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Lavandula angustifolia

English lavender

RHS Plant Shop from £5.99 Sold by 36 nurseries

  • Other common names English lavender
    common lavender

    spike-oil plant

    see more

  • Synonyms Lavandula vera
    Lavandula officinalis

    Lavandula spica
    Lavandula spica

    see more

  • Family Lamiaceae

  • Genus Lavandula are small aromatic evergreen shrubs with usually narrow, simple, entire, toothed or lobed leaves and small tubular flowers in dense spikes in summer

  • Details L. angustifolia is a compact, bushy shrub to 1m tall and rather more wide, with narrow, aromatic, grey-green leaves. In mid- and late summer it produces long, unbranched stalks carrying short, dense spikes of fragrant, pale to deep purple flowers

  • Plant range S Europe

Characteristics

  • Foliage Evergreen

  • Habit Bushy

  • Fragrance Flower

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H5

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Aspect South-facing or East-facing or West-facing

  • Exposure Sheltered

Soil

  • Chalk

    Chalk

  • Loam

    Loam

  • Sand

    Sand

  • MoistureWell-drained

  • SoilChalk, Loam, Sand

  • pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height 0.5-1 metres

  • Ultimate spread 1-1.5 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 2-5 years

How to grow

Cultivation Prefers a well-drained neutral to alkaline soil but tolerates acidic conditions. In heavy soil improve drainage as it does not tolerate waterlogging. Potash will encourage flowering but high nitrogen fertilisers and manure will result in ""floppy"" plants. See lavender cultivation

Propagation Propagate by seed sown in a cold frame in spring, or by semi-hardwood cuttings in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types Garden Edging Banks and Slopes Flower borders and beds Gravel Garden Mediterranean Climate Plants City & Courtyard Gardens Cottage & Informal Garden Patio & Container Plants Wildlife Gardens

How to care

Pruning Pruning group 10, after flowering

Pests Cuckoo spit (froghoppers) and rosemary beetle may be a problem

Diseases Grey moulds may be a problem

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RHS Plants Shop

Lavandula angustifolia

English lavender

Buy from £5.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

Buy from £5.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

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