Best Petunia Companion Plants | 14 Flowering plants, vegetables and fruit

Petunias are a great companion plant for summer growing vegetables, fruit trees and flowering plants including lemon trees, strawberries, tomatoes and bottlebrush. They attract bees to increase pollination and can grow as the ideal ground cover to keep the soil moist and keep weeds away.

This article will share some interesting and unique companion plants for petunias to brighten your garden beds, raised garden or pots.

I have recently used petunias around my garden this spring and summer to fill gaps, protect the soil and attract pollinating insects.

petunias growing in raised garden bed with African daisies and bottlebrush.
My petunia planted with broom plant, African daisy and bottlebrush.

Petunias pair well with so many flowering plants and here are some of my favorites. I have been growing petunias alongside these flowering plants with great success.

1. Yellow broom plants

Yellow broom plants are fast becoming a favorite of mine and are perfect for raised garden beds. They grow bright yellow flowers in spring and summer and grow quickly into a small shrub. The bright yellow flowers pair perfectly with bright purple and pink petunias.

I recently planted some large, creeping petunias with my broom plants and they fill the gaps around the base of the broom plants. They keep the soil moist in my raised garden beds helping the broom plant to grow with little extra water.

Yellow flowering plants paired with purple petunias.
Yellow broom plants have bright yellow flowers that pair perfectly with purple petunias.

2. Bottle brush

A unique companion for petunias that works incredibly well is bottle brush trees. They grow fast in spring and summer and produce bright red flowers. They look great with white or even red petunias that will match the bottle brush.

Bottle brush plants are hardy and will be happy with the same amount of water as your petunias. They need little fertilizer and grow well if planted in soil mixed with organic matter and some pelleted chicken manure.

Bottle brush flowers planted with petunias.
Bottlebrush is a great companion to smaller petunias that can be planted around the base of the plant.

3. African Daisy

African daisies are a great companion plant for petunias. They come in a range of colors from orange, pinks, reds and deep purples. This means you will always find a color to match, they like to be kept moist and are great for filling any spaces in between your plants.

African daisies growing with petunias.

4. Gaura

Gaura are an easy care plant that grows long stems and tiny flowers that look like butterflies. They will grow taller than petunias, up to 3-4 feet high so make the perfect backdrop with some petunias planted in front.

Pink gaura flowers growing with petunias.
Beautiful pink gaura grow well with petunias.

5. Plectranthus

Plectranthus are a great perennial shrub and a good companion for petunias. Plectranthus grows long purple flowers in spring and summer and grows around 2-3 feet high. They have dark leaves which are a great contrast against the bright green leaves of petunias.

Plectranthus flowers will grow well with petunias.
Plectranthus works well with petunias as they both like similar amounts of water.

6. Society garlic

Society garlic is a great companion for petunia sit it grows straight, upright and has long strappy leaves. They can be surrounded by petunias to add some color. Society garlic will grow long stems with soft, purple flower groups.

Society garlic paired with petunias.

7. Salvia

Saliva are a waterwise plant that works well with petunias. Salvia have a long flowering time from spring, summer and into fall. Salvia grow into small bushes and look great when surrounded with a lower level of petunias.

Salvia plant.

Fruit and Vegetables

Petunias are a great companion for fruit and vegetables as they attract pollinating insects increasing fruit yields and they add some color to your garden. This is a list of my favorite fruit and vegetable companions for fruit and vegetables

8. Tomatoes

Planting petunias near tomatoes is a great way to attract more bees to pollinate your tomato flowers and to grow more fruit. You can plant petunias anywhere in your vegetable garden or even in pots nearby.

Tomato plant

Petunias growing a few feet from your tomatoes will still attract bees and look great. They love full sun just like tomatoes and will be happy with regular water.

9. Habanero peppers

Peppers are a great summer vegetable that is a great companion to petunias. The petunias will bring bees which will pollinate the habanero pepper flowers and the petunias will add some extra color to your garden.

Chilli plants

10. Lettuce

Lettuce looks great with bright green leaves next to the bright flowers of petunias. Plant petunias in the corners of your garden beds and they can help to keep bugs off of your lettuce. Rather than attack your lettuce, caterpillars, snails and slugs can nibble on your petunias leaving your lettuce alone.

11. Asian greens

Plant petunias near Asian greens as a pest deterrent. They can provide food for any pest insects which hopefully leave your Asian greens un-eaten. They can attract a diversity of insects including ladybugs which are a natural predator of pest insects including aphids.

Asian greens growing in garden bed

12. Strawberries

Strawberries are a great companion for petunias. Petunias attract bees to pollinate your strawberries, they like regular water and can act as a ground cover to prevent weeds.

Strawberry plant

13. Citrus trees

Surround citrus trees with bright, beautiful petunias for a great look and to naturally attract pollinators. Plant petunias outside of the root zone of your citrus trees to avoid competition and surround both with bark mulch.

Planting petunias around fruit trees helps to protect the soil and can even prevent weeds.

Orange tree

14. Blueberries

Blueberry plants look great with petunias. The bright new growth of the blueberry bushes looks great with petunia flowers. Petunias can keep bugs off your blueberry plants and increase insect and soil bacteria diversity.

Blueberry plant

Best Petunia Companion Plants | Summary

Petunias pair perfectly with plants that like regular water, free draining soil and a bright, sunny position. Petunias can attract pollinating insects, deter pests from your edible plants and protect the soil. They are a great summer flowering plant to add color to any gaps in your garden and can be removed after the warm weather has passed in fall.