How to grow lavender
All you need to know about growing lavender, including our pick of the best lavenders to grow.
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This article has been checked for horticultural accuracy by Oliver Parsons.
Lavender is a Mediterranean evergreen shrub, grown for its fragrant leaves and bee-friendly flowers. There are hardy, half-hardy and tender species of lavender to choose from, but most grown by gardeners will be hardy varieties.
Lavenders work in a variety of situations, from wildlife gardens to cottage gardens and even formal gardens, where they can be planted beneath shrub roses or used as a low-growing lavender hedge. Many lavenders thrive in pots.
Choosing lavenders to grow
The type of lavender you grow will depend on personal choice, including flower colour and shape, plus the shade and fragrance of the foliage (some lavenders have silvery-grey leaves, while others are more green).
English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, is hardier and longer-lived than the French and Spanish lavenders Lavandula dentata and Lavandula stoechas. It's also thought that bees are more attracted to English lavender than French or Spanish lavenders.
While traditional English lavender varieties 'Hidcote' and 'Munstead' are popular, intermediate lavenders, sometimes called 'lavendins', have several advantages over the English varieties. These hybrid lavenders have Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia as their parents. They are more robust than other lavenders, therefore they are more tolerant of wetter soils and colder winters. They're also larger than English lavenders and flower for a longer period, providing more flowers for you to enjoy, and more pollen and nectar for bees. Popular hybrid lavenders include Lavandula x intermedia 'Edelweiss' and Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso'.
How to grow lavender
Grow lavender in full sun, in free-draining soil. Half-hardy lavenders such as Lavendula stoechas should be grown in a sheltered spot. Cut back after flowering to keep the plant compact and to stop it from becoming too woody.
More on growing lavender:
- How to take lavender cuttings
- How to make a lavender hedge
- How to make lavender oil
- How to make a lavender bath bag
- How to dry lavender
Growing lavender: jump links
- Where to grow lavender
- Care for lavender
- Propagating lavender
- Lavender problems
- Where to buy lavender
- Best lavenders to grow
Where to grow lavender
Lavenders thrive in an open site in full sun, in a free-draining, neutral to alkaline soil (if you have acid soil, try French lavender, Lavandula stoechas, instead). It copes well with drought conditions but will suffer in wet, heavy soils, particularly over winter.
Half-hardy lavenders such as Lavandula stoechas are best grown in pots so that they can be moved to a light, airy, frost-free spot for winter.
How to plant lavender
The best time to plant lavender is in spring, from March to May. If you have heavy soil, improve drainage by adding horticultural grit to the planting hole before planting. Planting on a slight mound can also help prevent waterlogging. Plant lavender at the same depth as it was in its pot. Add a sprinkling of bonemeal to the planting hole, place the plant in the hole, backfill and firm in. Water well.
When planting lavender in pots, choose terracotta pots with drainage holes. Fill with a John Innes no. 2 or 3 compost and mix in some horticultural grit for drainage. Pots should be placed in a sunny spot away from the shade of overhanging trees and shrubs.
Where to buy lavender online
How to care for lavender plants
Hardy lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula x intermedia types) can cope with temperatures down to about -15°C, and can therefore be left in the garden all year round. Prune after flowering, typically in August or September. Cut back quite hard but don't cut into old wood, as the plant will rarely regrow from such wood.
Half-hardy lavenders such as Lavandula stoechas flower for a long season but may not survive winter. Prune after their first flush of flowers have faded but avoid pruning any later than early September.
If growing the more tender lavenders, such as Lavandula dentata, deadhead and prune only if the plants become scruffy.
In this short video guide, below, Monty Don demonstrates how to cut back lavender after flowering to maintain a neat, compact shape and prevent it from becoming leggy and unkempt.
How long does lavender live?
Lavenders are not long-lived plants. If pruned correctly, hardy types can live for about 15 years (as many as 20 years, in some cases). Expect tender varieties to last for about five years.
How to take lavender cuttings
Take semi-ripe lavender cuttings in late summer. Remove non-flowering shoots, about 10cm long, with a woody base and a tip with new growth. Pull off some of the lower leaves. Fill plastic pots with peat-free multi-purpose compost, water well, and then push the cuttings into the compost. About 1-2cm of stem should be below the surface. Cover pots with a clear plastic bag and place in a light and airy place - a greenhouse is ideal.
Find out how to boost your stock of lavender plants in Monty's video guide, below, to taking cuttings of French lavender, Lavendula stoechas.
Lavender problems
Lavender can be become very leggy, bearing few flowers. The reason for this is lack of, or poor, pruning. Many gardeners just deadhead hardy types, which also leads to leggy plants and not many flowers. Looked after in this way, the plant will be very short-lived.
To rejuvenate a woody plant, prune in mid-August to just above green shoots and hope for the best. If new shoots don’t appear within the next month, you might be better off starting again.
Advice on buying lavender
- Check the height, spread and hardiness of the lavender before buying it. They vary in size and some are much hardier than others
- Look carefully at the shape and colour of the lavender flowers. There are lots of subtle differences to choose from, which could make the difference to your display
- Check all lavender plants for damage, disease and signs of pests before planting
Where to buy lavender online
Great lavenders to grow
Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'
'Hidcote' is one of the best known of all lavender varieties, for good reason - it's a compact variety of English lavender with mid-purple flowers and is ideal for planting in borders or as dwarf hedging.
Lavandula angustifolia Little Lottie
As the name suggests, Little Lottie is dwarf variety of English lavender, growing to around 30cm in height. It has pale, purple-pink flowers held above green-grey foliage. Find out how to use this dwarf variety in a lavender and thyme hanging basket.
Lavandula angustifolia 'Lady Anne'
'Lady Ann' is a compact variety of English lavender, growing to around 45cm in height. The flowers are pale pink and have a slight fragrance. Good for combining with purple-flowered lavenders.
Lavandula angustifolia 'Lullaby Blue'
Lavandula angustifolia 'Lullaby Blue' has rich, purple-blue flowers. Reaching around 60cm in height, it's a good choice if you're after a more substantial lavender hedge. Like all lavenders, it's great for pollinating insects.
Lavandula stoechas 'Willow Vale'
'Willow Vale' is a vigorous variety of French lavender with gorgeous spikes of purple flowers. Like most lavenders, it has large and distinctive bracts. Deadhead the flowers once they're past their best.
Lavandula stoechas 'Fathead'
'Fathead' is a vigorous variety with a good scent, so it's good for drying. French lavenders are best grown in sunny, sheltered areas. Try growing lavender as part of a nectar-rich container display.
Lavandula x intermedia 'Edelweiss'
Like all Lavandula x intermedia hybrids, 'Edelweiss' is a larger, more robust variety, with broader leaves and longer flower stalks. It has pure-white blooms and makes an excellent cut flower.
Lavandula x intermedia 'Gros Bleu'
'Gros Bleu' is a large, attractively branched variety with pale-purple blooms. A lovely choice for borders, as a hedge and for cut flowers. Discover more perennials to grow for cut flowers.
Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso'
'Grosso' is considered by many to have the best scent of all lavenders and is often grown for use as a cut flower. It looks good planted with rosemary and thyme, which enjoy similar growing conditions.
Lavandula x christiana
Lavandula x christiana is one of the rarer lavender hybrids. It's hardy and has beautiful feathery foliage, similar to that of some artemisias and tall, purple flower spikes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you grow lavender from posti plugs/mini plug plants?
Plug plants need to be grown on before they are transplanted into the garden. When they arrive, water the plugs and allow them to acclimatise in a light, warm but not hot place for 24 hours. Then they can be potted up, watered and grown on in frost-free conditions. Keep them out of very strong sunshine until their roots have started to expand into the rest of the new pot. Harden off and plant out when they are large enough to thrive outside.
When is the best time to move lavender plants?
Spring is a good time to transplant young lavender plants, because the soil is warming but the plants are not yet in flower, so they can direct more of their energy toward expanding their roots. Plants that have been moved will need to be watered and the area around them kept free of weeds.
