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Lavender grow guide
English lavender · Lavandula angustifolia
Full sun, fast-draining lean soil and a neutral-to-alkaline pH. The hardiest lavender: it thrives in cold winters if roots stay dry, and needs a yearly trim that never cuts into bare wood.
Check my zone & planting dates
Full sunLight
Low waterFast drainage
pH 6.5–8.0Soil
Zones 5a–9aHardiness
30″ tall30″ wide
ResistantDeer · rabbits resistant
Mildly toxicPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Sharon Roberts will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 5a–9a
Spring after hard frosts, through early summer, is best in zones 5-6. Fall planting works only if roots have about 2 months to establish before freeze-up (by late August in Michigan).
Your year with Sharon Roberts
When it arrives
Open the box right away and stand the tray in 1/2 in of water for 15-20 minutes, then drain. Keep in bright light or sun. Pot up into 3-4 in pots or plant out once roots hold the plug together. Harden off outdoors 7-10 days first; set the crown at soil level.
Spring after hard frosts, through early summer, is best in zones 5-6. Fall planting works only if roots have about 2 months to establish before freeze-up (by late August in Michigan).
Set the crown (where stems meet roots) exactly at soil level, or slightly high on a mound, never deeper than it grew in the pot. Burying stems invites rot. Top-dress with pea gravel, not bark mulch.
18-24 in apart for most cultivars (12-18 in for dwarf types used as edging); rows 3 ft apart for good air flow.
Lean sandy, gravelly or loamy soil; heavy clay only if raised or mounded · pH 6.5–8.0
Fix-it tip: In clay, plant on a mound or raised bed 8-12 in high and mix in coarse grit or pea gravel, not peat or compost-heavy mixes. If pH is below 6.5, add garden lime per a soil test. Skip rich organic mulch; use gravel.
Full sun (tolerates light afternoon shade in hot southern climates).
Needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sun. In shade it gets leggy, flowers poorly and is more prone to disease.
Don’t give up on it
Evergreen, not truly dormant: the gray foliage often looks dead in March-April. New silvery-green growth starts at stem tips and base in late April to May in zone 5-6. Do the scratch test before giving up on it.
Wait until new growth shows (mid-late May in zone 5-6), then shape lightly, removing dead tips and keeping green leaves on every stem.
Main bloom June-July in zone 5-6, often a lighter second flush in late summer. Harvest as buds open. Water only in long dry spells.
Light tidy after bloom, done by early September in cold zones. No hard pruning or feeding late in the season.
Evergreen gray foliage that looks dull. Snow cover helps. Keep drainage sharp; don't pile mulch on the crown.
First season: Water deeply at planting, then about 1 gallon per plant weekly when rain is short through the first summer. Let the top inch dry between waterings.
After that: Drought tolerant from year two. Water only in long dry spells, deeply and at the base, never in the evening on the leaves. Rain is usually enough in the Great Lakes region.
Little or none. Lavender does best in lean soil. If growth is weak, give a light dose of slow-release or low-nitrogen fertilizer once in spring. Too much feeding means floppy growth, fewer flowers, and more disease.
Shear off spent flower stems after bloom, and shape the plant into a mound by about a third. A light spring tidy once new growth appears. Never cut into leafless old wood; it rarely resprouts. Always leave at least 2-3 sets of green leaves on each stem.
Do not divide. Lavender is a woody subshrub with one main stem base; division usually kills it. Replace old woody plants with new ones from cuttings or plugs.
Hardy in zones 5-8 (many cultivars to zone 4 with snow cover). Winter wet, not cold, is the main killer. In windy, snowless zone 5 sites, a loose cover of evergreen boughs helps. Don't prune hard in fall.
Loves heat and sun. Humid summers (Southeast, humid Midwest) are the bigger threat: give good air flow, wide spacing and gravel mulch to keep leaves dry and avoid fungal dieback.
Looks gray and dead in early springLikely cause: Normal winter dormancy; leaves dull over winter and new growth starts late
What to do: Wait until mid-to-late May (zone 5-6). Scratch stems: green under bark is alive. Then trim off only truly dead tips.
Whole plant or one side turns gray-brown and collapses in summerLikely cause: Root or crown rot from wet, heavy soil, overwatering or mulch piled on the crown
What to do: Remove the plant and soil around it. Replant on a gravel-amended mound in full sun and water less.
Woody, splayed center with bare stemsLikely cause: Skipped annual pruning; stems lengthen and split under snow
What to do: Prune yearly, leaving green leaves on each stem. Very old woody plants rarely recover; replace them.
Lots of leaves, few flowersLikely cause: Too much shade or too much fertilizer or rich soil
What to do: Move to 6-8+ hours of sun, stop feeding, and use leaner, grittier soil.
Overwatering: yellowing lower leaves, gray-black stem bases, sudden wilting of a whole branch or plant (root rot). Underwatering in year one: soft drooping tips that recover after a drink.
ASPCA lists lavender as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (linalool, linalyl acetate): nausea, vomiting (not in horses) and appetite loss. Nibbling a garden plant rarely causes more; keep concentrated oils away from pets.
Deer: resistant · Rabbits: resistant
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
Good in pots · 2 gallon+
Use a 12-16 in clay pot with a gritty mix. In zone 6 and colder, potted plants are less hardy than in-ground ones; move the pot to an unheated garage or bury it in the ground for winter.
Outdoor plant
A cold-hardy lavender that needs winter chill and strong sun; it declines indoors. Keep it outside year-round, or overwinter potted plants in an unheated garage or cold frame.
Best after a cold winter
Winter chill helps English lavender set a strong flush of flower buds; plants grown without cold often bloom less. Many cultivars rebloom lightly in late summer if deadheaded.
Plugs from the tray
3–4 inch pots for 3–5 weeks, until roots hold the soil
Garden bed or a 2 gallon potTime to move up? Slide the plant out: if white roots wrap the outside of the soil, it’s ready for the next size.
The one rule that matters
After the first bloom, cut flower stems plus 1-2 in of leafy growth, shaping a rounded mound. Keep 2-3 sets of green leaves on every stem; never cut into gray, leafless wood. Finish by early September in cold zones.
For fresh bouquets and culinary use, cut when the first 1-2 buds on a spike open. For drying, cut when about half the buds are open. Harvest in the morning after dew dries. For oil, cut at about half bloom.
USDA zones 5-8; many cultivars survive zone 4 with reliable snow cover and sharp drainage. The best lavender for Michigan and other cold-winter regions.
The preferred culinary lavender; sweet, low-camphor flavor. Use buds sparingly in baking, teas, syrups and herb blends.
Source of true lavender oil, rich in linalool and linalyl acetate with little camphor. Sweeter and finer than lavandin oil, but lower yield per plant.
Same sunny, dry, lean bed: yarrow, catmint, salvia, Russian sage, coneflower, sedum, thyme, oregano, artemisia, ornamental grasses and roses (if not overwatered).
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