Use & Care NotesLavender Plants
LaVela Dark Violet Lavender: Showy Early Blooms on a Branching Plant
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LaVela Dark Violet lavender is a Spanish lavender that gets going early. It is documented as a well-branched plant with large, showy blooms and early-season flowering, growing upright to about 15 inches tall and 12 inches wide over gray-green foliage. Its color is a rich dark violet-purple, and its scent is rated strong.
It is Lavandula stoechas from the LaVela series, rated for USDA zones 7a to 9b. Like other Spanish lavenders, it flowers without a winter chill, so it is a dependable first-year bloomer. In Michigan, that makes it an excellent container plant for spring and summer.
LaVela Dark Violet at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Lavandula stoechas LaVela Dark Violet |
| Flower color | Dark violet to purple, large showy heads |
| Foliage | Gray-green, upright, well branched |
| Size | About 15 inches tall and 12 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts early May, peaks late May, high rebloom |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 7a to 9b |
| Water needs | Low once established |
| Fragrance | Strong; bold resinous-herbal with camphor and eucalyptus-like notes |
Early color without the wait
Spring containers often look like bare soil and good intentions for the first few weeks. LaVela Dark Violet's early flowering means it arrives in bloom and keeps going. Well-branched growth gives lots of stems, and each carries a large flower head, so the plant looks full in a 10- to 12-inch pot from the start.
Dark violet is also easy to design with. It deepens a planting of white or pink Spanish lavenders, looks rich against a pale wall and stands out in a gray or white pot.
Planting
- Sun: six to eight hours of direct sun.
- Containers: one plant per 10- to 12-inch pot with drainage holes and a gritty mix.
- Garden beds: in zone 7a and warmer, plant on raised or sloped ground.
- Timing: after your last frost. Use the Frost Date Estimator to find it.
Care through the season
Water deeply when the top inch of soil is dry, then let it dry again. Pots on a hot deck can dry in a day or two, so check often in July, but never let them sit in water. Snip faded flower heads back to the foliage every week or two to keep its high rebloom going, and give the plant a light trim after the late-May peak. Go easy on fertilizer; lean conditions mean more flowers.
Questions about yellowing leaves or slow growth? Try the Plant Health Checker.
Winter options
LaVela lavenders are less cold-hardy than English types. In most of Michigan, either let it finish as an annual or move the pot to a cool, bright room before a hard freeze. Water sparingly through winter and move it out again in spring.
Uses and formats
Its cut rating is good, and fresh stems make bold little bouquets. Dried, the flags shrink, so its dried rating is fair. It is ornamental and not recommended for cooking. Pollinators rate it great, and it is deer resistant.
It is offered as a 3-inch plug, 4-inch pot and 1-gallon pot. See the product page for current sizes and availability.
Frequently asked questions
How is it different from LaVela Dark Violet '16?
They are close relatives. The '16 selection is a little smaller and documented as very early flowering, with a narrower zone rating. The Compare tool lines them up.
Does it bloom the first year?
Yes. It does not need winter chilling, so new plants flower their first season.
Is it a good cut flower?
Yes for fresh use. For dried arrangements, English lavenders hold their shape better.
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