Product Field NotesLavender Plants
Hidcote Giant Lavender: An Award-Winning Lavandin Shrub
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Hidcote Giant lavender is a large lavandin that holds the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It grows into a bushy, evergreen shrub about 39 inches tall and anywhere from 39 to 59 inches wide, with narrow gray-green leaves and long-stalked, fragrant violet-blue flowers in summer.
You may also see it listed as Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote Giant' or simply Lavandula 'Hidcote Giant', but its accepted profile places it with the lavandins.
Hidcote Giant at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Lavandula × intermedia 'Hidcote Giant' |
| Parentage | L. angustifolia × L. latifolia |
| Awards | RHS Award of Garden Merit; RHS hardiness H5 |
| Flowers | Violet-blue, on long stalks |
| Foliage | Narrow, gray-green, evergreen |
| Mature size | About 39 inches tall and 39 to 59 inches wide |
| Stems | About 23.6 inches |
| Bloom | Starts mid-June, peaks mid-July, single flush |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 5a to 8b |
What the award tells you
The Award of Garden Merit goes to plants that perform reliably in ordinary garden conditions, without fuss. Combined with its H5 hardiness rating, it marks Hidcote Giant as a dependable choice for cold-winter gardens with good drainage. Its excellent ratings for commercial fields, oil, fresh bouquets and dried flowers explain why it is offered in plug trays for growers as well as single plants.
Giving it room
This is the lavender to plant when you want one plant to fill a space. Set plants 4 to 5 feet apart in rows, or use a single plant as a fragrant shrub at a corner or the end of a bed. Keep it well back from walkways; long stems arch outward as they bloom. Full sun and lean, fast-draining soil are essential, and raised rows help on clay. Water deeply through the first season, then sparingly.
Hidcote Giant needs a winter chill to flower well. Check your zone with the USDA Zone Finder.
Harvesting long stems
Stems around 2 feet long make full, generous bundles and tall fresh arrangements. Cut for drying when the buds are colored and the first flowers open, band bunches tightly and hang them in a dark, airy place. Fragrance is moderate in strength; for sachets, letting more of the spike open before cutting brings out more scent. Lavandin rates good for culinary use but carries more camphor than English lavender.
Pruning a big shrub
- After harvest, shear into a broad dome, leaving several inches of green above the wood.
- Prune every year to prevent the center from splitting open.
- Finish by early fall; tidy winter tips in spring.
The Pruning Calendar has the timing.
Plants, plugs and trays
Hidcote Giant comes as 3-inch plugs, 4-inch pots and 1-gallon pots, plus 72-cell and deep 20-cell plug trays for growers. See each product page for current sizes and availability, or the Wholesale Hub for tray orders.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hidcote Giant related to Hidcote?
They share a name, but Hidcote is a compact English lavender and Hidcote Giant is a large lavandin.
Does it rebloom?
Rebloom is low. Expect one main flush peaking in mid-July.
Is it good for pollinators?
Excellent. A plant this size in bloom draws plenty of bees.
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