The beautiful geranium is a household favorite.
With pretty green foliage coupled with gorgeous flowers in a range of colors, you will see them on balconies and window ledges across North America, Europe, and beyond.
But just what should you plant alongside your geranium plants?
What other flowers or plant species complement the beauty of the geranium?
Let’s find out together.
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What to Plant with Geranium Plants?
As geraniums can keep away common pests and bugs, you can plant them with fruits and vegetables like cabbages and grapes. Also, petunias, sage, and basil make good companion plants for these beauties. Just make sure that the companion plant is okay with the geranium species care requirements.
The Science of Co-planting with a Geranium
Mixing up geranium plants with your other favorite species will not only give you a beautiful color combination, but it is also beneficial for your other plants!
Geraniums are known to help keep away some pretty annoying visitors and pests that can eat away at your plants.
In particular, the pest-repellant properties of geraniums can mean that planting some type of fruits and vegetables alongside them will ensure you get a healthy crop.
Since geraniums can help to keep away pests – such as worms, beetles, and spider mites – it would make sense to plant things that get troubled by these visitors.
In the fruit and vegetable world, this includes things like cabbages and grapes, as well as sweet potatoes.
Of course, if you are keeping geraniums in a container indoors, you may not be growing cabbages in there.
Don’t worry. There are also plenty of flowers that will go very nicely with whatever geranium you choose.
You will need to make sure that whatever complement plant you choose will also be also able to tolerate the watering, light, and soil requirements of the geranium.
Planting with White Geraniums
If you are going for a white color scheme, then you will have plenty of choices.
A white geranium will go nicely when complemented with the foliage of a spider plant or sitting amongst the daisy-like bacopa or an angelonia.
Planting Alongside Geraniums for a Splash of Color
If you are looking for a splash of color alongside your geraniums then look no further than a purple calibrachoa, whilst a pineapple sage will add depth in terms of foliage.
Using Geraniums with other Plants for Height
A large area – such as a hall or stairwell – would usually leave the low-growing geraniums looking dwarfed.
But you can make a wonderful display by mixing geraniums at a lower level with taller plants.
Petunias and sage make a good mix here, and you can use cosmos for height.
Companion Plants that will Highlight your Geraniums
Since geraniums are so beautiful and offer such lovely colors, you may want to fill out your display with plants that do not overshadow them.
Dichondra or basil plants will complement the flowers nicely without taking the eye off the blooms.
Planting with Fellow Geraniums
Don’t forget when setting up your container that a mix of various colors of geraniums may be the easiest way to offer an amazing splash of color.
Plus you won’t need to worry about different levels of care requirements for different plants.
Pink, red and white geraniums together in a nice tub look simply stunning!
Top Tips for Planting Geraniums with Other Plants
Make sure the co-plant you choose is going to be happy with more sun than shade. Geraniums need the sun for up to 8 hours a day in the summer.
Ensure too that they will be able to handle being planted in soil that isn’t too clay-ey. Geraniums don’t do well on those types of soil.
Hence, find companion plants that love good, well-draining soil that has a pH level ranging from 5.8 to 6.3.
Also, take note that geraniums hate it when they’re overwatered. Thus, make sure that the flora you’re planting with your geranium can handle no watering for long periods.
Frequently asked questions about What to Plant with Geranium Plants
What plants do not go well with geraniums?
Be careful mixing any plant that requires a lot of water in with geraniums. Geraniums should be watered only whenever the soil begins to dry out. Plants that require constantly moist soil – such as an elephant ear – will definitely not be happy with that.
Do geraniums keep pests away from other plants?
Geraniums are known to help keep spider mites and other beetles and worms away! So, adding plants that are affected by these unwanted visitors into a geranium pot can really help them thrive.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.