Avocado trees are the darlings of warm-climate gardens, but did you know that what you plant around them can make a huge difference in how they grow? The right companion herbs can boost soil health, attract pollinators, repel pests, and even enhance the overall resilience of your avocado tree. On the flip side, some herbs can cause more harm than good—competing for nutrients, releasing growth-inhibiting compounds, or attracting unwanted pests. In this guide, we’re highlighting 21 herbs that make excellent companions for your avocado tree, plus 6 you’ll want to avoid. Whether you’re working with a sprawling orchard or a single backyard tree, these herbal allies (and troublemakers) will help you build a thriving, balanced ecosystem around your avocado.
1. Basil
Basil is a fragrant, leafy herb that brings fresh, peppery vibes to any garden. Its vibrant green leaves and fast growth make it a favorite in herb beds and containers.
When grown near avocado trees, basil helps repel pests like aphids and whiteflies, keeping your tree’s tender foliage safe. It also attracts beneficial pollinators, giving your garden a natural boost.
Basil loves warm weather and moist, well-drained soil—just like your avocado.
2. Borage
Borage is a bold, bushy herb with star-shaped blue flowers and fuzzy leaves that bees absolutely adore. It self-seeds easily and adds a wild charm to any garden.
This pollinator magnet improves soil health and deters tomato worms, which occasionally show interest in avocado trees too.
Its roots also break up compacted soil, promoting better drainage around your tree. Plus, it’s a beautiful edible that pairs with almost anything.
3. Chives
Chives are compact, grassy herbs with slender stems and cheerful purple blooms. They’re hardy, low-maintenance, and pack a subtle onion punch.
Planted near avocado trees, chives help repel aphids and other small pests with their strong scent.
They also bring in pollinators and beneficial insects while staying out of the avocado’s way. Their shallow roots make them ideal for planting around trees without disturbing root systems.
4. Cilantro
Cilantro, also known as coriander, has feathery green leaves and a fresh, citrusy aroma. It grows quickly in cooler months and bolts to seed in the heat.
As a companion to avocado trees, cilantro helps repel harmful insects while inviting pollinators into the garden.
Its quick life cycle makes it a flexible partner that can be grown beneath the tree or rotated through beds nearby. When left to flower, it becomes a beneficial insect magnet.
5. Dill
Dill is a tall, delicate herb with fern-like leaves and umbrella-shaped flower clusters that stand out in the garden. It’s often grown for both culinary and companion planting perks.
As a neighbor to avocado trees, dill attracts predatory insects like ladybugs and hoverflies that feed on garden pests.
Its aromatic leaves also repel aphids and mites, making it a helpful bodyguard for young trees. Dill thrives in similar soil and light conditions, making it an easygoing partner.
6. Fennel (with caution)
Fennel is a striking herb with feathery leaves and tall stalks topped by yellow umbels. Its licorice-scented foliage makes it a favorite for both the kitchen and the pollinators.
While fennel attracts helpful insects and doesn’t compete too aggressively, it can sometimes inhibit the growth of nearby plants if placed too closely.
Use it sparingly and give it space away from avocado roots to avoid crowding or allelopathic effects. It’s a “friendly-from-a-distance” kind of companion.
7. Garlic
Garlic is a small but mighty herb that brings bold flavor and big garden benefits. Its strong aroma naturally deters a range of insect pests and fungal threats.
Planted around avocado trees, garlic acts as a protective ring against aphids, mites, and even root-invading nematodes.
It also has antifungal properties that can help reduce the risk of soil-borne diseases. Bonus: it barely competes for nutrients or space.
8. Lavender
Lavender is known for its calming scent and silvery foliage, but it’s also a powerhouse in pest control. Its fragrant oils repel moths, mosquitoes, and flies while luring in bees and butterflies.
Lavender prefers dry soil and full sun—conditions that align nicely with mature avocado trees.
Its low-maintenance nature makes it a great border plant that enhances both beauty and balance in the garden. Plus, it adds that Mediterranean flair avocado groves love.
9. Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a vigorous, lemony-scented herb from the mint family that grows easily in partial shade. Its sweet aroma confuses and repels pests like gnats and mosquitoes.
When grown near avocado trees, it creates a fragrant pest barrier without interfering with the tree’s root zone.
Lemon balm is also a pollinator favorite and can be trimmed back to keep it compact. A little goes a long way in calming the garden chaos.
10. Lemongrass
Lemongrass is tall, bold, and beautifully citrus-scented. Its dense stalks deter mosquitoes, ticks, and other pests that might bother avocado trees.
It grows well in sunny, well-drained soil and creates a living perimeter that protects while adding visual interest.
Lemongrass also helps reduce soil erosion on sloped ground—a bonus in avocado orchards. It’s like a fragrant fence with benefits.
11. Marjoram
Marjoram is a sweet, soft-leaved herb with a gentle, floral aroma and a low-growing habit. It’s part of the oregano family but milder, both in flavor and growth style.
As a companion plant, marjoram enhances the flavor of nearby herbs and helps improve soil health through beneficial microbe activity.
It doesn’t crowd avocado roots and brings a touch of herbal harmony to the base of the tree. Plus, pollinators love its dainty flowers.
12. Mint
Mint is vigorous, aromatic, and almost too eager to grow—but when contained, it makes a surprisingly effective companion. Its strong scent deters aphids, ants, and even rodents.
Planted in containers near avocado trees, it helps create a pest-repelling perimeter without becoming invasive.
The key is keeping it confined—never plant it directly in the ground near your tree. With boundaries, mint brings bold benefits.
13. Nasturtium
Nasturtiums are cheerful, trailing plants with edible blooms in sunny reds, yellows, and oranges. They act as a natural trap crop, attracting aphids and other pests away from your avocado.
