Product Field NotesLavender Plants
Tucker's Early Lavender: Dark Violet-Blue for the First Cut
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Tucker's Early lavender is the cultivar for anyone who is impatient to start cutting. This English lavender opens dark violet-blue flowers in mid-June, peaks in early July and has a high rebloom rating, so a second round of stems often follows. It grows into a compact, upright evergreen shrub with gray-green leaves and a sweet, soft, low-camphor scent.
It is Lavandula angustifolia 'Tucker's Early', introduced in 1993. Its listed parents are 'Irene Doyle', also known as Two Seasons, and 'Mitcham Grey'.
Tucker's Early at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Lavandula angustifolia 'Tucker's Early' |
| Flower color | Dark violet-blue |
| Foliage | Gray-green, evergreen |
| Size | About 24 inches tall and 36 inches wide |
| Stems | About 8 to 12 inches |
| Bloom | Starts mid-June, peaks early July, high rebloom |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 6a to 8b |
| Best uses | Fresh bouquets, dried flowers, essential oil, fragrance |
Two harvests from one plant
Early bloom and strong rebloom make Tucker's Early a two-crop lavender in many gardens. Cut the first flush as soon as the buds color up in late June, give the plant a light shearing, and it can come back with another set of stems later in summer. Both its cut-flower and dried-flower ratings are excellent, and the dark violet-blue holds its depth when dried.
Paired with later-blooming lavandins, it also helps stretch the season at both ends. The Lavender Bloom Calendar shows how bloom times fit together.
A note on hardiness
Tucker's Early is rated for zones 6a to 8b, a half-step warmer than many English lavenders that reach zone 5. In zone 6 gardens, give it your best-drained, most sheltered sunny spot, such as a south-facing bed near a wall. If you garden in zone 5, choose a hardier cultivar or plan on extra care. Check your zone with the USDA Zone Finder.
Planting and care
- Site: full sun and sandy, gravelly or raised soil that drains within minutes after rain.
- Spacing: about three feet center to center for a 36-inch spread.
- Water: deep watering the first season, then low water needs.
- Pruning: shear lightly after each harvest and make the last cut by late summer so the plant hardens off. Stay above bare wood.
- Winter: it needs a winter chill to bloom. Keep the crown free of heavy, wet mulch.
Using the harvest
The 8- to 12-inch stems suit small bouquets, bundles and sachets. For drying, cut when the buds are colored and only a few flowers are open. Tucker's Early has a great culinary rating, like most English lavenders, and an excellent essential oil suitability rating; for cooking, use buds from food-grown plants and start with a pinch.
Plants, plugs and trays
Tucker's Early is offered as individual 3-inch plugs, 4-inch pots and 1-gallon pots, and as a 72-cell plug tray and a deep 20-cell plug tray for growers planting rows or potting up their own stock. See each product page for current availability, or the Wholesale Hub for tray orders.
Frequently asked questions
How early does Tucker's Early bloom?
It starts in mid-June and peaks in early July, earlier than many English lavenders, with a high rebloom afterward.
Will it survive a zone 5 winter?
It is rated for zones 6a to 8b. In zone 5, choose a hardier cultivar or give it a very sheltered, well-drained spot.
Is it good for drying?
Yes. Its dried-flower rating is excellent, and the dark violet-blue color holds well.
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