Product Field NotesLavender Plants
Chill Out Blue Lavender: A 10-Inch Lavender with a Long Season
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Chill Out Blue lavender is one of the smallest English lavenders you can grow, only about 10 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Do not let the size fool you: it is well branched, covers itself in blue flowers starting in mid-June and keeps going to a peak in mid-August, with a strong, sweet lavender scent the whole way.
Botanically it is Lavandula angustifolia 'Chill Out Blue', so despite its small stature it is among the hardier lavenders, rated for zones 5a to 9a.
Chill Out Blue at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Lavandula angustifolia 'Chill Out Blue' |
| Flower color | Blue |
| Foliage | Gray-green |
| Habit | Compact and well-branched |
| Mature size | About 10 inches tall and 12 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts mid-June, peaks mid-August, moderate rebloom |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 5a to 9a |
| Fragrance | Strong, sweet and floral with low camphor |
| Culinary rating | Great |
Small plant, big list of uses
A lavender this compact opens up spots where larger types simply will not fit:
- Tabletop pots: a single plant in an 8- to 10-inch pot makes a fragrant centerpiece for a sunny patio table.
- Rock gardens: it sits neatly between stones, where the gravel keeps its crown dry.
- Edging: planted 10 to 12 inches apart, it forms a low ribbon along a walk.
- Herb planters: it shares a sunny box with thyme and oregano without crowding them.
- Gifts: a potted plant makes a thoughtful present for a gardener with a small balcony.
Bees still find it at ankle height, and deer tend to leave it alone.
Planting and care
Full sun and drainage matter as much for a dwarf lavender as for a giant. In the ground, choose sandy or gravelly soil, or a raised spot. In containers, use a gritty mix and a pot with drainage holes. Set the crown level with the soil surface.
- Water: deeply while establishing. Small pots dry quickly in summer, so check them often, but never leave them in standing water.
- Feeding: very little.
- Trimming: snip spent stems after each flush to keep it tidy through its long season. Stay in leafy growth.
- Winter: it needs a winter chill to bloom well. In-ground plants handle Michigan cold when drainage is good. Potted plants are more exposed, so set pots against the house or in an unheated, sheltered spot for the coldest weeks.
The Care Calendar walks through the year.
Harvest and uses
Chill Out Blue is rated great for culinary use, and its sweet, low-camphor scent suits lavender sugar, cookies and lemonade. A couple of pots near the kitchen can keep a small household in buds. Harvest when buds are colored but before most open, dry in the shade and use sparingly, from plants grown as a food crop.
It is rated good for fresh and dried flowers. The stems are short, so think tiny posies and sachets.
Formats offered
Chill Out Blue is listed as a 3-inch plug, a 4-inch pot or a 1-gallon pot. For a tabletop pot, a 4-inch plant is often all you need. See the product page for current sizes and availability, and use Notify Me if it is not ready yet.
Frequently asked questions
How small is it really?
About 10 inches tall and 12 inches wide at maturity, among the most compact English lavenders.
When does it bloom?
It starts in mid-June and peaks in mid-August, a long season for a small plant.
Can it stay in a pot outdoors all winter?
It is cold-hardy, but roots in pots get colder than roots in the ground. Shelter pots for the hardest freezes.
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