Lavender, About the Different Lavender Varieties

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Some Lavenders are better in pots, others belong in the perennial garden, but they all have one thing in common - great fragrance! In terms of hardiness, not all Lavenders are equal. Lavender angustifolia and Lavender x intermedia varieties are the hardier ones. These include 'Grosso', 'Hidcote', 'Lady', 'Munstead', and 'Provence'. These are all hardy to zone 6 at least. Other Lavenders are also perennial, however, they are much more tender and cannot survive outdoors in areas colder than zone 7 or 8. 

In terms of fragrance, 'Munstead', 'Lady', 'Hidcote' and Gray French Lavender have the strongest scent. 'Provence' and 'Grosso' don't seem as strong yet these are the choice of those who seek to extract oil of Lavender. Fernleaf Lavender has a sharp, less sweet scent than the others. 

Lavender can also be used as a culinary herb in flavored vinegars, jellies, as a flavoring in lavender ice cream, or as an ingredient in lavender short bread.

Be creative! Lavender can be spectacular when used as a border or edging in the garden, along pathways, or around ponds. To keep your plants flourishing, cut the spent blooms to encourage more leaf growth.

Lavender’s name comes from the Latin verb meaning “to wash”. It has been used by many to relieve headaches, quiet coughs and soothe digestive systems, but has been prized mostly for its oil content, found in the blossoms, by the perfume industry. What many people don’t know about Lavender is that its leaves are a natural herbicide and will help repel insects like mosquitoes.

Listed below are each of our varieties and their particular attributes:

‘Ellagance’ flowers the first year on large, dense spikes. This variety has more flowers and is a fuller larger plant than Lady. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

‘Fernleaf’ has soft, lacy, deeply cut blue-green foliage and blue-violet flowers that bloom incessantly. It grows rapidly and is quite dramatic in a large pot. The scent is less of lavender and more citrus-like. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

'Goodwin Creek' is very compact, silver-gray, and excellent grown in a pot. If you have a cool, bright window, you can bring it inside for winter. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

‘Gray French’ tall lavender flower spikes and interesting grayish foliage with an especially intense scent. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

'Grosso', a classic lavender, is a big, hardy variety with dense, gray leaves, long spikes of violet flowers, and a strong scent. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

‘Hidcote’, an English variety. One of the hardiest and drought resistant, known for its especially fragrant flowers and its pleasing round growth habit. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

'Lady', closely related to 'Munstead', but it is much more compact--about half the height. It flowers early and often, but needs to be cut back rather severely from time to time to prevent it from sprawling. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

‘Lavance’ rounded habit with rich blue/purple flowers over silvery-grey leaves. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

'Munstead', an English lavender, is even hardier than 'Grosso', with narrow gray-green leaves and lavender-blue flowers that bloom earlier than most other varieties. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

‘Potpourri Sky Blue’ dense sky-blue flowers on sturdy stems. Wonderfully fragrant leaves. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here. 

‘Potpourri White’, an English variety with large, dense white blooms. Winter hardy and cold tolerant. Nice choice for container gardening or mass plantings. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

'Provence' has unusually large flower heads. More rot resistant than other varieties. Both 'Provence' and 'Grosso' are widely grown by the perfume industry in France. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

‘Purple Ribbon’ a Spanish type variety. Winged, rosy-purple flowers and attractive grey-green narrow leaves. This variety is self-seeding. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

‘Spanish Eyes’ flowers just eight weeks after germination. A fernleaf type with multi branching stems. To see other helpful hints, tips and sowing information about this variety click here.

To be successful, plant Lavender in full sun where there is well-drained soil. It doesn’t like to be wet, so raised beds or containers with adequate drainage holes work best. In colder areas, lavenders should be covered with a good layer of mulch. The key to survival is good drainage – often, winterkill results from wet “feet” not from cold. Unless there is an extended drought, lavender does not need supplemental watering. It does best on rainfall alone.

Pick lavender just before the last flowers on the stalks open fully. The oil content in the blossoms is the most potent at this stage. Cut stems on a dry day, before the heat of the sun draws out the oils. Fresh, pliable stems can be braided, twisted and knotted into lavender rope. To dry - hang the bunches in a dry, airy location or on drying racks. Once dry, strip the flowers from the stems and store in an airtight container.

ASSORTMENT PACK

If you are still having a hard time choosing which lavender is best for you, why not try our Assortment Pack? By growing several different varieties, you will be able to see which one gives you the results you desire. Our assortment pack contains six varieties of lavender, one plant each of any of the following: Ellagance, Fernleaf, Goodwin Creek, Gray French, Grosso, Hidcote, Lady, Munstead, Provence, Purple Ribbon, or Spanish Eyes.

USDA Hardiness Zone some varieties zone 6 perennia

Characteristics & Attributes for Lavandula