How to Grow Lavender Plants: Care & Growing Guide - Garden Design (2024)

Lavender makes a stunning addition to borders and perennial gardens, providing sweeping drifts of color from early summer into fall. With its silvery-green foliage, upright flower spikes, and compact shrub-like form, lavender is ideal for creating informal hedges. You can also harvest it for fragrant floral arrangements, sachets, and potpourri, as well as many medicinal and culinary uses.

Although all lavender (Lavandula) is native to the Mediterranean, there are many different varieties offering a vast selection of bloom times, flower forms, and sizes. And, contrary to the name, not all lavenders are purple. Some hybrids come in other lovely pastel hues such as violet blue, rose, pale pink, white, and even yellow. The leaves can also vary in shape and color. To extend the bloom season, as well as the color palette, consider planting several varieties.

COMMON TYPES OF LAVENDER

HOW TO PLANT LAVENDER

LAVENDER PLANT CARE

Watering: Established lavender plants are extremely drought tolerant and only need to be watered during prolonged dry spells. To prevent root rot and fungal diseases, avoid overwatering and keep the leaves dry by watering at ground level or using drip irrigation. During the winter, when plants are dormant, no supplemental watering is needed.

Amendments and fertilizer: Because lavender is native to regions having sandy or rocky soils with low fertility, avoid using amendments that enrich the soil, such as compost or other organic matter. If you have dense clay soil, amend it with inert rice hulls to improve drainage.

Fertilizing lavender is rarely necessary and may cause a surge in foliage growth at the expense of flower production. Plants will generally be more robust when grown in poor soil that is low in nutrients.

Overwintering: In climates where temperatures dip below zero degrees Fahrenheit, insulate your plants with a winter mulch of evergreen boughs, shredded leaves, or straw, especially if there’s a lack of snow cover. Proper soil drainage is also essential to plant survival in areas with cold, damp winters.

Propagation: From seed or by stem cuttings taken from new growth in spring, before flower buds form. *See note below on propagating or dividing patented plants (check your plant tags for the ® or ™ symbol by the plant name).

Pests and diseases: Lavender has few pest or disease problems, but can be susceptible to root rot and powdery mildew , especially in damp, humid climates. The best control measures are to avoid overhead watering and provide good air circulation between plants.

HOW TO PRUNE LAVENDER

Once established, lavender is very low maintenance, but should be pruned regularly to keep it healthy and encourage prolific blooming. Plants that aren’t pruned have a tendency to get woody and sprawl, leaving a hole in the middle. Here are some basic guidelines for when and how to prune your plants:

• The best time to prune lavender is after the flowers have faded in mid to late summer, although the exact timing can vary depending on the type of lavender and your growing zone. Using hedge shears or hand pruners, cut plants back by at least 1/3 their height to stimulate new growth, sculpting them into mounds to avoid legginess.
• Make your pruning cuts just above new leaf growth rather than cutting into the woody sections of the plant, since lavender will not form new growth on old wood. The exception is dead or damaged stems, which should be removed right down to the base.
• Pruning of lavender can also be done in the spring, but the timing can be tricky. You should wait for new leaves to sprout to avoid cutting into old wood, but prune before the buds appear so you don’t remove the first flush of blooms.
• Avoid pruning lavender in the fall, or about six weeks before your area's first frost date. Plants need time to recover from pruning before winter arrives.
• In addition to pruning, deadhead the faded flowers throughout the blooming season. This will keep your plants tidy and re-enegerize them for another flush of blooms.

POPULAR LAVENDER VARIETIES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is lavender a perennial?

While lavender is often sold as a perennial, it’s actually an evergreen semi-woody shrub that will return year after year if grown in the appropriate climate. However, some types of lavender won’t survive winter when exposed to excessively cold temperatures. French and Spanish lavenders are particularly susceptible to frost damage and should be grown as annuals north of zone 7 or in containers that you can bring indoors during the winter months.

What is the best lavender for cold climates?

English lavenders and their hybrids are the best varieties for colder climates since they are hardy to zone 5, where winter temperatures can drop as low as -10° F to -20° F. Some of the hybrid lavandins (L. x intermedia) can also tolerate cold conditions. If your winters are particularly harsh, it’s best to grow plants in a protected location to prevent damage.

What is the best lavender for hot and humid climates?

Both Spanish lavender and French lavender are excellent performers in southern gardens with extremely hot, humid climates. However, be sure to grow plants in well-draining soil and space them far enough apart to permit good air circulation. Although English lavender will endure summer heat, it grows poorly in climates that have extremely hot, humid summers, preferring more temperate conditions.

How do I fix leggy or woody lavender plants?

Leggy lavender plants, with long woody stems and sparse growth, are often the result of improper pruning (see “How to Prune Lavender”). However, plants can also get leggy if they receive insufficient sunlight or are planted in overly fertile soil. To restore their bushy appearance, start by pruning your plants in the spring, cutting back to the lowest emerging bud. In midsummer, prune again to shape your plants into nice, symmetrical mounds, which will help keep them tidy and reduce straggly growth. Be aware that rejuvenating woody lavender can take time, so have patience and give your plants several months to recover between prunings.

How do I harvest and preserve lavender flowers?

Cut the flowers when the buds are just beginning to show color, but before they fully open. If you harvest the blooms when they are in early bud, they should last at least two weeks in a vase. This is also when the essential oils are at their peak.

If harvesting for dried flowers, tie the cut flower stalks into bunches and hang them upside down in a dry, well-ventilated space out of direct sunlight. Once dry, you can strip off the flowers to use for sachets and potpourri or create a dried bouquet by leaving the flowers on the stems and arranging them upright in a vase.

DESIGN IDEAS FOR LAVENDER

• Use along walkways and garden paths where you can enjoy their scent and where they can benefit from the heat reflected off the pavement.
• Plant in formal or informal herb gardens, where the cool, gray-green foliage sets off other green herbs and plants.
• Create aromatic hedges or borders along fences and garden walls as shown in this video for Sweet Romance® lavender.
• Use as a natural pest repellent near patios and porches. The scent deters mosquitoes, flies, fleas, and other problem insects while attracting butterflies and bees.
• Plant with drought-tolerant companions such as coneflower, sedum, black-eyed Susan, roses, and shasta daisies. See more lavender companion plants.

IDEAS FOR USING LAVENDER IN THE KITCHEN

A member of the mint family, lavender has been used for centuries as a versatile, unexpected flavoring in both sweet and savory foods. English lavenders are the best varieties for culinary purposes, and both the buds and leaves can be used fresh or dried. Because the flavor is strong, use it sparingly so it won’t overpower your dishes. The buds are best harvested right before they fully open, when the essential oils are most potent.

• Immerse a few dried lavender buds in a jar of sugar to give it a sweet aroma. Use the sugar for baking and in desserts.
• Chop the fresh buds and add to a cake batter or sweet pastry dough before baking.
• Add flower buds to preserves or fruit compotes to give them subtle spicy notes.
• Sprinkle fresh lavender on a salad as a garnish.
• Use fresh lavender to infuse teas, co*cktails, and other beverages.
• Use chopped buds and leaves to flavor roast lamb, chicken, or rabbit.
• Make Herbes de Provence by blending dried lavender with thyme, savory, and rosemary.

*REGARDING PROPAGATION: When it comes to propagating patented plants, there are strict rules in place prohibiting reproduction or propagation of these plants in any way. This means you can't reproduce them (even for use in your own garden), sell them, or bring them into the country without permission. The law does not make exceptions for what some might consider minor infringements. Any unauthorized use of patented plants is considered an infringement.

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