Celestial Star Lavender: A Hardy White English Lavender

Celestial Star lavender is a white English lavender with a sweet, classic English-lavender fragrance. Its white spikes rise over blue-gray to green foliage on an upright, compact plant, and they open from mid-June, peaking in late June to early July. Planted among purple lavenders, it looks like a scattering of stars, which may be how it earned its name.

Many white lavenders people meet are tender Spanish types. Celestial Star is different: as a Lavandula angustifolia, it is among the hardier lavenders and is rated for zones 5a to 9b.

Celestial Star at a glance

Using white lavender in a design

A few ways to put Celestial Star to work:

• Alternating rows: plant white and purple lavender in alternating groups along a path for a crisp, striped effect.
• Moon garden: combine it with other white flowers and silver foliage around a patio, where pale blooms stay visible into evening.
• Cool-color border: pair it with blue and pale yellow perennials for a calm palette.
• Single accent: one white plant at the end of a purple row makes a neat full stop.

Bees visit white lavender just as eagerly as purple, so pollinator traffic stays high. Deer tend to leave it alone.

Planting and care

Choose full sun and fast-draining soil. In clay, plant on raised beds or mounds. Space plants about 30 to 36 inches apart, set the crown level with the soil and water deeply. It needs a winter chill to bloom well.

• First season: water when the top few inches of soil dry.
• Established: low water needs; skip the fertilizer.
• After bloom: shear spent stems and a little leafy growth. White flowers brown as they fade, so a prompt trim keeps the plant looking fresh and invites rebloom.
• Pruning: never cut into bare wood. See the Pruning Calendar.

Harvest and uses

Celestial Star is rated great for culinary use, and white buds make an elegant garnish where purple would look too bold, such as on a white cake or in a pale lemonade. Harvest buds when they are fully formed but before most flowers open, dry them in the shade and use sparingly, from plants grown as a food crop.

It is rated good for fresh and dried flowers, with excellent oil suitability. White lavender bundles look lovely mixed with purple ones, and they add a soft touch to wreaths and wedding-style arrangements.

Formats offered

Celestial Star is listed 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 if it is not ready yet.

Frequently asked questions

Is white lavender as hardy as purple?

Hardiness depends on the type, not the color. Celestial Star is an English lavender rated for zones 5a to 9b.

Does it smell like regular lavender?

Yes. It has a sweet, classic English lavender fragrance.

What purple lavender should I pair it with?

Choose a deep purple English type that blooms around the same time. The Bloom Calendar helps you match them.

Keep exploring

• Celestial Star Lavender Plants & Plugs
• Lavender Plant Library
• Lavender Bloom Calendar
• Lavender Care Academy