Flowers · Perennials and shrubs
English lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
A grey evergreen shrub with scented purple spikes in summer. It wants sun and sharp drainage, and it dislikes a wet clay winter.
Growing conditions
Soilchalk, loam, sand
Moisturewell-drained
pHneutral, alkaline
Position
SunFull sun
Aspecteast, south, west
Exposuresheltered, exposed
HardinessH5
Size
Time to maturityA useful shrub in 1–2 years
Max height0.4–0.6 m
Max spread0.5–0.7 m
In the garden
Plant in spring in poor, gritty soil. Shear off the faded flower stalks and a little leafy growth after flowering, but do not cut into old bare wood.
Rosemary beetle can notch the leaves. Root rot follows winter wet.
Colour and scent
A mark in a season means the plant is doing that for at least part of it.
| Season | Foliage | Flower | Scent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Leaves | — | — |
| Summer | Leaves | purple | Scented |
| Autumn | Leaves | — | — |
| Winter | Leaves | — | — |
- JanFoliage
- FebFoliage
- MarFoliage
- AprFoliage
- MayFoliage
- Junpurple
- Julpurple
- Augpurple
- SepFoliage
- OctFoliage
- NovFoliage
- DecFoliage
Jobs
These dates suit a mild southern garden. A northern or Scottish plan shifts spring and autumn jobs by a fortnight.
15 April
Plant
Set young lavender out in spring so the roots establish before winter wet.
25 August
Shear after flowering
Trim faded spikes and the soft tips. Leave some green leaf on each stem.