Plants to grow next to sunflowers – 5 crops and flowers that will be very happy alongside these cheerful blooms

Companion planting is a clever way to get plants to work together to protect each other from pests and diseases and create a more ideal growing environment. While you might typically think of companion planting being used for crops, it can also be effective for ornamental plants, too. For example, there are plenty of sunflower companion plants.

These are plants that help grow sunflowers more successfully, as well as plants that benefit from the presence of sunflowers. It's companion planting that goes both ways, where the plants offer each other benefits while looking beautiful together.

No matter which sunflower variety you're growing, these joyful, bright plants pair well with certain plants over others. To navigate the large list of potential sunflower companion plants, I've asked experts to share their top picks here.

5 sunflower companion plants

There are quite a few companion planting mistakes to be aware of before jumping in with choosing plants to pair with sunflowers. This includes choosing plants that actually negatively impact sunflowers, such as those that take up too much space and use up all the available nutrients.

Having said that, these are five sunflower companion plants the experts recommend:

1. Corn

You might often find sunflowers in fields, alongside vertical garden crops like corn. The reason being, they provide similar height and color, and they have similar growing requirements.

'Think of it as building a cathedral. Tall sunflowers and towering corn spiralling together into a living structure,' describes Siobhan Shaw, sustainable gardening expert and founder of Growing to Give.

'Both love full sun, both thrive with the same watering schedule, and together they create a majestic focal point for any community or homestead garden,' she adds.

You can grow corn quite quickly in a sunny spot, using these corn seeds from Burpee.

Siobhan Shaw

Siobhan is the co-founder of Growing to Give, a dynamic global nonprofit dedicated to transforming community-focused food security and agriculture through sustainable farming and gardening practices. Siobhan is a passionate advocate for women's empowerment in agriculture, mentoring women who aspire to careers in the field. Siobhan also continues her decades of podcasting as the host and co-producer of the health and well-being podcast titled Real Talk.

2. Squash

Squash is one of the sunflower companion plants that can help keep sunflowers blooming by supporting its water needs.

'The leaves of the squash fan out across the ground and help keep the soil moist for the sunflowers, who are water hogs,' explains Lindsay Chastain, experienced homesteader and founder at The Waddle and Cluck.

'Plant the squash about two-to-three feet away from the sunflowers so they both have plenty of room to grow and the squash can spread out along the ground,' she advises.

Discover the squash varieties available at Burpee to grow squash that suits your yard. You can also grow squash vertically to add height alongside your sunflowers.

Lindsey Chastain,

Lindsey Chastain, a dedicated homesteader and skilled writer, is the driving force behind The Waddle and Cluck, a platform that celebrates sustainable living, gardening, and responsible farming

3. Amaranth

For a floral sunflower companion plant, Siobhan suggests choosing amaranth.

'Deep red, showy, and tall, amaranth stands shoulder to shoulder with sunflowers in a stunning display of color,' Siobhan says.

'Together, they create a bold visual statement – gold, orange, and crimson swaying in the summer breeze,' she adds.

Also known as love-lies-bleeding, amaranth is also 'a nutritious ancient grain you can harvest for bread, or leave for the birds to feast on,' says Siobhan.

Find amaranth seeds for planting on Amazon.

4. Peppers

Another kitchen garden crop that benefits from being paired with sunflowers: peppers.

'Peppers can get a lot of benefit from sunflowers because the sunflowers attract pollinators and offer the peppers a bit of shade,' explains Lindsey.

'The trick is to plant your peppers just to the south or the west of the sunflowers so they still get plenty of sun during the day,' she adds.

Bell peppers (seeds from Burpee) can also benefit from being planted with sunflowers because the sunflowers can be used as trap plants for pest control.

5. Melons

This refers to watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and other melons (seeds from Burpee), all of which will benefit from the pollinator magnet sunflowers are.

'Plant a towering patch of sunflowers right at the center of your melon bed. The flowers draw in pollinators, giving your melons the bee visits they need to set fruit,' explains Siobhan,

'The melons also stay low and sprawling, using every bit of space the sunflowers don’t claim,' she adds.

To ensure you have a successful harvest, make sure to fertilize melons as they're heavy feeders. This all-purpose flower and vegetable plant food from Amazon is a good choice.

FAQs

Are sunflowers good companion plants for winter vegetables?

No, sunflowers are not good companion plants for winter vegetables. This is because sunflowers finish flowering by fall. Not only this, but sunflowers exhibit allelopathic effects. This means they release chemicals that inhibit the growth of some surrounding plants. This can particularly impact winter vegetables because they're often susceptible to environmental stresses.

Many of these companion plants are also suitable for dwarf sunflowers, but it isn't the only way to ensure success with these blooms. You also need to prune sunflowers to keep them healthy.