Product Field NotesLavender Plants
Anniversary Bouquet Lavender: A Late-Season Lavandin for August
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Anniversary Bouquet lavender is a lavandin for gardeners who are not ready for the lavender season to end. It starts blooming in mid-July and peaks in early August, after most English lavenders have been cut back. The flowers are blue-purple over silver-green to gray-green foliage, and the plant grows into a big, bushy mound about three feet tall and a little over three and a half feet wide.
It is Lavandula × intermedia 'Anniversary Bouquet', a hybrid of English and spike lavender with a strong floral-herbal scent layered with fresh camphor.
Anniversary Bouquet at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Lavandula × intermedia 'Anniversary Bouquet' |
| Flower color | Blue-purple |
| Foliage | Silver-green to gray-green |
| Size | About 36 inches tall and 43 inches wide |
| Habit | Bushy, mounding and upright |
| Bloom | Starts mid-July, peaks early August, single flush |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 5a to 8b |
| Fragrance | Strong; sweet lavender with fresh camphor |
| Best uses | Oil, fresh bouquets, dried flowers, fragrance |
Stretching the season
A lavender planting can bloom from late spring to late summer if you choose cultivars with different timing. Spanish lavenders open the season in May, English lavenders carry June and July, and late lavandins like Anniversary Bouquet hold the color into August. If you only grow one late lavandin, this is a strong candidate. The Lavender Bloom Calendar helps you build that sequence.
Late bloom has practical perks too. Bees still have a big nectar source in August, and growers get a second harvest window after the English lavender rush.
Planting and spacing
Give it full sun and soil that drains fast. Lavandins grow large, so space plants about 40 to 44 inches apart, center to center, and keep them a couple of feet back from walkways unless you enjoy being hugged by lavender. Crowding traps humidity and shortens a lavandin's life.
Plant the crown level with the soil, water deeply to settle the roots and keep organic mulch off the base. In clay soil, a raised row or mound is worth the effort.
Care through the year
- Establishment: water deeply when the top few inches of soil dry during the first season.
- Established plants: low water needs and little or no fertilizer.
- Winter: it needs a winter chill to bloom, and it is rated to zone 5a. Drainage is the deciding factor.
- Pruning: because it blooms late, prune soon after harvest so new growth can firm up before cold weather. Leave a few inches of green above the woody base. See the Pruning Calendar.
Harvest and uses
The name suits it: long stems and full, blue-purple spikes make generous bouquets, fresh or dried. For dried bundles, cut when about a third of each spike is open and hang them in a dark, airy place. It is also rated excellent for oil, where growers usually let more of the spike open before cutting.
Lavandin can be used in the kitchen, and it is rated good, but its camphor note is stronger than English lavender. Use only food-grown buds and start with a small amount.
Choosing a plant format
It is offered as a 3-inch plug, a 4-inch pot or a 1-gallon pot. Plugs are a smart way to plant a long late-season row; gallon plants give a quicker, fuller start. See the product page for current sizes and availability, and use Notify Me there if it is not available right now.
Frequently asked questions
When does Anniversary Bouquet bloom?
It begins in mid-July and peaks in early August, later than most English lavenders.
Does it rebloom?
Rebloom is low. Plan on one generous flush.
Is it a good gift plant?
Its name makes it a thoughtful pick for an anniversary or wedding garden, and it is a vigorous grower in sunny, well-drained ground.
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