Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Hybrid Lavender

Lavandula (lah-VAN-dew-lah in-ter-MEE-dee-uh)

Family: Lamiaceae Unknown Shrub (3-15 ft)

Lavandin is an herbaceous perennial in the mint family, a hybrid cross between English Lavender and Portuguese Lavender. Lavandin is somewhat less hardy than the parent plants, but grows larger (maturing to a 2 to 4 foot mound) and will produce more fragrant and showy flower spikes. Both the flowers and the leaves are highly aromatic. It also tends to bloom later than other Lavandula species, blooming from July to September. It will go to seed from August to October. The genus name comes from the Latin lavo meaning "I wash" referring to the plant's use as an aromatic wash. Lavandin does best in dry to medium moist, well drained, alkaline soil. You need to site the plant in full sun as it will not grow in a shady area. If your location's winter temperatures dip to zero degrees, you will need to provide mulch or some other protective cover. The leaves, petals, and flowering tips can be eaten raw as a condiment, or in stews, soups, and salads. Its strong flavor prevents using it in large quantities. The flowers, both fresh and dried, can be used for making tea. Oils from the blooms are used as a food flavoring. Lavender is grown in the garden to provide an ornamental plant, particularly in an herb garden. It is also grown commercially for the extraction of its oils. Its blooms are suitable for cut flowers and also dried. Deadhead faded flowers to encourage continued blooming. Trimming to keep the plant neat and tidy is best accomplished in the spring. Avoid fall trimming, as that will encourage new growth that may not be cold hardy. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Provide good drainage to avoid root rot. Also susceptible to leaf spot. More information on Lavandula .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 58 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet; 3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Broad; Mounding; Rounded
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Fragrant; Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
1 to 1.7 inch gray-green to bluish-green fragrant leaves. In warmer climates, they can be evergreen.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Edible; Fragrant; Good Cut; Good Dried; Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
1.5 to 2.5 inch spike of light lavender to purple, white, pink, or lilac flowers in summer.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Nut
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Southeastern France, Northeastern Spain.
Wildlife value
Attracts butterflies, bees, and moths.
Attracts
Butterflies
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Flowers
Fruit type
Nut

Edibility

Leaves, petals, and flower tips.

Uses (ethnobotany)

Sachets and potpourris.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Meadow; Patio; Pool/Hardscape; Recreational Play Area; Slope/Bank; Walkways
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Children's Garden; Edible Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Accent; Barrier; Border; Mass Planting; Specimen
Garden tags
#evergreen #children's garden #drought tolerant #showy flowers #rabbit resistant #dry soils tolerant #rocky soils tolerant #deer resistant #salt spray tolerant #playground plant #th-smell #herbaceous perennial #ornamentals #mounding #fragrant leaves #fragrant flowers
Problems & Resistance
Disease problems
Phytophthora Blight and Root Rot on Annuals and Herbaceous Perennials
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Dry Soil; Pollution; Rabbits
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Flowers; Leaves; Stems
Poison symptoms
mild nausea and vomiting when consumed in large quantities.
Toxic principle
Linalool, linalyl acetate
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Flowers; Leaves; Stems

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.