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.
Made with this by our community
Real dishes from our Field Notes recipes, shared by the people who made them.
Woolly grown by our community
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- Mature height
- 18.0 in
- Mature spread
- 18.0 in
- Bloom
- Mid-July – peak Mid-July
- Fragrance
- Moderate
- Deer
- Resistant
Lavender grow guide
How to grow Woolly
Woolly lavender · Lavandula lanata
A striking lavender with thick, white-woolly leaves and violet late-summer spikes. Needs full sun, very sharp drainage, alkaline gritty soil and dry winters; its fuzzy foliage rots in wet or humid conditions.
Check my zone & planting dates
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Full sunLight
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Low waterFast drainage
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pH 7.0–8.0Soil
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Zones 8a–10bHardiness
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18″ tall18″ wide
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ResistantDeer · rabbits some resistance
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Mildly toxicPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Woolly will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 8a–10b
After the last spring frost, into a raised, gritty bed or clay pot.
Your year with Woolly
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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
After the last spring frost, into a raised, gritty bed or clay pot.
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. Gravel mulch is especially important for this woolly-leaved species.
Spacing
18-24 in apart with open air flow around each plant.
Soil
Gritty, sandy or rocky soil; in pots a mix with 25-30% grit or perlite · pH 7.0–8.0
Fix-it tip: Wet, cold soil kills this plant faster than frost. Raise beds, add coarse grit, and use clay or unglazed pots with large holes. Lime acidic soil toward neutral per a soil test; avoid peat-heavy potting mixes.
Sun
Full sun (tolerates nothing less than full sun).
Give it the hottest, brightest, most sheltered spot. Its woolly leaves hold moisture, so air flow is as important as sun.
Don’t give up on it
Is it alive? What spring looks like
Evergreen; it doesn't go fully dormant. Woolly leaves may brown at the base over winter. New white-felted growth appears at stem tips in mid-late spring once warm weather settles.
Spring
Plant or move outside after the last frost. Pinch tips and trim lightly to keep it bushy.
Summer
Dark violet spikes above silver-white foliage in mid-late summer. Deadhead or harvest spikes to keep new ones coming.
Fall
Light trim only. Bring pots inside before frost in cold zones.
Winter
Indoors: cool, bright, dry. Outdoors in mild zones: keep drainage sharp and protect from cold, wet spells.
Watering
First season: Water deeply at planting and when the top inch of soil is dry through the first season. In pots, check daily in heat, but never let them sit in a saucer of water.
After that: Very drought tolerant. Water only when soil is dry several inches down. Never water overhead; wet woolly leaves rot quickly.
Feeding
Lean feeder. In the ground, usually none. In pots, a half-strength balanced liquid feed monthly in spring and summer only. Excess nitrogen gives soft, leafy growth and fewer flowers.
Pruning & deadheading
Cut faded flower stems back to the foliage after bloom; tidy lightly in spring after new growth starts. 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
Hardy to about 23 F (-5 C), roughly zones 8-9, and only with dry winter soil. Wet cold is fatal. In zone 7 and colder, overwinter in a pot indoors in a cool, bright, dry spot.
Summer heat
Loves dry heat but dislikes humidity; in muggy climates the woolly foliage can rot or mildew. Grow in a pot or raised gravel bed and never crowd it.
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.
Woolly leaves turn brown and mushy
Likely cause: Moisture trapped in the hairs from overhead water, humidity or crowding
What to do: Water at the soil only, increase spacing and air flow, and remove damaged leaves.
Pale, stretched growth indoors in winter
Likely cause: Too little light and too much warmth
What to do: Give the sunniest window or a grow light 12-14 hr, keep it cool (45-60 F), and water sparingly.
Blackened, limp shoots after a cold night
Likely cause: Frost damage; this lavender is not hardy in cold zones
What to do: Trim damaged tips back to healthy green growth. Bring indoors or cover before nights drop below its hardiness limit.
Too wet or too dry?
Overwatering: yellow lower leaves, blackened stem bases, collapse while soil is wet (root rot). Underwatering: crisp gray tips and dropped flower spikes; soft wilting that recovers after watering.
Watch for
- Root and crown rot in wet soil
- Leaf rot and gray mold on woolly foliage in humid or wet weather
- Whiteflies and aphids when overwintered indoors
- Spider mites in warm, dry indoor air
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: somewhat resistant
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
In a container
Good in pots · 1 gallon+
Excellent in pots, which makes it easy to bring in for winter in cold zones. Use a clay pot and gritty mix; move up a size each spring, to 2-3 gallons for mature plants.
Indoors
Overwinter only
In zones colder than its limit, bring it in before frost to a cool (45-60 F), very bright spot or under grow lights. Water sparingly and move back out after the last frost.
Winter chill
Best after a cold winter
A mountain species from southern Spain; a cool (not freezing, not wet) winter rest likely helps it bloom well.
Growing it on
3-inch plug
1-gallon pot once roots circle the plug
Garden bed or a 1 gallon pot
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Potted plant
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Garden bed or a pot at least 1 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
Cut spent stems back to the leafy mound after bloom. Shape lightly in spring. Never cut into bare wood, and prune on a dry day so cuts and woolly leaves dry quickly.
When to harvest
Cut spikes when the first flowers open, for fresh arrangements or drying. Woolly leaves dry well for sachets.
Cold hardiness
About 23 F (-5 C), roughly USDA zones 8-9, in dry soil. Not reliably hardy in the Great Lakes region; grow in a pot and overwinter indoors.
In the kitchen
Not a culinary lavender; use English lavender for cooking.
Essential oil
Not a commercial oil source. Notable mainly as a parent of hardier silver-leaved hybrids such as L. × chaytorae.
Good companions
Pots and dry beds with rosemary, thyme, sage, santolina, gaura, sedums and other Mediterranean plants that share its love of heat and grit. Its silver foliage glows beside dark purple English lavender.
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