Product Field NotesLavender Plants
Candicans Lavender: Fragrant Silver Leaves for Sun and Windowsill
Save
Candicans lavender is a lavender you smell with your fingertips. Its narrow leaves are toothed along the edges and frosted silver-gray, and a light brush releases an exceptional fresh, herbal fragrance with eucalyptus-like notes and a soft floral finish. Blue flowers rise above the mound and keep coming for months.
It is a French lavender, Lavandula dentata, a warm-climate group often called fringed or toothed lavender for the shape of its leaves. That warm-climate background means it needs protection where winters are cold and wet.
Candicans at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Lavandula dentata 'Candicans' |
| Flower color | Blue |
| Foliage | Silver-gray to gray-green, toothed edges |
| Habit | Clumping, compact, mounding and upright |
| Mature size | About 20 inches tall and 18 inches wide |
| Bloom | Everblooming; year-round in warm climates, peaking around mid-July |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 8a to 10b |
| Fragrance | Exceptional; fresh, herbal and eucalyptus-like |
| Culinary use | Not recommended |
A foliage plant first
With most lavenders, the flowers carry the show and the leaves play backup. Candicans flips that. The silvery, finely toothed foliage is attractive all year and holds much of the fragrance, so the plant earns its place on a patio table or a sunny step even between flushes. The name itself comes from a Latin word for whitish, a nod to that pale, frosted look.
The blue flowers are a bonus that rarely quits. It does not need a winter chill to bloom, so it flowers soon after planting and keeps going in warm weather.
Growing it in a cold-winter climate
- Container: plant in a pot with drainage holes and a gritty, fast-draining mix. Terra-cotta helps the soil dry evenly.
- Summer spot: full sun on a deck, step or patio.
- Watering: water thoroughly, then let the top inch or two dry before watering again.
- Before frost: bring it indoors to the brightest window you have, ideally a cool room. Water sparingly through winter.
- Spring: move it back outside gradually after frost danger passes. The Frost Date Estimator can help you time it.
In zones 8a to 10b, it can live in a sunny, well-drained bed year-round, though protection may still help in cold, wet spells.
Trimming and tidying
Snip spent flower stems back to the foliage to keep it looking fresh. A light shaping in spring, before it heads outside, keeps the mound compact. Avoid cutting into bare, woody stems. If it gets leggy indoors over winter, that is a sign it wants more light.
It is a great pollinator plant outdoors, and deer tend to leave it alone.
Using the flowers and leaves
Candicans is rated fair for cut and dried flowers, so its best role is as a living fragrance plant rather than a bundle crop. A few fresh sprigs in a small jar are lovely on a windowsill. Culinary use is not recommended; leave the baking to English lavender. Its scent is bright and herbal rather than sweet, and people often enjoy it near a doorway where it gets brushed in passing.
Formats offered
Candicans is listed as a 3-inch plug, a 4-inch pot or a 1-gallon pot. For a container specimen that is ready to show off, choose the gallon size. See the product page for current sizes and availability, and use Notify Me if it is not ready yet.
Frequently asked questions
Can Candicans grow indoors?
It can spend winter indoors in a very bright, cool window. It does best outside in full sun during the warm months.
Why does it smell so different from English lavender?
French lavender has a fresh, herbal, eucalyptus-like scent instead of the sweet floral scent of English types.
Is it hardy in Michigan?
No. It is rated for zones 8a to 10b, so bring it inside before frost.
Share how it went in your field