Garden Flower Gardens 14 Plants You Should Always Grow Next to Hydrangeas, According to a Master Gardener These hydrangea companion plants will give your shrubs a boost. By Michelle Mastro Michelle Mastro Michelle Mastro is a writer and author specializing in home and garden topics. She has written for Architectural Digest, The Spruce, Midwest Living, and other publications. Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 28, 2024 Hydrangeas are one of the most beautiful flowers to add to your garden, and one way to ensure they thrive is by planting them next to a few of their favorite companions. Companion planting is growing different plants together for their shared benefit. When determining what makes a good companion plant for hydrangeas, it's important to find plants that share similar growing requirements and conditions to the beloved shrub. Most hydrangeas prefer moist, well-drained soil and partial sun. To help, we chatted with a master gardener to find out which plants make the best companion plants for hydrangeas. Dee Dee DeBartlo, garden designer and co-owner of Westport Botanica, a landscape design firm that specializes in outdoor and indoor container gardening. She is a certified Master Gardener. 13 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Hydrangeas 01 of 14 Alliums Clive Nichols / Getty Images Alliums, like hydrangeas, offer showy blooms that make a big statement in a cottage garden. "They're pollinator magnets, and because they're a member of the onion family, their scent can protect hydrangeas from deer, aphids, and other pests," says Dee Dee DeBartlo, certified master gardener and garden designer. Alliums also come in similar colors to hydrangeas and prefer well-drained soil, making them great companion plants. Zones: 4 to 10Size: 1 to 4 feet tall x 3 to 10 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil How to Find Your Gardening Zone—Plus, the Best Plants to Grow in Your Region 02 of 14 Astilbe LordRunar / Getty Images Astilbe is a great companion plant for hydrangeas that prefer shade. Aesthetic-wise, astilbe also offer a nice juxtaposition to most hydrangeas, given the plant's feathery plumes in hues of pink, red, white, and purple and their fern-like foliage, says DeBartlo. "Low-maintenance, easy to grow, and deer and rabbit resistant, astilbe, like hydrangeas, brighten up a garden that doesn't get a lot of sun," she says. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 6 to 24 inches tall x 6 to 60 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; loamy, moist soil 03 of 14 Anise Hyssop AYImages / Getty Images Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) pairs beautifully with hydrangeas. "Also called hummingbird mint, [anise hyssop] attracts beneficial pollinators in droves and deters deer, groundhogs, rabbits, and other pests," says DeBartlo. "With tall, sturdy stems that don't require staking and dense, terminal spikes of small, tubular, bright blue flowers, they are one of the hardiest and longest blooming flowering plants to have in your garden," she says. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 2 to 4 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; chalk, loam, or sand How to Change the Color of Your Hydrangeas 04 of 14 Boxwood Yarphoto / Getty Images Boxwoods (Buxus) add visual interest and physical support to hydrangeas. "In many landscapes here in New England, you'll see hydrangeas behind or completely boxed in by a boxwood hedge," says DeBartlo. "Boxwoods are easy to grow, low-maintenance, long-lived and, like hydrangeas, it is one of the most popular shrubs in the landscape." Zones: 5 to 9Size: 2 to 8 feet tall x 2 to 8 feet wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; loamy, well-draining soil 05 of 14 Begonias Grace Cary / Getty Images Begonias feature beautiful blooms that come in many colors and do well in the shade, making them good for growing in a pollinator garden next to shade-loving hydrangeas. Begonias are also easygoing and low maintenance. They can also replant themselves. Zones: 6 to 9Size: 1 to 2 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Partial shade to shade; well-draining soil 06 of 14 Ferns Feifei Cui-Paoluzzo / Getty Images While not flowering, ferns offer a nice bit of greenery to a garden full of hydrangeas. Like some hydrangeas, ferns like to be in a shady spot. And because hydrangeas only bloom part of the year, the ferns will add interest and color during the seasons the flowers don't bloom. Zones: 3 to 10Size: 1 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Partial shade to shade; well-draining soil 07 of 14 Coral Bells Melissa Ross / Getty Images Coral bells (Heuchera) are known for their pretty foliage and tiny clusters of bell-like blooms. "Coral bells are striking without being too showy, providing an especially lovely counterbalance to the big white pompoms of mophead hydrangeas," says DeBartlo. Coral bells also cover plenty of ground, which can help suppress weeds, adds DeBartlo. Zones: 4-9Size: 8 to 18 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil 08 of 14 Purple Coneflower Clive Nichols / Getty Images These plants work great with hydrangeas. "Echinacea purpurea, also known as purple coneflower, has a deep tap root that helps aerate soil, providing hydrangeas and other companions with the well-drained medium they need to thrive," says DeBartlo. More than that, echinacea is a perennial beloved by pollinators. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 2 to 5 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil How to Grow and Care for Coneflower, a Native Perennial That Brings Color and Pollinators to Your Garden 09 of 14 Geranium Rozanne Iva Vagnerova / Getty Images Flowering from early summer to early fall, geranium Rozanne are semi-evergreen. "They can also serve as a weed suppressing groundcover, especially when planted en masse," says DeBartlo. They are deer- and rabbit-resistant, making them great companion plants for hydrangeas. Zones: 3 to 9Size: 6 to 36 inches tall x 1 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil 10 of 14 Nepeta Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images Nepeta, or catnip, is great for hydrangeas that can thrive in full-sun or mostly sunny gardens. "A member of the mint family, their aromatic gray green foliage and purple flowers benefit pollinators, repel aphids and other pests, and are truly deer resistant," says DeBartlo. Zones: 4-8Size: 10 to 24 inches tall by 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; acidic, neutral soil 11 of 14 Prairie Dropseed patty_c / Getty Images Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) is a wonderful companion plant for hydrangeas. "Prairie dropseed is a large, graceful ornamental grass that attracts butterflies and birds but is deer-resistant," says DeBartlo. She adds that this plant is also gorgeous when planted in hedge-like rows between hydrangeas of similar sizes. "With a subtle fragrance reminiscent of toasted coriander, it has fabulous winter interest." Zones: 3 to 9Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; dry, rocky soil 10 Perennial Ornamental Grasses That Will Add Texture and Color to Your Garden 12 of 14 Double Reeves Spirea Getty Images A dense shrub blooming with small white flower clusters, double reeves spirea (Spiraea cantoniensis) are nice complements to hydrangeas. This plant attracts butterflies, bringing more pollinators to your hydrangeas. And because it grows so tall, it can provide protection from the sun for shade-loving hydrangeas. Zones: 6 to 9Size: 4 to 6 feet tall x 4 to 6 feet wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil 13 of 14 Lamb's Ear Massimiliano Finzi / Getty Images Typically used as a ground cover plant, lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) is a pretty foliage plant to add to any garden. It does great with hydrangeas because it can handle varying shade and sun conditions. It is also a quick-spreading perennial, filling any spaces between your hydrangea blooms. Zones: 4 to 9Size: 12 to 18 inches tall x 12 to 36 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil 10 Fast-Growing Ground Cover Plants That Give Your Yard Quick, Beautiful Results 14 of 14 Japanese Maple Pauline Lewis / Getty Images Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) fits in well next to hydrangeas in a rain garden. The tree provides shade to shade-loving hydrangeas, while their leaves give a pop of unexpected color. Zones: 5 to 9Size: 2 to 25 feet tallCare requirements: Partial to full sun; well-draining soil Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit