Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
Silver, fragrant and full of bees — moths and aphids keep away.
Light Full sun
Water Low
USDA zones 5a–9b
Height 45–75 cm
Spread 23.6 in
Spacing 45–90 cm
Sow depth Medium
Spacing & sowing
- Plant spacing
- 23.6 in
- In-row spacing
- 23.6 in
- Between rows
- 2 ft 11 in
- Square-foot density
- Not suited to SFG
Calendar (from your frost dates)
- Plant out
- at the last spring frost
- First harvest
- 60 days after the last spring frost
- Harvest ends
- 14 days before the first fall frost
Growing
- Type
- Herb · Perennial
- Botanical family
- Mixed / other
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Watering
- Low
- Soil
- Poor, dry, free-draining
- Feeding
- Rarely needs feeding; a little potash on poor soil is the most it asks for.
- USDA zones
- 5a–9b
- Frost tolerant
- Yes
- Flowering
- June
- Pruning
- Trim once flowering is over, and never cut back into old bare wood.
Through the year
- Mar–Jun Bud Break
- Jun–Sep Flowering
- Sep–Dec Growing
- Jan–Mar Growing
Harvest
- When
- Harvest flower stems in early–mid summer when the bottom third to half of the florets on each spike have opened — for the strongest oil and best bud retention when dried, some pick just as the buds show full color but before opening. Cut mid-morning on a dry day, after dew but before heat.
- What to look for
- Spikes richly colored, the lowest flowers just opening, and the whole bush humming with scent. Fully open or fading spikes shed buds when dried and have already spent much of their oil.
- How to harvest
- Cut stems as long as possible, down to just above the leafy growth, gathering a bunch in one hand and cutting with secateurs or a serrated harvest knife. When trimming after harvest, never cut into bare old wood — lavender will not regrow from it.
- How often
- Most varieties give one main flush per year; cutting the first flush promptly often earns a smaller second flush in late summer, especially from English lavenders. Annual harvest-plus-trim keeps the shrub compact and productive for many years.
- Storing the crop
- Hang bunches of 50–100 stems upside down in a dark, warm, airy place for 2–4 weeks; darkness preserves the color. Once dry, use stems whole or rub the buds off into jars — dried buds keep their fragrance for a year or more in airtight storage and go into sachets, baking (use culinary varieties), and infusions.
Companions
Roses, Thyme, Sage, Echinacea
Pests & problems
- Rosemary beetle A small metallic green-and-purple striped beetle that grazes rosemary, lavender, sage, and thyme. Shake branches over a tray to collect adults and larvae.
- Gray mold (botrytis) Gray mold
- Root & crown rot Root rot in soil that stays wet
- Frost damage Frost damage on the tender varieties
Companion planting
Good neighbors
Did you know?
Lavender thrives on neglect — poor, dry soil gives the strongest scent.
The Cottage Garden Companion — the gardener's herbarium at cottagegardencompanion.com