Companion Plant Guide
Borage
Attracts pollinators for better fruit set.
Fruit · Rose family
Strawberry companion plants
Fragaria × ananassa
What to plant beside strawberry, what to keep apart, and how to grow it — sun, spacing, soil and the pairings used in this guide.
Photo: Oliver Hale on Unsplash
Overview
Growing strawberry beside the right neighbour
Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is a fruit in the Rose family. Low-growing fruit plant that produces year after year.
Borage beside strawberries pulls in pollinators — more flowers set fruit.
Give plants 12–18 in in full sun. Aim for well-draining, fertile soil rich in organic matter. In most gardens the crop sits in USDA zones 3-10 and is ready in about 365 (first fruit year 2) days.
Grows well with
What to plant with strawberry
The strongest companions for strawberry in this guide are Borage, Lettuce, and Thyme. Each pairing below is a reason to share a bed — pest masking, roots that do not compete, or insects that hunt the pests strawberry attracts.
Lettuce
Ground cover partnership efficient.
Thyme
Attracts beneficial insects.
In the bed
How to grow strawberry
| Sun | Full sun |
|---|---|
| Spacing | 12–18 in |
| Soil | Well-draining, fertile soil rich in organic matter |
| Hardiness | Zones 3-10 |
| Days to maturity | 365 (first fruit year 2) |
These notes sit beside the companion lists — they are how strawberry actually occupies the bed, not a substitute for local climate.
- Choose June-bearing or ever-bearing varieties
- Manage runners for vigorous plants
- Mulch to prevent fruit rot
- Replant beds every 3-4 years
Questions
Strawberry companion planting FAQ
What can I plant next to strawberry?
Plant Borage, Lettuce, and Thyme beside strawberry. Borage: Attracts pollinators for better fruit set. Lettuce: Ground cover partnership efficient. Thyme: Attracts beneficial insects.
What should I not plant with strawberry?
Strawberry has no recorded antagonists in this guide.
How much sun does strawberry need?
Strawberry wants full sun. Space plants 12–18 in apart in well-draining, fertile soil rich in organic matter.
How long does strawberry take to mature?
Most strawberry crops in this guide mature in 365 (first fruit year 2) days, in hardiness zones 3-10.
Compare every pairing at a glance
Open the guide, pick strawberry, and see what thrives alongside it — and what quietly holds it back.
Open the pairing guide