Understanding Lavender Varieties
When considering the many different types of lavender plants, it's helpful to categorise them primarily by their species and then by specific cultivars. While all lavender plants share a love for sunshine and well-drained soil, their characteristics vary significantly. This diversity impacts their suitability for different climates, garden designs, and even culinary or aromatic uses. Most common garden lavenders fall into three main groups: English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), French or Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), and Lavandins (hybrids of L. angustifolia and L. latifolia). Each group offers a spectrum of cultivars, like the popular 'Hidcote' or 'Munstead' varieties within the English type, known for their compact size and rich colour.
- English lavender is hardy and fragrant.
- Spanish lavender has distinctive 'bunny ear' bracts.
- Lavandins are known for high oil content.
- Cultivars offer variations in size and colour.
English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
This is perhaps the most recognised and widely grown type of lavender plant. English lavenders are prized for their hardiness, fragrance, and suitability for colder climates. They typically produce neat, compact plants with narrow leaves and flower spikes in shades of deep purple, blue, pink, and white. Varieties such as 'Munstead' and 'Hidcote' are exceptionally popular due to their strong scent, making them ideal for drying and potpourri. 'Hidcote' lavender plants, for instance, are renowned for their rich, dark violet blooms and compact growth habit, making them a favourite for formal hedging or borders. These plants are generally more tolerant of frost than other types.
French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas)
Also known as Spanish lavender, this type is distinguished by its unique flower heads, which often sport prominent, colourful bracts at the tip, resembling bunny ears. While its scent is often less intense than English lavender, French lavender offers a longer flowering period and striking visual appeal. However, it is less cold-hardy, preferring warmer climates and requiring protection in cooler regions. Popular cultivars include 'Anouk' and 'Kew Red', which showcase vibrant colours and the characteristic bracts. French lavender is less commonly used for essential oils compared to English varieties or lavandins.
Lavandins (Hybrids)
Lavandins are hybrids, most commonly a cross between Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia. They are known for their vigorous growth, larger flower heads, and higher yield of essential oil, making them a significant commercial crop for oil production. While they are very fragrant, their scent is often described as more camphoraceous than the sweet perfume of English lavender. Lavandins are generally more tolerant of heat and humidity than English lavenders but are less cold-hardy. They are excellent choices for large-scale planting, borders, or as robust, aromatic shrubs in suitable climates.
Other Notable Types
Beyond these main groups, there are other interesting varieties like the woolly lavender (Lavandula lanata) with its soft, silver foliage, and spike lavender (Lavandula spica or L. latifolia), which is hardier than French lavender and has a strong, camphoraceous scent. Understanding these nuances helps in selecting the correct lavender plant for specific gardening goals, whether it’s for attracting pollinators, creating a fragrant border, or harvesting for crafts.
Choosing the Right Lavender Plant for Your Garden
Selecting the correct type of lavender plant is crucial for its success and your enjoyment. Consider your local climate first; if you experience harsh winters, hardy English lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia) like 'Munstead' or 'Hidcote' are excellent choices. For milder climates or coastal regions, French (Lavandula stoechas) or Lavandin varieties might thrive, offering more flamboyant blooms or abundant oil production. Think about the intended use: for strong, sweet fragrance for drying or potpourri, English lavender cultivars are superior. For ornamental value and longer display, Spanish lavender can be a showstopper.
Ensure excellent drainage. No matter which lavender plant type you choose, poor drainage is the quickest way to kill it. Raised beds or amending heavy soil with grit are often necessary steps.
Planting and Initial Care
When to plant lavender is generally in spring or early autumn, allowing the roots to establish before extreme weather. Ideally, choose a spot that receives at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. Dig a hole twice the width of the root ball and just as deep, ensuring the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. For compact varieties, space plants about 45-60cm apart. Water thoroughly after planting and during prolonged dry spells, but avoid overwatering, as this can lead to root rot. Lavender plants are relatively low-maintenance once established.
Considering Indoor Lavender
While most lavender varieties thrive outdoors, some gardeners are keen to grow an indoor lavender plant. English lavender cultivars are generally the best candidates for indoor cultivation due to their hardiness and smaller stature. They will need a very sunny windowsill, excellent drainage, and very infrequent watering. Overwintering indoor plants can be challenging; often, they are treated as annuals or moved to a cooler, brighter location for a dormancy period. Successfully growing lavender indoors requires replicating its preferred arid, sunny conditions as closely as possible.
Maintaining Your Lavender Plants
Regular maintenance is key to keeping your lavender plants healthy, floriferous, and well-shaped. The most critical tasks involve pruning and deadheading. Pruning lavender is essential for promoting bushier growth and preventing the plant from becoming leggy and woody, which can happen with all types of lavender plants if neglected. For English and Lavandin types, a good prune is usually done twice a year.
When to Prune Lavender
The primary pruning for English and Lavandin types should take place after the main flowering period has finished, typically in late summer or early autumn. This is when to cut lavender back to remove spent flower spikes and shape the plant. A secondary, lighter prune in early spring can remove any dead or damaged growth from winter and encourage new shoots. French lavenders, which may flower for longer, can be trimmed lightly after their initial flush of blooms, with a more substantial prune in early spring to encourage new growth and flowering.
How to Prune a Lavender Plant
When you prune a lavender plant, aim to cut back the stems by about one-third to one-half, always cutting above a set of leaves. Avoid cutting into the old, woody base of the plant, as it may not regrow from this old wood. The goal is to create a compact, rounded shape. If a plant becomes very woody, a harder prune might be attempted in spring, but success is not guaranteed. Pruning in late summer also helps prevent the plant from setting seed, encouraging it to put energy into forming new flower buds for the following year.
Taking Lavender Cuttings
Propagation is easily achieved through lavender cuttings, allowing you to expand your collection or share plants. The best time for taking cuttings is usually in late spring or early summer, before the plant flowers. Use a sharp knife or secateurs to take semi-ripe cuttings, approximately 7-10cm long, from healthy, non-flowering shoots. Remove the lower leaves and optionally dip the cut end in rooting hormone before inserting them into a pot of free-draining compost or a sharp sand/peat mix. Keep the cuttings moist and in a warm, bright location, out of direct sun. Many will root within a few weeks, and they can then be transplanted into individual pots or planted out when they are well-established.
The diversity in lavender species and cultivars offers a plant for nearly any sunny, well-drained garden spot, provided its specific needs for climate and care are met.
When to Cut Lavender Back for Drying
For harvesting lavender flowers for drying, the ideal time is just as the buds begin to open but before they are fully in bloom. This is when the essential oils are most concentrated. Cut the stems cleanly and bunch them together. Hang the bunches upside down in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area until completely dry. Once dry, the flowers can be stripped from the stems for use in sachets, potpourri, or culinary preparations.