Tradition
No chart mentions this pair.
Bean
Phaseolus vulgaris
Fabaceae
Pea
Pisum sativum
FabaceaeCan you plant beans and peas together?
Yes, with care. Beans and peas are close relatives: both are in the Fabaceae family, so they share pests and diseases. Nothing we found says they help or harm each other beyond that.
What to watch for
Same family, shared pests. Beans and peas are both in the Fabaceae family, so the same pests and diseases can move from one to the other.
Crop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)
What to plant with beans and peas
Good neighbours of both, best tested first.
Sweet cornWith beans: 43% more harvestWith peas: 40% more harvest
LettuceWith beans: 48% more harvestWith peas: 19% more harvest
GarlicWith beans: Draws in pest-eating insectsWith peas: 30% more harvest
CauliflowerWith beans: Bigger combined harvestWith peas: Recommended by garden charts, not tested
CilantroWith beans: Recommended by garden chartsWith peas: Recommended by garden charts, not tested
What to keep away from beans and peas
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
Same family, shared pests and diseases. Both in Fabaceae: often susceptible to the same diseases and insects. Source: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden
Research
No papers found on this pair.
Yield trial
No intercropping yield trial.
Same family, careful
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 beans and peas
Plants that are good neighbours of each. Biggest harvest gain first; each cell links to the evidence for that pair.
| Plant | With beans | With peas |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet 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 | Better soil and nutrient uptake40% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 11 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for peas and corn |
| Lettuce | 48% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and lettuce | 19% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for peas and lettuce |
| Garlic | Draws in pest-eating insectsField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for beans and garlic | 30% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for peas and garlic |
| Cauliflower | Bigger combined harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and cauliflower | No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for peas and cauliflower |
| Cilantro | No effect on pest-eating insectsField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and cilantro | No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for peas and cilantro |
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).
Recommended by garden charts for both, not tested yet
The evidence, with sources
- Both in Fabaceae: often susceptible to the same diseases and insectsCrop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)
All neighbours of bean and of pea, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.
Have you grown beans and peas 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.