How to grow lavender

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.

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.

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.

• Buy Lavender 'Hidcote' from Crocus

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.

• Buy Lavender Little Lottie from Hooksgreen Herbs

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.

• Buy Lavender 'Lady Ann' from Cotswold Lavender

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.

• Buy Lavender 'Lullaby Blue' from Newlands Nursery

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.

• Buy Lavender 'Willow Vale' from Jekka's

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.

• Buy Lavender 'Fathead' from Thompson & Morgan

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.

• Buy Lavender 'Edelweiss' from Ashridge Trees

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.

• Buy Lavender 'Gross Bleu' from Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens

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.

• Buy Lavender 'Grosso' from Crocus

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.

• Buy Lavandula x christiana from Fairweather's Plant Shop