Lavandin

Sun

Full sun, with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.

Water

Water regularly during establishment, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. Established plants need little supplemental water except during prolonged drought; containers need more frequent checks.

Soil

Lean, sharply drained sandy, gravelly or chalky soil, preferably neutral to alkaline. Wet winter soil and humid, poorly ventilated sites are frequent causes of failure.

Height

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m), including flower stems

Spread

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)

Flowers

Mid- to late summer, usually violet-blue or purple; some cultivars have pale pink or white flowers. Generally flowers later than English lavender.

Foliage

Evergreen. Narrow, aromatic, silver-grey to grey-green leaves on woody, branching stems.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.9 ft (0.58 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.2 ft (0.66 m)

4. After 3 years

   2.4 ft (0.74 m)

5. After 5 years

   3 ft (0.9 m)

   full size

About 5 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant with the crown at soil level in a freely draining position; use a raised bed if your soil stays wet.
• Water at soil level and let the root zone dry between waterings.
• Avoid routine feeding and rich manure; excessive fertility encourages floppy growth.
• Use a thin gravel mulch rather than moisture-holding organic mulch, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Allow enough space for air to circulate around each plant, especially in humid climates.

Pruning. After flowering, remove spent stems and lightly shape the leafy growth, leaving plenty of green foliage. In spring, remove winter-damaged tips once new growth is visible; do not cut hard into bare old wood, which may not regrow.

Spring

Check for winter damage and trim dead tips back to living, leafy growth.

Spring

Plant once severe frosts have passed, spacing plants for their mature width.

Early summer

Check newly planted lavandin during dry weather and water deeply when the root zone has dried.

Summer

Cut flower stems as the first flowers open if you want bunches for drying; leave some for bees.

Late summer

Lightly trim after flowering while there is still time for growth to firm up before frost.

Autumn

Clear fallen leaves from the crown and check that water drains away freely.

Winter

Avoid pruning and waterlogged conditions; move pots out of persistent rain where practical.

• Plant as a low hedge beside a sunny path, allowing room so flowering stems do not obstruct passage.
• Repeat broad mounds through a gravel garden with grasses, salvias and other drought-tolerant plants.
• Use beside roses in sunny, well-drained borders, keeping rose fertiliser and frequent irrigation away from the lavender roots.
• Grow in large containers with drainage holes for fragrance and silver foliage on sunny terraces.
• Plant in herb gardens for cutting and drying, with access to harvest the long flower stems.

Garden styles it suits: Mediterranean, French country (Provençal), Dry gravel garden, Cottage garden, Sensory garden and Pollinator garden.

Plant it with: Rosemary, Santolina, Catmint, Bearded iris, Yarrow and Ornamental sage.

Wildlife: Flowers attract honeybees, bumblebees and other pollinating insects, with some butterfly visits. Deer and rabbits usually avoid the aromatic foliage, though browsing is still possible.

• Root and crown rot: plants decline in wet soil, especially over winter. Improve drainage before replanting; discard badly affected plants.
• Woody, bare centres: usually follow ageing or insufficient annual trimming. Prune lightly each year and replace plants that no longer have enough leafy growth to reshape.
• Floppy growth and poor flowering: provide more direct sun, stop rich feeding and avoid excessive watering.
• Winter dieback: cold winds and wet roots can damage plants, particularly near the colder end of its range. Choose a sheltered, freely draining site and remove dead tips in spring.

Lavender contains linalool and linalyl acetate and is considered toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten. Leaves, flowers and especially concentrated essential oil can cause digestive upset; oil exposure can be more serious. Lavandin is not generally considered poisonous to people through normal garden handling, but its oil must not be swallowed and can irritate skin.

• English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

  Usually smaller and earlier flowering, with shorter, typically unbranched flower stems. Lavandin commonly has tall stems carrying a central spike and two smaller side spikes.

• Spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia)

  Typically has broader leaves and a sharper, camphor-like scent. It is one of lavandin's parents, so reliable identification may require a labelled plant.

• Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas)

  Has compact flower heads topped with conspicuous upright, petal-like bracts; lavandin has elongated spikes without these large top bracts.

The botanical epithet intermedia means 'intermediate', referring to this hybrid's characteristics between those of its two parent species.

Propagation. Take non-flowering softwood cuttings in late spring or semi-ripe cuttings in summer, using a free-draining medium. This hybrid is generally sterile, so propagate by cuttings rather than seed.

Accepted botanical name

Lavandula intermedia

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.