Growing blueberries can be a rewarding experience, offering sweet, juicy berries right from your backyard. But did you know you can make your blueberry patch even healthier and more productive with a little help from some plant friends?

This is the magic of companion planting—a gardening technique where gardeners grow different plants together for mutual benefit.

Choosing the right companions can help your blueberry bushes thrive. These plants can improve soil health, attract pollinators and other beneficial insects, and even keep pests away.

Get familiar with the best companion plants for blueberries now so you can make your garden more productive.

Partners in Acidity

Blueberries are particular about their soil—they need acidic conditions (a pH between 4.5 and 5.5) to truly flourish. Planting other acid-loving species nearby means you can maintain one soil environment for a whole section of your garden.

It’s an efficient way to group plants with similar needs, ensuring everyone stays happy and healthy.

#1 Azaleas

Azaleas are beautiful flowering shrubs that also thrive in acidic, well-drained soil. Their vibrant blooms in spring add a splash of color to your garden, creating a stunning visual contrast with the green foliage of blueberry bushes.

Planting them together simplifies soil management, as both will benefit from the same amendments, such as pine needle mulch or sulfur.

#2 Rhododendrons

A close relative of the azalea, rhododendrons are another excellent choice for a blueberry companion. These larger shrubs produce spectacular clusters of flowers and prefer acidic soil.

Rhododendrons not only enhance your garden’s visual appeal but also attract pollinators that can benefit your blueberry plants.

#3 Camellias

Known for their elegant, rose-like flowers that bloom in fall or winter, camellias share the same acidic soil requirements as blueberries.

Their different blooming season means your garden will have visual interest year-round. Plus, their glossy, evergreen leaves provide a lovely backdrop for the blueberry bushes.

Aromatic Allies for Protection and Pollination

Some of the most effective garden helpers are fragrant herbs and flowers. These plants work as natural pest repellents, their strong scents confusing and deterring common garden nuisances.

They also play a crucial role in attracting pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, which are essential for a bountiful blueberry harvest. Let’s dive into the best aromatic companion plants for blueberries so you can find a great match.

#4 Thyme

This hardy, low-growing herb is a fantastic companion for blueberries. Its strong scent can deter pests. Thyme is also drought-tolerant and forms a lovely, dense mat that can suppress weeds around the base of your blueberry bushes.

As a bonus, its tiny flowers are a magnet for bees.

#5 Marigolds

Marigolds are a gardener’s best friend for a reason. They certainly look nice, but beyond this, they will prevent nematodes from invading your blueberries.

Nematodes are microscopic pests that can damage plant roots, making them a major worry for blueberry growers. Planting a border of marigolds around your blueberry patch is a simple, organic way to protect your plants.

The eye-catching orange appearance of marigolds ensures they add a wonderful visual pop around your blueberry plants.

Ground-Level Guardians

Ground cover plants are unsung heroes in the garden. They create a living mulch when planted around the base of your blueberry bushes, suppressing weeds, retaining soil moisture, and regulating soil temperature. These low-growing plants reduce your maintenance workload while contributing to a healthier environment for your blueberries.

Thyme also falls under this category, but as you’ll learn below, there are still many more options to choose from right now.

#6 Strawberries

Alpine strawberries make a particularly excellent ground cover for blueberries.

They share a love for acidic soil, and their low, spreading habit keeps weeds at bay. You get the double benefit of two delicious fruit harvests from the same patch of ground.

Just be sure to give them enough space so they don’t compete for nutrients.

#7 Clover

Clover is a fantastic living mulch that offers multiple benefits. It naturally enriches the soil by converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use.

This nitrogen-fixing feature provides a gentle, slow-release fertilizer for your hungry blueberry bushes. Its dense growth chokes out weeds, and its flowers are a favorite of bees.

Plants To Keep at a Distance

Just as some plants are beneficial, others can cause problems for your blueberries. It’s important to know which species to avoid planting nearby.

These incompatible plants might compete too aggressively for water and nutrients, alter the soil pH in ways that harm blueberries, or attract pests and diseases that can spread to your bushes.

Plants that prefer alkaline soil, such as lilacs or forsythia, should be kept far away, as the amendments needed to keep them happy will harm your blueberries.

A Blueberry-Friendly Garden

Avoid planting anything too tall or dense right next to your bushes, as doing so could create too much shade and reduce air circulation, inviting fungal diseases.

Keeping these unwanted plants out of your garden ensures your blueberry plants can produce bright, delicious fruit. At first, this list may sound like growing blueberries limits what you can grow around them.

While that’s true, there is a range of blueberry plants to choose from, ensuring your garden still looks equally diverse and delicious.

The blueberry plants for sale at Ty Ty Nursery include Austin, Brightwell, Tifblue, Vernon, and many more varieties. Plus, the eclectic array of companion plants mentioned above allows you to further fine-tune your garden’s aesthetic.

Cultivate a Thriving Blueberry Patch

By embracing companion planting, you can create a garden that works in harmony.

The right companions will help protect your blueberry bushes, enrich their soil, and boost your harvest, all while adding beauty and diversity to your garden. From colorful azaleas to fragrant thyme and hardworking clover, these plant partnerships turn a simple blueberry patch into a dynamic, self-sustaining ecosystem.

Now that you know more about the companion plants available, you can start implementing them in your garden.

Consider your garden to see where you can introduce some of these helpful friends. Your blueberry bushes will thank you with healthier growth and an abundance of delicious berries.