Companion Plants & Trees for Cherry Trees: 18 of the Best

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Cherry trees are a great option for both producing delicious fruit and enhancing aesthetic appeal in a garden.

But, what are the best companion plants to put in the ground near your cherry trees? Read on below to discover 18 of the very best ones!

1. Rosemary

Numerous sprigs of rosemary on a healthy plant.

An extremely popular kitchen herb and spice, rosemary is one of the most highly suggested companion plants for cherry trees. It is a robust plant with a very strong yet pleasing smell.

  • Benefits provided: The main benefit of rosemary as a companion plant is its strong aroma that confuses and repels insects from the area.
  • Time until harvest: Harvesting usually occurs approximately 85 days (from stems) and 135 days (from bunching).
  • Popular varieties: Blue Tuscan, Blue Spires, Miss Jessup’s Upright, Arp, Irene, Salem, and many more

2. Rosa Rugosa

An up-close look at a pink Rosa rugosa flower.

Rosa rugosa is another exceptionally good companion plant for cherry trees. They are also one of the prettiest companions you can choose.

  • Benefits provided: Rosa rugosa produces nectar that attracts beneficial insects to the area. It also provides shelter for said insects.
  • Time until harvest: Rugosa bloom once or twice per year, typically in the spring and summer. They grow up to 24 inches or more per year.
  • Popular varieties: Alba, Dart’s Dash, F J Grootendorst, Blanc Double de Coubert, and more

3. Ash Tree

A mature ash tree growing beside a pretty lake.

If it’s additional trees you’re after rather than plants and shrubs, consider the ash tree, one of the finest companion trees for cherry.

  • Benefits provided: The primary benefit of plating ash trees near cherry trees is that they boost the alkaline environment and strengthen root systems.
  • Time until harvest: Ash trees grow 1 to 2 feet per year and bloom each year in May and July.
  • Popular varieties: Americana, Excelsior, Angustifolia, Nigra, Pennsylvanica, Ornus, and several others

4. Marigold

Multiple marigold plants in full bloom.

This bright yellow, orange, and red flower is an amazing companion plant for not just cherry trees, but for nearly everything in your yard and garden.

  • Benefits provided: The number one benefit of growing marigolds near your cherry trees is that they repel nematodes.
  • Time until harvest: Marigolds take around 2 months to start blooming.
  • Popular varieties: Bambino, Brocade, Bonanza, Colossus Red Gold, Crackerjack, Queen Sophia, Little Hero, and many more

5. Dandelion

A close look at several dandelion flowers growing wild.

Dandelions, believe it or not, aren’t just a pesky weed to whack. They are also one of the top companion plants for the grassy areas surrounding your cherry trees.

  • Benefits provided: Dandelions expel ethylene gas, which helps encourage ripening in cherries and other fruits.
  • Time until harvest: From May until October with the majority of flowering occuring in May and June.
  • Popular varieties: Common, California, Yellow Desert, Red Seed, Horned, Pink, Wild, and many more

6. Persimmon Tree

A Japanese persimmon tree loaded with fruits.

Persimmon trees aren’t nearly as popular of a stand-alone tree species for your yard or garden as, say, cherry trees, apple trees, or lemon trees are, but they do make especially excellent companions for cherry trees.

  • Benefits provided: Because they don’t attract Japanese beetles, persimmon trees make excellent companions for your cherry trees.
  • Time until harvest: Persimmon trees take up to 7 years after planting before they begin to bear fruit every summer.
  • Popular varieties: Diospyros kaki (or common Asian) and D. Virginiana (or common American)

7. Pear Tree

Healthy pears growing on a tree, almost ready for harvest.

Pear trees are another amazing fruit-producing tree that does exceptionally well near cherry and other blooming fruit trees.

  • Benefits provided: Pear trees don’t attract as many pests as other fruit trees, but you’ll need at least two if you want them to fruit along with your cherry trees.
  • Time until harvest: Depending on the species, pear trees take between 3 and 10 years to start producing fruit.
  • Popular varieties: Baldwin, Kieffer, Bartlett, Comice, Hood, Anjou, Pineapple, and several more

8. Marjoram

An up-close look at the leaves of a marjoram plant.

If you plan to have beds of flowers and herbs near your cherry trees, consider the addition of marjoram. Marjoram is even more beneficial if the area in which your trees are planted lack enough flowers to attract pollinators.

  • Benefits provided: Marjoram is like magnets for bees and other beneficial insects and pollinators.
  • Time until harvest: Approximately two months after planting from seeds.
  • Popular varieties: Wild, sweet, and pot

9. Comfrey

A healthy comfrey plant viewed from above.

Comfrey is yet another wonderful companion herb for most cherry tree species. It isn’t the most popular in the kitchen, but it is incredibly useful outside in the garden.

