Lavender is known for its captivating fragrance and beauty. Its vibrant purple blooms and soothing aroma make it a favorite in gardens and homes worldwide. It enhances landscapes and offers sensory benefits.
Understanding Lavender Varieties
Several lavender types are cultivated, each suitable for different climates and purposes.
English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is known for its sweet fragrance and cold hardiness, thriving in USDA Zones 5-9. It produces dense flower spikes in various shades, blooming from early to mid-summer.
French Lavender (Lavandula dentata) features serrated gray-green leaves and a more herbaceous, camphor-like scent compared to English lavender. This type is less cold-hardy, suited for USDA Zones 8-11, but tolerates heat and humidity, blooming from late winter into fall.
Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) features showy bracts resembling “rabbit ears” or “butterfly wings” on its flower heads, ranging from purple to pink. It thrives in warm, dry climates in USDA Zones 7-9 and has a strong, camphoraceous aroma, making it unsuitable for culinary use.
Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) is a hybrid of English and spike lavender, known for robust growth and abundant, larger flower spikes. It produces a stronger, sharper scent due to higher camphor content and is used commercially for essential oils and fragrances.
Cultivating Lavender Successfully
Successful lavender cultivation requires conditions mimicking its native Mediterranean environment, ensuring healthy growth and abundant blooms. These guidelines help the plant thrive.
Site Selection and Soil
Lavender requires ample sunlight, ideally six to eight hours daily, to flourish and produce abundant flowers. Excellent drainage is paramount, as lavender is susceptible to root rot in waterlogged conditions. Planting in sandy, loamy, or gravelly soil is beneficial, and amending heavy clay soils with gravel can improve drainage. Lavender prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.7-8.2). Good air circulation around plants is also important to prevent fungal issues.
Watering and Feeding
Newly planted lavender requires consistent watering during its first summer to establish a robust root system (typically once or twice a week). Once established, lavender is drought-tolerant and needs minimal watering, often subsisting on rainfall. Water established plants only when the soil is dry, allowing it to dry out completely between waterings to prevent root rot. When watering, soak the soil around the base, avoiding overhead watering which can encourage leaf diseases.
Lavender prefers nutrient-poor soil, so heavy fertilization is unnecessary and can be detrimental, leading to excessive foliage growth at the expense of flowers. A light application of compost around the plant in early spring provides sufficient nutrients for the year.
Pruning for Health
Regular pruning maintains lavender’s shape, encourages new growth, and promotes abundant flowering. The best time to prune is after the main flush of flowers has faded in mid to late summer. During this pruning, remove spent flower stalks and trim about 1 inch of leafy growth. An additional light trim in early spring can shape the plant and remove winter-damaged stems.
Avoid cutting back into old, woody stems that lack green growth, as lavender does not readily produce new shoots from old wood. This prevents the plant from becoming leggy and woody.
Harvesting and Harnessing Lavender’s Benefits
Harvesting lavender at the optimal time preserves its fragrance and allows for various uses. The timing directly impacts the potency of the plant’s aromatic compounds.
For the most intense fragrance and highest concentration of essential oils, harvest lavender when one-third to one-half of the flowers on each stem have opened, and the color is visible but not fully bloomed. The best time to harvest is in the morning after dew has evaporated but before the heat of the day, when essential oils are most concentrated. Using sharp secateurs, cut the flower stems just above the leaves or side branches, gathering them into small bundles.
To dry lavender, hang bundles upside down in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, which can cause color and scent loss. Drying takes about one week, or until flowers are brittle and easily separate from stems. Dried lavender is used in sachets and potpourri to impart a soothing aroma to linens and living spaces. It can also be incorporated into culinary creations like teas and baked goods, offering a delicate floral note. Beyond aesthetic and culinary uses, lavender is valued in aromatherapy for its relaxing properties, used to reduce anxiety and promote calm.
Addressing Common Growing Issues
Despite its hardy nature, lavender can encounter problems that hinder its growth and vitality. Understanding these issues helps maintain a healthy plant.
Root rot results from overwatering or poorly draining soil. Symptoms include yellowing leaves and plant decline. Ensuring well-draining soil (e.g., raised beds or gravel amendment) and allowing it to dry completely between waterings are effective preventative measures.
Leggy growth (long, sparse stems with fewer flowers) indicates insufficient sunlight. Providing at least six to eight hours of direct sun daily encourages denser, more compact growth.
Decline can also stem from improper soil pH or excessive fertilization. Lavender thrives in slightly alkaline, low-nutrient conditions, so avoiding over-fertilization and maintaining soil pH within 6.7-8.2 prevents nutrient imbalances and promotes plant health.