Purple lavandin

Lavandula x intermedia

Description

Purple lavandin is a robust lavender cultivar that produces a very striking flower display each spring. As a shrub, it grows 3-4 ft. high and as wide. It has narrow bright green leaves and stems; sweeping masses of purple flowers grow on long stems that lay over in a sprawling manner on top of the foliage. Flowering is heaviest in spring, but also occurs intermittently throughout the year.

Several cultivars of Purple lavandin can be found at various garden centers and nurseries. One cultivar, L. x intermedia ‘Grosso’ lavender grows 2-3 ft. tall and is one of the most common selections for ornamental gardens and landscapes. It grows vigorously in the spring and benefits from hard pruning when the flowering cycle is complete to remove the spent stalks and to manage overall size. L. x intermedia ‘Alba’ is similar in size and produces white flowers.

Plant Type: Shrub
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Sprawling, Robust, Mounding
Growth Rate: Fast
Foliage Color: Bright green
Flower Color: Purple
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil
Exposure Adaptations: Heat, All day sun
Function: Attracts bees, Fragrant foliage, Fragrant flowers, Residential spaces, Raised planters, Mass planting, Hummingbird plant, Grouped, Flowering accent plant, Culinary use, Borders, Banks
Height: 3 ft. – 4 ft.
Width: 3 ft. – 4 ft.

Purple Lavandin grows best on well drained soils with normal winter rains and low amounts of supplemental water during summer. Young plants will grow faster and flower longer with moderate amounts of water during winter and spring; established plants need periodic deep irrigation in the summer. Lavenders are vulnerable to disease and rotting problems when their stems are covered in organic mulch and if summer irrigation produces moist mulch conditions. The chart shown below provides a recommended baseline guide to the monthly irrigation schedule and volume of supplemental water needed to maintain healthy growth throughout the average year. It should be noted there are several months marked by an asterisk (*) when winter rains can provide sufficient moisture and irrigation is not needed. The high and low range of moisture indicates it can grow with varying amounts of water; it is desirable to have leaf litter and the top layer of soil beneath the stems to dry out between irrigation applications.

Low Water Use Plants – Irrigation Schedule 2

	Jan*	Feb*	Mar*	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov*	Dec*
Runs per Month	0x to 2x	0x to 2x	0x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	0x to 2x	0x to 2x
Inches per Run	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″

Inches per Month	0″ to 2″	0″ to 2″	0″ to 2″	1″ to 2″	1″ to 2″	1″ to 2″	1″ to 2″	1″ to 2″	1″ to 2″	1″ to 2″	0″ to 2″	0″ to 2″

Range of supplemental summer water: 7"-14"
Range of supplemental winter water: 0"-10"

0″-2″

1″-2″

0″-2″

Jan*

Feb*

Mar*

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov*

Dec*

For more information on how to use this Irrigation Schedule and Graph, follow this link.

For information how to calculate your irrigation system’s schedule and precipitation rate, please follow this link.

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