Basil

Ocimum basilicum

Lamiaceae

Eggplant

Solanum melongena

Solanaceae

Can you plant basil and eggplant together?

Yes. Basil and eggplant grow well together. Basil drew in insects that eat the pests of eggplant in a greenhouse or pot trial. That rests on a single study, so treat it as a lead, not a rule.

Why basil and eggplant work together

Draws in pest-eating insects. In a greenhouse or pot trial, basil drew in insects that eat the pests of eggplant.
Optimizing the Use of Basil as a Functional Plant for the Biological Control of Aphids by Chrysopa pallens (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in Greenhouses. (Fang Y · 2022 · Insects)

What to plant with basil and eggplant

Good neighbours of both, best tested first.

CabbageWith basil: 12% more harvestWith eggplant: 54% more harvest
BeanWith basil: 21% more harvestWith eggplant: 13% more harvest
TomatoWith basil: 7% more harvestWith eggplant: 12% more harvest
PepperWith basil: Fewer pestsWith eggplant: Recommended by garden charts, not tested

How each one was tested, with the evidence

What to keep away from basil and eggplant

ThymeWith basil: Garden charts advise against it, not tested

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

Tradition

No chart mentions this pair.

Research

Good

avoidgood

1 paper found: 1 positive, 0 negative.

natural enemies

auto-classified not reviewed by a person

Yield trial

No intercropping yield trial.

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 eggplant

Plants that are good neighbours of each. Biggest harvest gain first; each cell links to the evidence for that pair.

Plant	With basil	With eggplant
Cabbage	12% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for basil and cabbage	54% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for eggplant and cabbage
Bean	Fewer pests21% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 3 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for basil and beans	13% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for eggplant and beans
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	12% more harvest from the same spaceSame family (Solanaceae): shares pests and diseasesField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for eggplant and tomatoes
Pepper	Fewer pests and draws in pest-eating insectsMixed results on harvestField trial, 6 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for basil and peppers	No trial foundSame family (Solanaceae): shares pests and diseasesNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for eggplant and peppers

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

ResearchGood1 entry

Goodnatural enemiesgreenhouse / pot trialauto-classified

Basil helps Eggplant
Optimizing the Use of Basil as a Functional Plant for the Biological Control of Aphids by Chrysopa pallens (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in Greenhouses.
Optimizing the Use of Basil as a Functional Plant for the Biological Control of Aphids by Chrysopa pallens (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) in Greenhouses. (Fang Y · 2022 · Insects)

Relevance 88% · effect confidence 86%

Plan a bed with basil and eggplant

All neighbours of basil and of eggplant, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.

Have you grown basil and eggplant together?

Tell other gardeners what happened: spacing, pests, harvest, or ask a question. Reader notes are not checked by us and do not change the verdicts on this page.