How to Grow Lavender

Growing guide

Overview

Lavender is a long-lived perennial grown for its fragrant purple flower spikes and silvery foliage. Gardeners in USDA zones 5a-8b value it for pollinators, drought tolerance, and cut or dried flowers. It needs full sun, low water, and sharply drained soil; English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the hardiest choice for cold zones.

Soil & planting prep

Choose a sandy or loamy spot with excellent drainage; avoid low areas where water collects. Lavender prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soil, around pH 6.5-8.0, so add garden lime if your soil is acidic. Space plants 18-24 inches apart and set them at the same depth they were growing in the nursery pot.

When to plant

Set out lavender transplants in spring after your last frost date, once the soil is beginning to warm. Young lavender is not frost-tolerant, so do not plant it in fall in this guide, and wait if a late frost is forecast. In zones 5a-8b this is typically mid-spring to early summer depending on your exact location.

How to plant

1. Pick a full-sun site with at least 6 hours of direct sun per day.
2. Before planting, loosen the soil and mix in coarse sand or fine gravel, not compost, to improve drainage.
3. Dig a hole the same depth as the root ball and twice as wide; space multiple plants 18-24 inches apart.
4. Set the plant in the hole so the crown is level with the surrounding soil and backfill around it.
5. Water lightly to settle the soil, then spread a gravel or stone mulch around the base instead of wood chips.

5 common mistakes to avoid

• Using compost or rich organic matter in the planting hole is a common mistake because it retains moisture around lavender roots, so improve drainage with coarse sand or gravel instead.
• Giving lavender less than full sun produces leggy, weak growth and almost no blooms, so plant it where it will receive at least six hours of direct sun.
• Letting lavender sit in heavy clay or low wet soil causes root rot even in zones 5a-8b, so use a raised bed, berm, or container if drainage is slow.
• Cutting into the old woody center or skipping pruning leaves a plant that declines quickly, so cut back by about half after flowering while keeping several inches of green growth below the cuts.
• Planting young transplants before the last spring frost can damage or kill them, so wait until frost danger has passed and the soil has started to warm.

Harvesting & storage

Harvest lavender when the lower third of each flower spike has opened but the upper buds are not fully open, because that is when fragrance and oil are strongest. Cut stems in the morning after dew dries, leaving some green growth on the plant. Hang small bundles upside down in a dark, dry, airy place until crisp, then store in an airtight container.

Companion planting

Good companions include rosemary, sage, thyme, yarrow, and echinacea, which share the same dry, full-sun conditions. Avoid planting lavender beside water-loving or heavy-feeding plants such as impatiens, hostas, or hydrangeas that need consistently moist rich soil.

Growing in containers

Lavender grows well in containers; choose a pot at least 3 gallons with multiple drainage holes. Use a gritty, fast-draining potting mix, place it in full sun, and let the top inch or two of soil dry before watering.

Pro tips

Plant in the sandiest most well-drained soil you have. Raised beds or containers work well. Cut back by half after flowering. English lavender (L. angustifolia) is the hardiest for cold zones.