  • Benefits provided: The single most beneficial aspect of comfrey as a companion is how it draws nutrients from deep within the ground up to the root zone of other plants.
  • Time until harvest: Comfrey grows rather quickly, allowing you to harvest its leaves as much as every 10 to 12 weeks.
  • Popular varieties: True (or common) and Russian

10. Caroway

Pretty white flowers of the caroway plant.

One great companion plant for cherry trees that often gets overlooked for more impressive-looking species is caraway. It grows back every year as well, making it an even better choice.

  • Benefits provided: The main benefit of caroway is that it attracts both beneficial insects and predator insects and lowers the number of bad insects.
  • Time until harvest: You can harvest caroway leaves beginning in the spring each year (after the first year).
  • Popular varieties: Annual and bi-annual

11. Oak Tree

A single oak tree and a beautiful blue sky.

If you are planning long-term landscaping, oak trees are one of the strongest and noblest companion tree species you could choose to surround your cherry trees with.

  • Benefits provided: The biggest benefit of oak trees as companions is that they provide lots of shade and protection from the harsh elements.
  • Time until harvest: Oak trees grow at an approximate rate of 12 to 36 inches per year.
  • Popular varieties: White, bur, willow, Japanese, pin, and a handful of others

12. White Clover

A patch of white clover in full bloom in a field.

White clover is an incredible companion plant for cherry trees and their surrounding flower beds and gardens. It also looks quite adorable!

  • Benefits provided: White clover is a neutral plant that doesn’t attract many pests.
  • Time until harvest: 30 to 50 days from planting.
  • Popular varieties: Low growing, intermediate, and large

13. Chives

Pretty purple chive flowers blooming in a field.

An all-time favorite companion plant all around the yard and garden, especially near fruit trees and flower beds, is chives. They have beautiful purple flower clusters, bloom multiple times per year, and grow back each year.

  • Benefits provided: Chives repel pests, attract pollinators, and look amazing (plus they grow back every year).
  • Time until harvest: 30 days after transplanting in the garden or 60 days after planting from seeds.
  • Popular varieties: Common, garlic, and Siberian

14. Honeysuckle

Fragrant blooms of Japanese honeysuckle.

If you’re cutting no corners in your yard or garden’s landscaping design, why not consider such a lovely and aromatic companion plant for your cherry trees as honeysuckle?

  • Benefits provided: Honeysuckle climbs vertically, allowing space on the ground for other plants, and it attracts pollinators (as well as hummingbirds).
  • Time until harvest: Honeysuckle grows a whopping 9 to 12 feet per year, blooming in the spring, summer, and early fall.
  • Popular varieties: Trumpet and Japanese

15. Parsley

A full-screen shot of curled-leaf parsley.

Parsely is yet another herb that works incredibly in the ground nearby your cherry trees as well as in the garden and nearby flower beds. And let’s be honest… can you really have enough fresh parsley?

  • Benefits provided: The main reason to plant parsley near your cherry trees is that they attract the biggest and baddest pest-eating insects.
  • Time until harvest: Approximately 80 days after planting.
  • Popular varieties: Curly and flat, French and Italian

16. Lilac

Lovely purple flowers of a lilac bush.

Lilacs are a gorgeous flower species that often do well as a companion plant for cherry trees. Additionally, if you take care of them properly, they’ll propagate on their own.

  • Benefits provided: The benefit of lilacs as a companion plant is that they attract butterflies that help pollinate plants and trees in the area.
  • Time until harvest: Lilacs bloom in the spring and are the best harvested early in the morning.
  • Popular varieties: Common, dwarf, Chinese, tree, Persian, Himalayan, and more

17. Dill

Tall dill plants topped with yellow flowers.

A common kitchen spice and garden herb, dill is another lovely herbal companion plant for cherry trees in your yard or garden space.

  • Benefits provided: Dill’s main benefit is attracting predatory insects to the area that help manage other common pests.
  • Time until harvest: Approximately 90 days after planting.
  • Popular varieties: Bouquet, Compatto, Delikat, Elephant, Dukat, Greensleeves, and more

18. Thyme

A close-up look at common thyme growing outdoors in a garden.

Thyme is a favorite kitchen herb, and it is an equally useful companion herb outdoors planted near your cherry trees.

  • Benefits provided: Thyme is a natural pest -repelling plant thanks to the lacewing larvae it attracts (which eat many common garden pests).
  • Time until harvest: Approximately 80 to 85 days after planting.
  • Popular varieties: Lemon, woolly, elfin, creeping pink, lavender, silver, Italian, and several others

Conclusion 

Cherry trees are beautiful blooming trees with pink and/or white flowers, and many produce tasty fruits each year. They look amazing as stand-alone ornamental centerpieces as well as additions to much more diverse landscaping scenarios.

Now that you know the 18 best companion plants and trees for cherry trees, you can take your time and make an informed decision on which species is best suited for you and your property!