
8. Ferns
Ferns are the last tree type that is a top choice as companion plants for blueberries. These trees love moist soil and help maximize your garden space with blueberries because they favor shade, whereas blueberries favor sunlight. Therefore, you can plant ferns near your blueberry plants, while still reserving space for adequate sunlight and growth.
Ferns are also known to be pretty low-maintenance plants. Using ferns as companion plants for blueberries is an easy way to optimize space and add variety to your garden.
To buy your fern plant, make sure to purchase from one of our favorite trusted retailers, Nature Hills.
What NOT To Plant With Blueberry Bushes
Now that we’ve gone over the best companion plants for blueberries, it’s important to note what you absolutely should not plant with your blueberry bushes.
Because blueberries are pretty picky when it comes to soil and nutrient preferences, plants like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts aren’t going to do well if used as companion plants for blueberries.
These brassicas require more alkaline soils and planting them with blueberries will hinder the growth of both crops by competing for nutrients and water sources. There’s also a variety of harmful pests that are attracted to these plants and therefore will be attracted to your blueberry bush, too.
Time to Start Planting!
Gardening is a fun experience that can be rewarding. Companion planting is a great way to help increase your blueberry plant’s yield and foster its health and growth success. Now that you know some of the best companion plants for blueberries, it’s time to get started on your next gardening adventure!
Eager to learn more about blueberries. Check out our Blueberry Page for all you need to know!