Tradition
No chart mentions this pair.
Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Lamiaceae
Bean
Phaseolus vulgaris
FabaceaeCan you plant basil and beans together?
Yes. Basil and beans grow well together. A shared bed gave about 21% more harvest than separate beds in one field trial, and basil kept pests off beans in 2 studies.
Why basil and beans work together
More harvest from the same bed. In one field trial, a bed with both crops gave about 21% more harvest than the same space split into a basil bed and a bean bed.
Fewer pests. In 2 studies, basil kept pests off beans.
Bush Basil Companion Plants Act as Plant Defense Potentiators for Cultivated Plants. (Rahimian S · 2025 · Journal of agricultural and food chemistry)and 1 more source
What to plant with basil and beans
Good neighbours of both, best tested first.
Sweet cornWith basil: Bigger combined harvestWith beans: 43% more harvest
TomatoWith basil: 7% more harvestWith beans: 18% more harvest
OkraWith basil: Bigger combined harvestWith beans: 25% more harvest
EggplantWith basil: Draws in pest-eating insectsWith beans: 13% more harvest
What to keep away from basil and beans
The evidence in detail
For readers who want to dig in: every chart entry, study and yield trial behind the answer above, with the numbers.
Tradition, research and yield trials
Research
Good
avoidgood
2 papers found: 2 positive, 0 negative.
pest suppression x2
auto-classified not reviewed by a person
Yield trial
Good
0.60
0.59
Both crops did about equally well. Partial LER is each crop's share of the yield it would give alone.
1 field trial. Published LERs lean high.
Good neighbours
What happens above and below ground
Each animation illustrates a mechanism a study reported for this pair. Pick a card to focus on it.
Everything at once.
Companion plants for both basil and beans
Plants that are good neighbours of each. Biggest harvest gain first; each cell links to the evidence for that pair.
| Plant | With basil | With beans |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet corn | Bigger combined harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for basil and corn | Draws in pest-eating insects, fewer pests and better soil and nutrient uptake43% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 22 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and corn |
| Tomato | Helpful plant chemistry, fewer pests and better soil and nutrient uptake7% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 6 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for basil and tomatoes | 18% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and tomatoes |
| Okra | Bigger combined harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for basil and okra | 25% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and okra |
| Eggplant | Draws in pest-eating insectsGreenhouse or pot trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for basil and eggplant | 13% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and eggplant |
Harvest from the same space compares a bed with both crops against the same area split into single-crop beds, counting the harvest of both crops (the land equivalent ratio in yield trials).
The evidence, with sources
- Goodpest suppressiongreenhouse / pot trialauto-classifiedBasil helps BeanBush Basil Companion Plants Act as Plant Defense Potentiators for Cultivated Plants.Bush Basil Companion Plants Act as Plant Defense Potentiators for Cultivated Plants. (Rahimian S · 2025 · Journal of agricultural and food chemistry)Relevance 95% · effect confidence 96%
- Goodpest suppressionfield trialauto-classifiedBasil helps BeanAdditive intercropping system or acaricides: which one is more efficient to prevent population buildup of two-spotted spider mite?Additive intercropping system or acaricides: which one is more efficient to prevent population buildup of two-spotted spider mite? (Rahimi V · 2024 · Environmental entomology)Relevance 96% · effect confidence 93%
- GoodLER 1.21field trialIran, 2016-2017; Replacement design; median LER 1.21 over 8 treatment(s) · partial LER Basil 0.6, Bean 0.595
All neighbours of basil and of bean, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.
Have you grown basil and beans together?
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