10 Stunning Lilac Companion Plants + 4 to Avoid!

One of the most adored flowers in the world, lilacs are renowned for their exquisite beauty and divine aroma. However, you must pick the appropriate companion plants if you want to use lilacs to create a garden that is truly magnificent. Fortunately, many plants complement lilacs admirably and even heighten their natural attractiveness. Check out these 10 gorgeous lilac companion plants for your garden.

The Best 10 Lilac Companion Plants

Lilacs are a popular blooming shrub with fragrant blossoms and decorative appeal. Companion planting, which entails planting complementary species close together to promote development, manage pests, and enhance soil health, can also be advantageous for them. The top 10 lilac companion plants will be looked at in this article. By including these plants in your garden, you can create a stunning and flourishing landscape that highlights the charm and scent of lilacs while also offering a number of advantages to the ecosystem of your garden. Let’s have a look at the best lilac companion plants:

• Peonies
• Alliums
• Iris
• Daylilies
• Salvia
• Sage
• Lamb’s Ear
• Catmint
• Dianthus
• Baptisia

Peonies

Let us start our huge list of the best lilac companion plants with a beautiful flower! Lilacs are often paired with peonies. Your lilac plot benefits from the enormous, showy blooms of these lovely flowers, which come in a range of colors¹. Lilacs and peonies are an amazing combination since lilacs like moist, well-draining soil and moderate to full sun.

Guess what? The gardenhousing team also prepared an article about peony companion plants! Check it out:

Alliums

Lilacs make a stunning and distinctive companion plant with alliums. These bulbs feature tall, spiky stalks with spherical flower heads that range in hue from stunning white to deep purple. Alliums are a fantastic choice for planting with lilacs because they also prefer full light.

Iris

Next one in the list of the best lilac companion plants is the iris. Irises complement lilacs well because of their tall, slender branches and gorgeous, brilliant blooms. Irises are available in a broad range of colors, from dark purple to vivid yellow, so you can select one that goes well with your lilac garden.

Daylilies

Daylilies are a multipurpose companion plant that can give your lilac garden some color and texture. These plants feature colorful foliage and big, dramatic blooms that can help your garden have a focal point. What a great lilac companion plant this is!

Of course, we also figured out the best daylily companion plants:

Salvia

We continue our list of the best lilac companion plants with another special member! Salvia’s gorgeous, spiky flowers, which range in color from deep purple to brilliant pink, make it an excellent lilac companion plant. Salvia loves full sun and soil with good drainage. This is another reason for their amazing companionship!

Sage

Your lilac garden’s inherent attractiveness is enhanced by the lovely, aromatic Russian sage shrub. This plant adds height and texture to your landscape with its tall, spiky stems and exquisite lavender-blue flowers.

Also explore amazing 14 sage companion plants! The article is linked below:

Lamb’s Ear

A special and fascinating lilac companion plant is lamb’s ear. This plant helps create a lovely contrast with the dark green foliage of lilacs since it has soft, fluffy leaves that are a lovely shade of silver-green.

Catmint

Thanks to its magnificent blue-purple flowers that bloom in the late spring and early summer, catmint is one of the best members of lilac companion plants. This plant pairs well with lilacs since it prefers full sun and well-draining soil.

Dianthus

Lilacs love the company of the beautiful and scented dianthus plant. These plants produce stunning, frilly blooms in a range of hues, from deep purple to vivid pink and red. How amazing that is!

Baptisia

It is time to finish the list of the best lilac companion plants! Known also as fake indigo, baptisia is a lovely and uncommon plant that goes well with lilacs. This plant can help add height and texture to your garden with its tall, spiky stems and gorgeous, pea-like flowers.

What Not to Plant with Lilac

What not to plant with lilac? Well the answer to this question is probably as important as the one before. While there are many advantages to companion planting in your garden, it’s necessary to think about which plants shouldn’t be paired with other species. A few plants, in particular, are known to stunt the growth of or otherwise negatively affect lilacs. Keep these 4 plants far away from your rhubarb patch:

• Walnut
• Rhododendron and Azalea
• Hydrangeas

Walnut

While there are many excellent plants that go well with lilacs, there are also those that should not be planted with them. For example, juglone, a toxin released by walnut trees, can be poisonous to many plants, including lilacs. As a result,  stay away from planting lilacs next to or in the same soil as walnut trees.

Rhododendron and Azalea

Next, we have two bad lilac companion plants. Lilacs require neutral to slightly acidic soil. Therefore, putting them close to other plants that do, like rhododendrons or azaleas, can be problematic. Keep these plants apart, as they will struggle to grow in the same soil as lilacs!

If you ask yourself where else to put your azalea plants we have the solution for you! Check out the best azalea companion plants:

Hydrangeas

Last but not least, lilacs might not be the ideal companion for plants like hydrangeas that require a lot of water. Lilacs appreciate soil that drains easily, so if they are placed too close to a plant that needs a lot of water, the soil becomes overly wet and harm both plants.

There are alternative places for your hydrangea plants – check them out:

By considering both the best companion plants for lilacs and what not to plant with them, you will create a beautiful and thriving garden that will be a delight to behold. Have fun!

References

1. Michener, D. C., & Adelman, C. A. (2017). Peony: The best varieties for your garden. Timber Press.