Product Field NotesLavender Plants
Aromatico Forte Blue Lavender: Vigor and Silver for Humid Summers
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Aromatico Forte Blue lavender is the more vigorous member of the Aromatico series. It grows upright to about 14 to 20 inches tall and 10 to 12 inches wide, with silver foliage and true blue flowers, and its fragrance is rated exceptional: sweet, floral and low in camphor.
It is Lavandula angustifolia 'Aromatico Forte Blue'. Records describe it as a Forte type with extra vigor and lower sensitivity to Botrytis, the gray mold that can show up on lavender in damp, still weather.
Aromatico Forte Blue at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Lavandula angustifolia 'Aromatico Forte Blue' |
| Flower color | Blue |
| Foliage | Silver |
| Size | About 14 to 20 inches tall and 10 to 12 inches wide |
| Habit | Upright, vigorous and well branched |
| Bloom | Starts late May, peaks mid-July, repeat blooming |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 5a to 9a |
| Fragrance | Exceptional; sweet, floral, low camphor |
| Culinary | Rated great |
Lavender in a humid Great Lakes summer
Lavender grows wild on dry, breezy hillsides, and a sticky July evening is not its natural habitat. In humid weather, moisture lingers on leaves and inside dense plants, which is when gray mold can take hold. A cultivar with lower Botrytis sensitivity gives you more margin, but placement still does most of the work:
- Space generously: about 15 inches between plants, even though each is only about a foot wide.
- Keep it in the open: avoid corners where air stalls or tall plants block the breeze.
- Water the soil, not the plant: and water in the morning so foliage dries quickly.
- Skip heavy mulch: gravel or bare soil around the crown dries faster than bark.
- Thin and trim: clear out spent stems after bloom so the center stays open.
Planting and care
Plant in full sun, six to eight hours or more, in sandy or loamy soil that drains quickly. Raise the bed or mound the soil in clay. Set the crown level, water deeply at planting and then only when the top few inches dry during the first season. Once established, its water needs are low.
It does not need a winter chill to flower, so it can bloom in its first year. Trim spent spikes after each flush to encourage moderate rebloom, and shape the plant after the main bloom without cutting into bare wood. The Plant Health Checker can help if leaves start to look gray or spotted.
Harvest and uses
Forte Blue is rated great for culinary use. Harvest buds on a dry morning once the dew is gone, when they are fully colored and just a few flowers have opened, and dry them in a shaded, airy spot. Use buds grown as a food crop and start with small amounts. Its silver foliage and blue spikes also make pretty small bundles, and it is rated good for cut and dried flowers.
Choosing a plant format
It is offered as a 3-inch plug, a 4-inch pot or a 1-gallon pot. See the product page for current sizes and availability, and use Notify Me there if it is not available right now.
Frequently asked questions
What does Forte mean here?
It marks the more vigorous type in the Aromatico series, described with lower sensitivity to gray mold.
Is it immune to gray mold?
No plant is. Lower sensitivity helps, but spacing, sun and airflow are still the best defense.
Forte Blue or Evolution?
Choose Forte Blue for silver leaves, blue flowers and extra vigor; Evolution for purple-blue flowers on gray-green foliage. The Compare tool shows both.
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