Artichoke Companion Planting: Learn About Artichoke Plant Companions

artichoke companions
artichoke companions
(Image credit: Serenethos)

Artichokes may not be the most common members of a vegetable garden, but they can be very rewarding to grow as long as you have the space. If you do choose to add artichokes to your garden, it’s important to know which plants work well near them and which don’t. Keep reading to learn more about what to plant next to artichokes.

Artichoke Plant Companions

Artichoke companion planting is not especially complicated. Artichokes don’t repel any pests, but at the same time, they’re not really bothered by any. It is because of this, they don’t really benefit their neighbors, but neither do they need good neighbors. They are, however, very heavy feeders that require extra rich, slightly alkaline soil. The best companions for artichoke plants have similar soil requirements. Peas, in particular, are good artichoke plant companions because they exude nitrogen that artichokes will gladly leech up from the soil. Some other good artichoke plant companions include sunflowers, tarragon, and members of the cabbage family. The artichoke “vegetable” that we eat is actually a flower bud. If you don’t harvest the bud and allow it to bloom, it becomes a huge, clover-like flower that will attract all kinds of beneficial pollinators to your garden.

Bad Companions for Artichoke

The most important thing to know about artichoke plants is that they’re huge. They can grow as big as 4 feet (1 m.) high and wide. They spread out with huge leaves that can easily shade or muscle out smaller plants. Due to this, artichoke companion planting isn’t recommended in close quarters. Don’t place anything within a few feet (1 m.) of your artichoke plants. It’s best to leave even more distance on the north side since that’s where the shade cast from their leaves will be the worst. If you have limited space, it’s better not to plant anything near your artichoke plants.

Liz Baessler
Senior Editor

The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.