Lavender (English)

About Lavender (English)

English lavender is a compact, fragrant perennial grown for its purple flower spikes, which are dried for sachets and used in cooking. It is the hardiest common lavender, but it needs sharp drainage and dies out in wet, heavy clay.

English lavender is hardy in zones 5-9 (NC State); French and Spanish lavenders are not cold hardy and are grown as annuals in cold areas (Colorado State).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

• Set out plants: up to 2 weeks after the last frost

Set out plants after the last spring frost; fall planting also works if plants get about two months to settle in before winter, and Colorado State found fall-planted lavender survived better. Seed sprouts in 14-21 days at about 70 F.

Soil

Perfectly drained sandy or gravelly soil on the dry side; it does not like wet feet and will die out in heavy clay.

Plant in full sun in very well-drained soil with a pH of about 6.5 to 7.5; work 1 inch of coarse compost 4-8 inches deep to help drainage.

Feeding

• once a year from the second year on: compost or a slow-release fertilizer. Spread about 1 inch of compost under the plants, or give one application of slow-release fertilizer at about 1 Tbsp per plant.

Too much fertilizer gives more leaves but fewer flowers, and makes plants more prone to disease and winter injury.

Harvest

Cut flower stems in the morning when the first flowers on the spike, up to about half of them, have opened. Shear plants back after flowering each year.

Cut flower stems once each year when the first flowers on the spikes open, in the morning after the dew dries. Shear plants back by about half after flowering to keep them bushy and productive for next year.

Varieties (45)

Pests to watch for

Grasshoppers, Four-lined plant bug

Diseases and problems

Phytophthora root rot, Alfalfa mosaic

In the kitchen

Flowers and leaves are edible and are used in jellies, vinegars and baking.

Keeping it: Stand fresh stems in water for a few days. Dried buds keep their scent best in a sealed jar away from light and heat, for about a year.

Safety: Lavender on the skin can cause allergic reactions, and a few cases of breast swelling have been reported in children who used lavender skin products. Oral products may cause diarrhea, headache or nausea; little is known about safety in pregnancy, and it might add to the effect of sedative drugs (NCCIH).

Pets: Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA): linalool and linalyl acetate can cause nausea, vomiting (not in horses) and loss of appetite