These flowers are more than pretty—they create a living shield that protects more delicate companions.
Their broad leaves also shade the soil, helping retain moisture and suppress weeds. Bonus: the blossoms look stunning climbing beneath avocado canopies.
14. Oregano
Oregano is a tough little herb with small leaves and a bold, earthy scent. It thrives in full sun, rocky soil, and dry conditions—making it an ideal groundcover for avocado trees.
Its strong aroma repels garden pests like aphids and beetles while inviting pollinators with its late-season flowers.
Oregano spreads gently and doesn’t crowd avocado roots. It’s like the low-key hero of companion planting.
15. Parsley
Parsley is more than just garnish—it’s a hardworking biennial herb with bright green, frilly leaves. It attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps that prey on avocado pests.
This herb prefers partial shade and rich soil, both of which it can find near an avocado tree’s canopy.
It plays nicely underground too, with a shallow root system that won’t interfere. Parsley quietly supports the ecosystem while looking lush and leafy.
16. Rosemary
Rosemary is a woody, fragrant herb with needle-like leaves and a bold, piney scent. It thrives in sunny spots with well-draining soil, making it a strong match for mature avocado trees.
Its aroma repels pests like aphids and whiteflies, and the tough stems stand up well to heat and drought.
Planted nearby, rosemary adds beauty and balance without crowding or competing. It’s both protective and ornamental—a double win.
17. Sage
Sage is a silvery, aromatic herb with soft leaves and deep roots in culinary and garden traditions. Its strong scent deters beetles, carrot flies, and other harmful insects.
Sage enjoys sunny conditions and helps build biodiversity when grown near avocado trees.
It doesn’t require much water, won’t hog nutrients, and adds a lovely pop of texture under your tree’s canopy. A wise choice, indeed.
18. Savory
Savory is a lesser-known herb with tiny leaves and a spicy, peppery aroma. It grows in tidy, low clusters and offers natural resistance to pests.
As a companion plant, it enhances pollinator activity and works as a groundcover without encroaching on avocado roots.
Its compact size makes it ideal for planting along borders or in between other companions. Small in stature, big in benefits.
19. Tarragon
Tarragon brings a gentle, anise-like fragrance and delicate green leaves to the garden. It’s a drought-tolerant herb that thrives in loose, well-drained soil—perfect for avocado-adjacent beds.
Its scent repels certain harmful insects and supports biodiversity in subtle ways.
Since it grows in well-behaved clumps, it won’t compete aggressively with your tree. Tarragon offers a whisper of protection with minimal fuss.
20. Thyme
Thyme is a low-growing, woody herb that creeps along the ground with tiny, fragrant leaves. It’s tough, drought-resistant, and ideal for filling in gaps around avocado tree bases.
Its scent confuses pests while its flowers attract bees and hoverflies.
Thyme helps lock in moisture and reduce weed growth without overwhelming the soil. It’s the quiet, resilient companion every tree deserves.
21. Yarrow
Yarrow is a hardy, ferny-leaved herb with clusters of flat-topped flowers in shades of white, yellow, and pink. It thrives in poor soil and sunny spots, making it a low-maintenance win near avocado trees.
Yarrow attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings while also improving soil quality over time.
Its deep roots help break up compacted soil, promoting drainage and root health around your tree. It’s nature’s multitasker—quietly working beneath the surface.
22. Rue Isn’t a Good Choice for Avocados
Rue is a strong-scented herb with bluish leaves and yellow blooms—but it’s a bit too intense for most companions. Its oils can inhibit growth in nearby plants, including avocado trees.
Rue is known for its allelopathic properties, meaning it may release chemicals into the soil that affect other plants.
It’s also toxic to pets and irritating to human skin. Best kept at a distance from your fruit trees.
23. Why Wormwood and Avocados Don’t Mix
Wormwood is a silvery, bitter herb used in herbal medicine and pest repellents—but it’s not a team player. It produces compounds that suppress growth in nearby plants.
Avocado trees don’t respond well to those chemical signals, and wormwood’s spreading roots can interfere with young tree growth.
While it’s great at deterring pests, it’s better suited for borders far from your main garden. Keep this one at arm’s length.
24. Catnip’s Not Companion Material
Catnip is fun for cats but not so great for avocado trees. It spreads aggressively, quickly taking over space and stealing nutrients from nearby roots.
Its tendency to attract neighborhood cats can also lead to soil disturbance or compacting.
Plus, it prefers slightly different growing conditions than avocados. Leave catnip for the cat corner, not the fruit grove.
25. Sorrel Doesn’t Share Well with Avocados
Sorrel is a leafy, lemony herb that loves moisture and cool soil—pretty much the opposite of what avocado trees prefer. Its rapid, leafy growth can overshadow small companion plants and hog soil nutrients.
Sorrel doesn’t offer much in the way of pest control or pollinator support for avocados.
And while it’s delicious in the kitchen, it’s not ideal near fruit trees. Better to grow it in its own dedicated bed.
26. Lovage Is Too Competitive to Be a Good Neighbor
Lovage is tall, celery-like, and deeply rooted—which can be problematic near avocado trees. It grows fast and draws heavily from the soil.
Those deep roots might compete directly with the avocado’s shallow root system, especially in smaller spaces.
Lovage also grows quite large, casting too much shade on sun-loving companions. Great herb, wrong location.
27. Chamomile Isn’t as Gentle as It Seems
Chamomile may be calming in tea, but it’s not so gentle with avocado trees. It tends to spread and can outcompete smaller herbs for space and resources.
Some varieties also release natural growth inhibitors into the soil.
While it does attract pollinators, the risks outweigh the benefits in this pairing. Keep chamomile in the herb garden, not under your avo tree.