When it arrives
Your 3-inch plug
It arrives actively growing. Water it the day it comes, let it rest in bright shade for 2–3 days, then harden it off for about a week before planting. Set the top of the root ball level with the soil — never deeper.
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Spike grown by our community
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- Mature height
- 24.0 in
- Mature spread
- 24.0 in
- Bloom
- Mid-July – peak Mid-July
- Fragrance
- Moderate
- Deer
- Resistant
Lavender grow guide
How to grow Spike
Spike lavender (broadleaved lavender) · Lavandula latifolia
A Mediterranean lavender with broader gray leaves and tall, branched late-summer spikes. Wants a hot, sunny spot in lean, neutral-to-alkaline soil with perfect drainage; marginally hardy in the North.
Check my zone & planting dates
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Full sunLight
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Low waterFast drainage
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pH 6.5–8.0Soil
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Zones 7a–9bHardiness
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24″ tall24″ wide
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ResistantDeer · rabbits resistant
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Mildly toxicPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Spike will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 7a–9b
Spring after hard frosts, so it has a full season to root before winter. Avoid fall planting in zone 6 and colder.
Your year with Spike
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When it arrives
Your potted plant
It arrives growing in its pot. Water on arrival and let it settle in light shade for 2–3 days. Loosen any circling roots and plant with the top of the root ball level with the soil.
When to plant
Spring after hard frosts, so it has a full season to root before winter. Avoid fall planting in zone 6 and colder.
How deep
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.
Spacing
24-30 in apart; it forms a broad mound with tall stems.
Soil
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.
Sun
Full sun (tolerates little else; it won't grow in shade).
Needs the hottest, sunniest spot you have, ideally 8+ hours of sun, and a sheltered site against a south wall in cold zones.
Don’t give up on it
Is it alive? What spring looks like
Evergreen; leaves look dull after winter. New growth starts in mid-late spring, later than English lavender. Wait until late May before cutting out any wood, and scratch-test stems for green.
Spring
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.
Summer
Branched spikes bloom July-September, later than English lavender. Harvest as buds open. Water only in long dry spells.
Fall
Light tidy after bloom, done by early September in cold zones. No hard pruning or feeding late in the season.
Winter
Evergreen gray foliage that looks dull. Snow cover helps. Keep drainage sharp; don't pile mulch on the crown.
Watering
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.
Feeding
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.
Pruning & deadheading
Cut flower stems back to the foliage after bloom (late summer) and shape lightly in spring once new growth shows. Never cut into leafless old wood; it rarely resprouts. Always leave at least 2-3 sets of green leaves on each stem.
Dividing
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.
Winter
Listed for about USDA zones 6-9 (hardy to roughly 14 F). Marginal in zone 6 and unreliable colder; give a sheltered, very well-drained site or overwinter potted plants in a cold, bright garage.
Summer heat
Loves hot, dry summers. In humid regions give wide spacing and gravel mulch to prevent leaf and stem disease.
Looks gray and dead in early spring
Likely 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 summer
Likely 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.
Dies over winter in zone 5-6
Likely cause: Beyond its reliable cold range, especially in wet soil
What to do: Replant in a raised, sheltered spot or keep it in a pot that winters in an unheated garage.
Lots of leaves, few flowers
Likely 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.
Too wet or too dry?
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.
Watch for
- Root and crown rot (Phytophthora and others) in wet or heavy soil
- Leaf spot and stem blight in humid summers or crowded plantings
- Spittlebugs (foamy blobs on stems in spring); rinse off with water
- Alfalfa mosaic virus: yellow mottled leaves; remove affected plants
Pets & wildlife
ASPCA lists lavender (L. angustifolia) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses from linalool and linalyl acetate: nausea, vomiting (not horses), appetite loss. Treat this species the same; keep essential oils away from pets.
Deer: resistant · Rabbits: resistant
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
In a container
Good in pots · 3 gallon+
Grows well in a large clay pot with gritty mix, which makes it easier to protect in zone 6 and colder.
Indoors
Overwinter only
In zone 5 and colder, overwinter potted plants in a cold (35-50 F), bright place such as an unheated garage with a window or a cold frame. Water rarely.
Winter chill
Best after a cold winter
Estimated from related lavenders: a cool, dry winter rest likely helps bud set, though it blooms late summer on new stems.
Growing it on
3-inch plug
1-gallon pot once roots circle the plug
Garden bed or a 3 gallon pot
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Potted plant
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Garden bed or a pot at least 3 gallon
Time 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
The green-wood rule
After late-summer bloom, cut stems back to the leafy mound. Shape lightly in spring once new shoots appear. Never cut into leafless wood.
When to harvest
For drying and crafts, cut when the first flowers open. For oil, harvest just as flowers fade, when oil content peaks.
Cold hardiness
About USDA zones 6-9; roughly 14 F (-10 C). Marginal in Michigan; sharp drainage and a warm, sheltered site are essential.
In the kitchen
Limited - camphor-rich and strong; leaves have been used sparingly as a seasoning, but English lavender is the better culinary choice.
Essential oil
Spike lavender oil: high in 1,8-cineole and camphor with linalool. Higher yield than true lavender oil but a sharper, more camphorous scent.
Good companions
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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