The blueberry bush is a popular plant for home gardeners looking for a perennial fruit producer. However, it is a sun-loving, slow-growing plant that needs acidic soil between 4.5 and 5.5 pH to thrive. Meeting these requirements can be difficult for many amateur gardeners. Ensuring you reach the proper soil pH is essential to helping your bush thrive.
Knowing which other plants are suitable to grow in similar conditions will help you be more successful in your garden. The plants in this article are great companion plants to grow along your bushes.
1. Herbs
Consider planting herbs with your blueberries for mutual benefit. Because most herbs are low-growing, they do not cast shade on blueberry plants, and their strong aroma aids with pest control.
Basil grows well in slightly acidic soil and offers unique benefits to the blueberry crop. Thyme acts as a living mulch to control weeds and maintain moisture, and parsley and dill attract beneficial insects and serve as host plants for black swallowtails.
2. Lilacs
Lilacs are easy to grow and bloom simultaneously as blueberries. Their flowers will attract pollinators and provide shade to your blueberries.
Keep in mind that lilac bushes can grow to heights of up to 15 feet, potentially preventing sunlight from reaching your blueberry bush. Proper maintenance will help prevent it from competing with your blueberry bush for resources and space.
3. Rhododendron
Rhododendrons and azaleas pair well with blueberry bushes. During the scorching summers, they provide shade for blueberry plants, protecting their delicate roots.
Rhododendrons also have beautiful flowers that can decorate your landscape. They flourish in the same acidic environment as blueberries.
4. Columbine
Columbine is an excellent perennial flower to grow near blueberries. These perennial flowers come in white, pink, purple, blue, and red varieties. They are low-maintenance plants with bright leaves that contrast nicely with your blueberry foliage.
Columbine blooms about the same time as blueberries, which makes it an excellent companion plant. Their massive flowers attract beneficial pollinators and increase blueberry pollination in the garden.
5. Cranberry
Blueberries and cranberries make an excellent pair due to their similar needs. The North American variety of cranberry, V. macrocarpon, will grow in USDA hardiness zones 2 to 7. Both plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, moist, but well-draining.
With some forethought and planning, you can build a berry garden and grow the same companion plants to supply food, decoration, and ground cover.
6. Strawberry
Strawberry plants are great blueberry companion plants because they thrive in acidic soil that is soil with a pH of less than 7. Strawberries act as a ground cover for blueberries, keeping the ground cool and moist during the hottest parts of the day. Their flowers also encourage the pollination of blueberry blossoms, ensuring healthier fruits and bountiful harvests.
7. Legumes
Peanuts, peas, soybeans, lentils, and other crops are legumes. They fix nitrogen in the soil, which plants need for proper growth and development; however, blueberries prefer slow-release nitrogen as too much can stunt their growth.
Legumes are also known as cover crops. They improve soil health by reducing erosion, retaining water, controlling weeds, and managing pests and diseases.
