8 Plants You Should Always Grow Next to Apple Trees for Healthy, Pest-Free Harvests These beneficial companion plants will help your apple trees thrive. Close Credit: Luis Alvarez / Getty Images When planting apple trees in your yard, it’s worth thinking beyond soil drainage and light conditions—and even the delicious fruit you’ll eventually get to eat. However, you should also consider what to grow near your apple trees. Companion planting can provide unique benefits to apple trees. From low-growing ground covers to aromatic herbs and flowering pollinator magnets, certain plants can help repel pests, improve pollination, enrich the soil, prevent weeds, and even boost your harvest. Here, we asked horticulture experts which plants pair best with apple trees. Below are their top recommendations, plus tips on how to grow each. Mary Jane Duford, master gardener and permaculture garden designer at Home for the Harvest Luke Hammond, expert gardener at Seedtime, a garden planning and management app How to Grow and Care for an Apple Tree So It Produces Delicious Fruit for Decades 01 of 08 Sweet Alyssum Credit: Kilito Chan / Getty Images Sweet alyssum is more than just a charming ground cover—this delicate flowering plant pulls double duty in the orchard. “It attracts beneficial insects that help reduce pests,” says master gardener Mary Jane Duford. “Specifically, its small flowers produce nectar that attracts hoverflies. Hoverfly larvae feed on woolly apple aphids, lessening pest pressure on the fruit trees.” Because of its shallow roots and compact size, sweet alyssum won’t compete with apple trees for nutrients. It’s fast-growing, it helps prevent weeds, and it thrives in the same conditions as apples. Zones: 3 to 9Mature size: 3 to 6 inches tall, up to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil; moderate water 02 of 08 Clover Credit: Andyworks / GETTY IMAGES “Clovers, including white clover and crimson clover, grow well under apple trees,” Duford says. These plants pull nitrogen from the air and add it to the soil, which boosts soil fertility and eliminates the need for synthetic fertilizers. They also create effective ground covers that help suppress weeds and retain moisture. Clover flowers even attract pollinators and pest-eating insects, creating a healthier orchard ecosystem, Duford adds. Zones: 3 to 10Mature size: White clover: under 6 inches; crimson clover: 12–18 inchesCare requirements: Partial to full sun; rich, well-drained soil 03 of 08 Parsley Credit: LeliaSpb / Getty Images This culinary staple also does wonders in the garden. “Parsley’s flowers—that typically appear in year two—can attract predatory insects, which help control pests,” says Duford. Codling moths—among the most common apple tree pests—can be deterred by planting parsley around the base of your tree. Zones: 3 to 11Mature size: 12t o 18 inches tallCare requirements: Full sun; moist, well-drained soil How to Grow Parsley Both Indoors and Out, According to Gardening Experts 04 of 08 Chives Credit: Svetlana Monyakova / GETTY IMAGES Chives, garlic, and other alliums add a disease-fighting boost to your apple grove. “Apple scab is one of the issues that has been known to diminish if the gardener chooses to plant chives or garlic in close proximity to their trees,” says Luke Hammond, expert gardener at Seedtime. Apple scab is a common fungal disease that causes dark spots to appear on leaves and fruit. These pungent plants may also help keep away deer and rabbits. Zones: 3 to 9Mature size: 12 to 24 inches tallCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil; moderate water 05 of 08 Yarrow Credit: aga7ta / Getty Images Yarrow does more than attract pollinators. It also lures in helpful predators, like ladybugs and lacewings, which keep pests like codling moths in check. While the plant’s deep roots can also loosen soil and bring nutrients to the surface, for best results, Hammond suggests planting yarrow in nearby hedgerows or flower beds, rather than directly under the trees. Zones: 3 to 9Mature size: 18 to 24 inches tallCare requirements: Full sun; drought-tolerant, well-drained soil 06 of 08 Fennel Credit: Jasenka Arbanas / Getty Images If aphids are a problem in your orchard, try planting fennel nearby. This aromatic herb acts as a trap crop, drawing pests away from your apples. It also attracts lacewings, ladybugs, and other beneficial insects that devour these pests. As with yarrow, fennel is best planted close to—but not directly under—apple trees to avoid competition and crowding, Hammond says. Zones: 4 to 9Mature size: 3 to 5 feet tallCare requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil; moderate water 07 of 08 Marigolds Credit: Getty Images Marigolds earn their place in the orchard by attracting beneficial insects and repelling harmful ones. Ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps love them, while aphids tend to stay away. “Marigolds are a good choice in creating an aroma cover scent throughout the season,” Hammond says. Just note that marigolds bloom later in the season, well after apple blossoms have faded. Zones: Annual in all zonesMature size: 6 to 24 inches tallCare requirements: Full sun; moderate water; well-drained soil Marigolds Are the Ideal Companion Plant for These 24 Fruits and Vegetables 08 of 08 Nasturtium Credit: Amit KUMAR / GETTY IMAGES Nasturtiums are another classic trap crop, drawing aphids away from your fruit trees. Like marigolds, they also help mask the scent of your trees from pests, according to Hammond. Zones: Annual in all zonesMature size: 12 to 18 inches tall; 1 to 3 feet spreadCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil Explore more: Garden