Lemon Balm Companion Plants

If you’re growing lemon balm in your garden, you’ll want to know about lemon balm companion plants. Choosing the right neighbors can make a big difference for your herbs health and your garden’s overall success.

Companion planting is a smart way to work with nature. It helps you manage pests, improve soil, and get better yields. Lemon balm is a vigorous, lemon-scented perennial that can be both a great friend and a bit of a bully. Knowing what to plant it with is key to a happy garden.

This list focuses on plants that thrive near lemon balm and benefit from its presence. Lemon balm attracts pollinators like bees and hoverflies with its small white flowers. It also has a strong scent that can confuse or deter some common pests.

Top Companions for Lemon Balm

Tomatoes: Lemon balm may help repel tomato hornworms and other pests. The bees it attracts also improve tomato pollination.
Broccoli & Other Brassicas: The scent of lemon balm can help mask the smell of cabbage, broccoli, and kale from pests like cabbage moths.
Summer Squash & Zucchini: Improved pollination from lemon balm’s bee-attracting powers can lead to more fruit.
Fruit Trees (like Apples): Planting lemon balm underneath can attract beneficial insects that control pests.
Onions and Garlic: These strong-smelling alliums seem to coexist well with lemon balm without competition.

Herbs That Make Good Partners

Dill: Both attract beneficial insects and their different growth habits complement each other.
Basil: Shares similar watering needs and the pair can create a fragrant, pest-resistant herb bed.
Thyme: This low-growing, woody herb won’t compete for space and enjoys similar well-drained soil.

What About Other Mint Family Plants?

Be cautious. Lemon balm is in the mint family (Lamiaceae) and, like its cousins, it can be invasive. Planting it with other mints (like peppermint or spearmint) often creates an uncontrollable thicket. It’s usually best to give mint family plants their own separate spaces or containers.

Plants to Avoid Near Lemon Balm

Not every plant is a good match. Lemon balm’s vigorous growth and moisture needs can cause problems for some.

Other Mint Family Members (for control): As mentioned, avoid planting with other aggressive mints unless you want a mint monopoly.
Small, Delicate Herbs: Plants like cilantro or chervil can be easily overwhelmed by lemon balm’s bushy growth.
Plants Needing Very Dry Soil: Lavender, rosemary, and sage prefer dry, sandy conditions. Lemon balm likes more consistent moisture and can promote humidity that causes rot in these Mediterranean herbs.
Potatoes: Some gardeners find lemon balm can compete to aggressively with potatoes for nutrients.

How to Plant Lemon Balm with Companions

Follow these steps to ensure sucessful pairings in your garden beds.

Choose the Right Location: Lemon balm grows in full sun to part shade. Pick a spot that also suits it’s companions light requirements.
Contain the Roots: To prevent lemon balm from taking over, consider planting it in a pot or a bottomless container sunk into the soil. This controls its spread.
Space Appropriately: Give lemon balm at least 18-24 inches of space from it’s companions. It forms a large, bushy clump.
Prepare the Soil: Amend soil with compost. Lemon balm prefers rich, well-draining but moist soil.
Plant and Water Well: Set your plants in the ground at the same depth they were in their pots. Water thoroughly to establish them.
Monitor and Prune: Regularly trim lemon balm to keep it bushy and prevent it from flowering too early (unless you want the bees!). This also stops it from shading out smaller plants.

Benefits of Lemon Balm Companionship

Why go to this trouble? The benefits are clear and significant for an organic gardener.

Natural Pest Control: Lemon balm’s strong aroma can mask the scent of vulnerable vegetables, reducing pest attacks.
Pollinator Magnet: Its flowers are a powerful draw for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects that pollinate your crops.
Weed Suppression: The dense growth of lemon balm can help smother weeds around its companions.
Improved Biodiversity: Creating a diverse plant community makes your garden ecosystem more resilient and healthy.

A Note on Lemon Balm’s Invasive Nature

This is the most important thing to remember. Lemon balm spreads rapidly by both seeds and underground runners (rhizomes). If left unchecked, it can become a weed. Always consider planting it in a container or using root barriers, especially in small gardens or when planting near less aggressive companions.

Using Lemon Balm as a Trap Crop

An advanced companion planting technique is using lemon balm as a “trap crop.” Some pests may be attracted to the lemon balm first, drawing them away from your more valuable vegetables. You can then check and manage the pests on the lemon balm, which is very resilient. This can help protect your tomatoes or brassicas.

Designing a Lemon Balm Companion Garden Bed

Here is a simple example layout for a 4×4 foot raised bed:

Center (in a pot): Plant one lemon balm in a medium-sized pot and sink it into the center of the bed.
North Side (tallest): Plant a few tomato plants, staked, behind the lemon balm.
East & West Sides (medium height): Plant broccoli or kale seedlings.
South Side (front, low-growing): Plant a border of thyme or basil.

This design uses height layering, keeps the lemon balm contained, and groups plants with similar water needs together.

Harvesting with Companions in Mind

When you harvest lemon balm, you’re also pruning it. Frequent harvesting of the leaves for tea or cooking keeps the plant compact. This benefits it’s neighboring plants by preventing excessive shade and competition. Always harvest from the top, cutting just above a set of leaves to encourage bushier growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I plant lemon balm with other herbs?

Yes, but choose carefully. It grows well with basil, dill, and thyme. Avoid planting it with other invasive mints or with herbs that need very dry soil, like lavender and sage.

Does lemon balm spread like mint?

Yes, it does. Lemon balm is a member of the mint family and spreads vigorously through seeds and underground runners. It’s less aggressive than some mints but still requires control measures like containers or root barriers.

What are the worst companion plants for lemon balm?

The worst companions are plants that need dry, poor soil (like lavender, rosemary, sage) and small, slow-growing herbs that can be out-competed. Potatoes are also not an ideal match.

Will lemon balm attract bees to my garden?

Absolutely. When lemon balm flowers, it’s covered in small blooms that are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects. This is one of it’s biggest benefits as a companion plant.

How do I stop lemon balm from taking over?

The best methods are to plant it in a container (even one sunk into the ground) or to surround its root ball with a deep root barrier. Regularly deadhead flowers to prevent it from self-seeding everywhere.

Choosing the right lemon balm companion plants helps you harness it’s benefits while managing it’s enthusiastic growth. By pairing it with heavy feeders like tomatoes or using it to protect brassicas, you create a more productive and natural garden. Just remember to keep it’s spread in check, and you’ll enjoy a healthier garden ecosystem with this fragrant herb as a valuable team player.