How to plant and care for Lavender (French, Lavandula stoechas)

Lavandula stoechas

🌸 Flower 🌿 Herb 🔁 Perennial

Chunky purple flower heads topped with "rabbit-ear" petals from late spring to summer. Less hardy than English lavender, so give it sun, drainage and shelter.

When to plant and care for it

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Flowers

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Growing Lavender (French, Lavandula stoechas): what it needs

Light: Full sun · 6+ hours a day
Watering: Water only until established; pots when dry
Soil: Poor, very well-drained soil
Spacing: 45 cm
Height: 60 cm
In pots: Grows well in containers
Feeding: No feeding needed
Hardiness: USDA zones 7–10

Step by step

On planting day
Plant
Plant at the same depth as it was in its pot, 45 cm apart, and firm in.
0–1 days after “Plant”
Water In Well
Give a full can of water, then keep moist for the first few weeks while roots establish.
7–14 days after “Water In Well”
Mulch Around the Base
Spread 5 cm of compost or bark around the plant, keeping it off the stems.

Every year

May
In Flower
First flush of flowers — bees love it.
July
Trim After Flowering
Shear off the faded flower heads and a little leafy growth for a second flush. Never cut into bare wood.
November
Winter Protection
In cold or wet areas, move pots against a house wall or into a cold greenhouse.