English lavender

Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’

Description

English lavenders are among the most popular garden plants of all time that are valued for their flower color and foliage fragrance and oils. This species grows into round shrub, 2-3 ft. high and as wide. It has narrow bluish gray-green leaves to 1 in. long that have smooth margins and are held upright. Flowers are light to medium purple, grow on 3-4 in. long spikes and are held on unbranched stalks 24-36 in. above the foliage in late spring to mid summer.

English lavender are available in many variations; close to 100 cultivars have been developed from this species and availability varies from nursery to nursery. L. a ‘Hidcote’ is a long-time favorite with its compact size and deep purple-blue flowers. It is an essential part of Mediterranean style gardens and is used in containers, along borders and walks, and in mixed perennial plantings.

Plant Type: Shrub
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Symmetrical, Mounding, Compact
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Pale green
Flower Color: Blue
Flower Season: Summer, Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Rocky soil, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: Frost, Drought, Cold hardy, Aridity, All day sun, Heat
Function: Grouped, Foliage accent plant, Flowering accent plant, Container plant, Commercial spaces, Civic spaces, Borders, Banks, Attracts bees, Fragrant foliage, Fragrant flowers, Wildlife value, Residential spaces, Raised planters, Attracts butterflies, Mass planting, Small spaces
Height: 2 ft. – 3 ft.
Width: 2 ft. – 3 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 2

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 2 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another two weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
To save water, in many cases you can go longer in between waterings during the winter, often up to 3-4 weeks between watering for well-established plants. Two weeks after watering, check the soil approximately 4” below the surface. If it is still significantly moist, you can wait longer before watering again.
In most cases, if you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, you may use these features to save some water in in the fall and winter. If you are using automatic weather adjusting functions, continue to allow the timer to run every two weeks. It will adjust the number of minutes it runs to account for the cooler weather.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

For best results, trim back lavender two times per year. Cut back by about 1/3 of the leafy part of the stems once spring blooms start to fade. This will encourage more growth and potentially a rebloom in late summer / fall. Trim back in the same way again once the rebloom fades. Lavenders that are not maintained become woody and may not last more than a few years in the garden. Lavender will not grow back from cuts made in woody growth below the lowest set of leaves, so the regular pruning, at least once a year, is essential to maintain a clean and compact form. Lavender needs well draining soil to stay healthy. If your soil is heavy clay or drains poorly, you may be better off growing lavender as a potted plant (S). References

English lavender

Description

Watering Schedule: Low 2

Important Notes

Plant Lists

Butterfly Plants

Container Plants

Plants for Small Spaces

Flowering Shrubs

Plant Finder

Garden Designs

Helpful Lists