Fennel Companion Planting

Fennel Enhances.

Fennel is an odd plant in that it pretty much is a poor companion for everything.

Dill is the only herb that will grow near fennel and even dill is a poor choice because the two herbs tend to cross-polinate.

Fennel attracts.

Fennel will attract ladybugs, syrphid flies, tachninid flies, beneficial parasitoid wasps and hoverflies and other beneficial predator insects to your garden.

Fennel as a flea repellant.

Fennel is a strong repellent for fleas. An old gardening mantra suggested to "plant fennel near your kennel" to deter fleas from your dog kennel. Dried fennel leaves will provide additional flea deterrance when put inside the dog house or kennel.

Aphids also do not care for fennel and are strongly repelled by it.

To learn more about growing fennel be sure to check out our fennel fact sheet. And to find out how fennel was used during medieval times to prevent ghosts from entering dwellings and other historical and modern uses for fennel, read our article on fennel history and uses.