Product Field NotesLavender Plants
Purity Lavender: A Small White English Lavender for June
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Purity lavender is a small, bushy white English lavender. It stays about 15 inches tall and 18 inches wide, with gray-green foliage and white flower spikes that open early in the season, starting in early June and peaking by mid-June. The fragrance is sweet and floral with soft herbal notes and little camphor.
It is about as tidy as lavender gets, the plant equivalent of a freshly pressed shirt.
Purity at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Lavandula angustifolia 'Purity' |
| Flower color | White |
| Foliage | Gray-green |
| Habit and size | Bushy and compact; about 15 inches tall and 18 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts early June, peaks mid-June, moderate rebloom |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 5a to 8b |
| Fragrance | Sweet floral, soft herbal, low camphor |
| Culinary | Rated great |
Small, white and early
Purity combines three useful traits. Its small size fits containers, kitchen gardens and the front edge of a border. Its white flowers brighten darker plants around it. And its early bloom gives white color in June, before many purple English lavenders peak. Plant a few in a row along a sunny path, alternate them with deep purple lavenders for a checkerboard effect, or give one its own pot on a sunny step.
For a cool-toned kitchen garden, pair it with gray-leaved herbs and pale gravel.
Planting and care
- Sun: full sun, six to eight hours or more.
- Soil: sandy or loamy and quick to drain. In pots, use a gritty mix and a container with drainage holes.
- Spacing: about 18 inches apart, its mature width.
- Water: deeply when the top few inches dry during the first season, then sparingly.
- Feeding: light. Lean soil keeps a small lavender compact.
- Pruning: shear lightly in late June after the first flush, staying in leafy growth. A moderate rebloom may follow.
- Winter: keep the crown clear of wet mulch and leaves.
Plan planting time with the Frost Date Estimator.
Harvesting white buds
Purity is rated great for culinary use. Harvest in June on a dry morning, when spikes are formed and only a few flowers are open. Dry small bundles in a shaded, airy spot, then rub off the buds and store them airtight. White buds look pretty steeped into lemonade or tea blends, folded into a light glaze or scattered on a cake. Use only plants grown and handled as a food crop and start with small amounts.
Its essential oil suitability is rated excellent, and short stems work for small dried bundles and sachets. It is great for pollinators and resistant to deer.
It is offered as 3-inch plugs, 4-inch pots and 1-gallon pots. See the product page for current sizes and availability.
If you grow Purity in a container, choose one at least a few inches wider than the root ball and set it where it gets full sun. A small white lavender in a pot by the kitchen door keeps culinary buds close at hand. Group it with a few small pots of other herbs that like the same lean, dry mix.
Frequently asked questions
How small does Purity stay?
About 15 inches tall and 18 inches wide, which makes it a good fit for pots and narrow spaces.
When does it bloom?
Early, from early June to a mid-June peak, with a moderate rebloom after shearing.
Is white lavender good for cooking?
Purity is rated great for culinary use, with a sweet, low-camphor flavor. Start small.
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