About Sunflower
Sunflower supports pollinators, beneficial insects, or pest trapping — best as borders, orchard understorey, or strips between vegetable blocks.
Essential beside cucurbits, apples, and berry fruit in NZ food forests.
Good companions
Plants that pair well with Sunflower — tap for their guides. Cited sources appear where research is linked in the matrix.
Sunflowers can shade cucumbers excessively and both compete for water in dry North Island summers.
SquashListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
CornListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
MelonListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
PumpkinListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
ArtichokeListed as beneficial in the matrix — open the grid for full context.
Avoid planting together
Known poor neighbours — spacing apart or rotating beds reduces shared pest and disease pressure.
Growing tips
- Mix early and late bloomers for season-long insect habitat.
- Accept some trap-crop damage on nasturtiums and sacrificial flowers.
- Place pollinator strips within 10 m of crops that need insect pollination.
Use the compatibility matrix
Filter to Sunflower to see green (beneficial), red (incompatible), and grey (neutral) for every pair among 162 plants. Desktop: hover cells. Mobile: tap for details.