Guv's Gardens
Photo: Isiwal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil
- Sharply drained, sandy or gravelly soil. Hates wet winter soil
- Soil pH
- About 6.5-7.5 (neutral to alkaline)
- Water
- Low
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 5-9 (to zone 10); zone 4 with winter protection
- Height and spread
- 1-2 ft x 2-3 ft
Guv's tipEnglish lavender hates wet winter soil, so give it sharp drainage. In cool climates, prune in spring as new growth emerges, not in fall.
Through the year
Months are a rough guide. Time it by your own frost dates.
When to plant
Spring through fall. Fall planting with well-rooted plants establishes well
Flowering
Summer, often reblooming. Harvest stems when about half the buds are open
Pruning
In cool climates, prune in spring as new growth emerges, not in fall. Trim or shear spent flower stems after bloom
Making more plants
Cuttings (most common). Seed is slow and does not come true to type
Watch out for
Root rot
Phytophthora spp.Look for: Wilting, dieback in wet or poorly drained soils
What to do: Sharply drained soil; do not overwater or let water stand
Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.
Safety and spread
Pets and people: Mildly toxic to dogs, cats and horses: linalool and linalyl acetate can cause nausea, vomiting (not in horses) and loss of appetite (ASPCA; NC State Extension: low severity)
Weed risk: Not on the federal noxious weed list
Growing somewhere else? See this plant for the UK.
The Plant Doctor and the Guv's book
Printable pest and disease charts with real photographs, and all 50 USA plants in one book.
