Use & Care NotesLavender Plants
Madrid Blue Lavender: Cool Purple-Blue Spanish Lavender for Big Pots
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Madrid Blue lavender is a Spanish lavender with purple-blue flower heads, a shade cooler than the typical violet-purple of the group. It grows into a bushy, mounding plant about 24 inches tall and wide with gray-green foliage, and its fragrance is rated strong, with bold resinous, camphor and eucalyptus-like notes.
Like other Spanish lavenders, it starts blooming in early May where the climate allows and reblooms freely through the season.
Madrid Blue at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Lavandula stoechas 'Madrid Blue' |
| Flower color | Purple-blue |
| Foliage | Gray-green |
| Size | About 24 inches tall and 24 inches wide |
| Habit | Bushy and mounding |
| Bloom | Starts early May, peaks late May, high rebloom |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 7a to 9b |
| Fragrance | Strong; resinous, camphor and eucalyptus-like |
Using a cooler blue tone
The blue cast of Madrid Blue gives it a calm, cool presence. It sits beautifully against warm colors: try it with yellow or orange annuals, terra cotta pots or a sunny wall painted in a warm shade. In an all-lavender grouping, it reads as the blue end of the spectrum next to purple and pink Spanish types.
Its mounding shape fills a container evenly. One gallon plant in a 14 to 16 inch pot becomes a full, rounded specimen by midsummer, the kind of plant that anchors a patio corner without help.
Care in a northern summer
- Planting: set out after your last frost, in full sun.
- Soil or mix: fast draining. In beds, choose a raised or sloped spot; in pots, use a gritty mix.
- Water: water deeply, then let the top inch or two dry. Large pots hold moisture longer, so check before watering.
- Feeding: light, every few weeks in containers.
- Deadheading: remove faded heads at the first leaf pair to keep reblooms coming.
- Airflow: leave space around pots during humid spells.
Winter options
Madrid Blue's winter notes describe it as generally less cold-hardy than English lavender, and its zone 7a to 9b rating means a Michigan winter outdoors is not realistic. Before hard frost, move the pot into a cool, bright room, sunroom or frost-free greenhouse. Water sparingly and hold back fertilizer. If it stretches in low light, trim lightly in late winter. Move it outdoors after the last frost; the Frost Date Estimator gives you a date.
Flowers for the table
Madrid Blue is rated good for fresh flowers and fair for dried. Short stems of purple-blue heads make an easy table posy, especially mixed with white or yellow blooms. Bees rate it great, and its early bloom gives them a spring option. For commercial growers, its records show a large-bundle rating for pick-your-own plantings. Culinary use is not recommended.
It comes as a 3-inch plug, a 4-inch pot or a 1-gallon pot. See the product page for current sizes and availability.
Frequently asked questions
Is Madrid Blue actually blue?
It is purple-blue, cooler than most Spanish lavenders, rather than a true sky blue.
How large a pot does it need?
About 14 to 16 inches for a gallon plant, since it grows to about 24 inches tall and wide.
Can I keep it outdoors over winter?
Not in Michigan. It is rated for zones 7a to 9b, so bring it indoors or grow it as an annual.
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