Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
Spanish lavender . Photo by : Rose Makin / Shutterstock
Prized for its showy prime and silvery , redolent foliage , Spanish lavender ( Lavandula stoechas ) is the showiest of thegarden lavenders , with marvelous petal - similar bract that rise above chubby flower spikes like the auricle of a lapin . Compact , shrub - like , and highly ornamental , this various lavender is a beautiful addition to sundry perennial bed , herbaceous plant garden , borderline , rock garden , and containers . It also thrives in hot , dry conditions , urinate it ideal for warmer climates andwaterwise landscape .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Harvesting & Preserving
BASICS
Botanical name:
Lavandula stoechas
Common names:
Spanish lavender , butterfly lavender , rabbit ’s ears , bract lavender , lead lavender . May sometimes be falsely touch on to asFrench lavender , a name that should be earmark forLavandula detata .
Plant type:
Woody perennial
Native area:
Mediterranean part and North Africa
Zones:
Typically 7 - 10 , although some cultivars are stout down to Zone 6
Exposure:
Full Sunday
Size:
10 to 24 inches tall , 1 to 3 fundament wide
Bloom time:
recent spring through summertime
Foliage:
Silver or gray - immature , highly fragrant leave are interchangeable to rosemary in olfactory property and appearance . foliation remains evergreen in warmer climates .
Flowers:
Flowers are typically shades of deep purple or pink , while the bracts may be lavender , light pinko , or white , depending on the cultivar .
Special attributes:
Toxicity:
All type of lavender contains a low amount of linalool , a compound that may be toxic to frankfurter and cat , according to theASPCA , especially if absorb in large quantities .
PLANTING SPANISH LAVENDER
When to plant:
In the springtime after the land has warm up and the terror of icing has glide by . May also be imbed in the fall as long as you give plant enough time for their roots to establish before winter .
Where to plant:
In a site that receive full sun ( at least 6 minute daily ) . works will bloom poorly if not impart ample sunlight . An area that receives skilful melodic line circulation is also important , especially if farm plants in a humid climate .
How to plant:
It is generally easier to grow Spanish lavender from nursery get-go , space plants far enough apart ( depending on their width at maturity ) to ensure good air circulation .
Soil requirements:
Thrives in sandlike , silty , or rocky soils that provide excellent drainage . Will also perform well in poor filth , but keep off planting in heavy clay or in low daub prone to stick out piss . Because dependable drainage is essential , debate growing your plants in mound , raise bed , or on slopes .
Growing from seed:
If want to try your bridge player at develop Spanish lavender from seed , be forewarned that the seeds are small and lean to have a ho-hum and temperamental sprouting pace . To get the unspoiled results , set out the seminal fluid indoors in early spring , covering them very lightly with a uninspired seed starting mixing and retain them moist but not soggy until the seedlings emerge . When keep at a temperature of about 65 ° F , the germ will germinate in 2 to 3 week .
Growing in containers:
If your garden territory is heavy and dim , consider growing Spanish lavender in a container in a high-pitched - quality potting mix with honest drainage . Also , be certain that the pot has multiple drain holes , so your lavender wo n’t be ride in remain firm water . Potted lavender is susceptible to ancestor rot if it the soil remains too moist for an drawn-out period . check to grow lavender in pots .
SPANISH LAVENDER CARE
picture by : Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock
Watering:
Although Spanish lavender is drought resistant , you should irrigate new plant regularly until the base become found , keep enter the soil equally moist but not boggy . After the first year , let the land become almost dry between waterings . To prevent root rot and fungal diseases , quash overwatering and keep the leaves dry by water at ground level or using dribble irrigation .
Amendments and fertilizer:
Because Spanish lavender is native to areas with sandy or rocky soil , avoid using amendments that enrich the soil , such as compost or other constitutive issue . However , if you have dense clay grunge , you should improve it with torpid rice hulls and check that to constitute richly and watch lacrimation very carefully .
Fertilizing Spanish lavender is rarely necessary and may actually subdue blossoming . plant life will in general be healthier and longer - lived when grown in poor filth that is low in nutrients .
Pruning and deadheading:
Prune back Spanish lavender in spring after the first flush of prime fade to stimulate fresh outgrowth and advance repetition flowering , lopping off about one - third of the top and sides . Because lavender will not get back from honest-to-goodness woods , drastically cut an sr. works down to its woody root word can shoot down it , so be sure to make your pruning cuts just above fresh leaf growth . Give your lavender another luminosity snip in recent summer to remold the plant life and promote denser , thicker growth . See more onpruning lavender .
Propagation:
From root word cuttings taken from Modern development in spring , before bloom buds form .
Pests and diseases:
Few blighter or disease problem , but is susceptible to Phytophthora beginning and crown rot , particularly if the stain around the base of the plant life remains besotted for prospicient periods of time .
SPANISH LAVENDER VARIETIES
Photo by : tommiimages / Shutterstock
' Anouk '
Zones:6 - 10
Height and spread:1 to 2 groundwork marvellous and wide
Dark plum - color flowers are tonic pallid lavender bracts that fade to pink as they age . Blooms almost unceasingly from spring through summertime , providing a long season of sake . For the expert results , shear back in midsummer to advance shaggy-coated growth and another flush of blooms in fall .
Photo by : UC Davis Arboretum
' Madrid Blue '
Zones:7 - 10
Height and spread:18 to 24 inches tall and extensive
An strange bicoloured lavender with dark bluish - purple flower spikes pinch by lustrous white bunny ears . A full , rounded habit make it idealistic for use as a low - grow hedge or in aggregate planting .
exposure by : nahhana / Shutterstock
' Ballerina '
Zones:8 - 10
Height and spread:2 to 2 - 1/2 fundament grandiloquent , 1 to 2 feet wide
dim royal flower spikes bear feathery snowy bracts that seem to dance in the flatus , acquiring a moderately pink rosiness as they mature . A receiver of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society for its vigor and retentive bloom time of year .
Photo by : Rock Giguere / Millette Photomedia
' Bandera Pink '
Height and spread:7 to 9 in tall , 10 to 12 inches wide
A combination of deep rose flowers and piano pinkish bracts cut through tidy pitcher’s mound of fragrant , silvery green leafage . Under a pes tall , this variety is just the right size of it for terrace planter or edging a sunny walkway .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is Spanish lavender a perennial?
While Spanish lavender is often sell as a perennial , it ’s actually an evergreen semi - woody bush . That means you should never reduce it back to the priming coat when prune . When formation is require , move out no more than half of the works ’s size .
Is Spanish lavender edible?
Spanish lavender is edible but incline to be bitter and antiseptic in taste because of its high camphor content . English Lavender(Lavandula angustifolia ) is a right alternative for culinary consumption and has a more or less sweet , floral smack .
Will Spanish lavender survive winter?
Spanish lavender will return year after year if grown in the appropriate mood . However , it is less audacious than its English cousin and may not exist coarse winters where temperatures drop below 10 ° F. If you live northward of Zone 7 , grow Spanish lavender as an annual or plant life it in a pot that you may work indoors or move to a protected positioning during the wintertime months .
Can Spanish lavender be grown indoors?
Spanish lavender will do quite well growing in a container indoors if given at least four hours of verbatim sunshine day by day , ideally from a south - facing window . This is a corking selection if you live in a cold mood because it will ensure survival of your plant until you could move it outdoors in the spring , after all danger of frost has authorize . irrigate your container - grown lavender when the top of the soil is teetotal to the touch , making sure the roots never sit in stand up H2O .
When should I harvest Spanish lavender for fresh flowers?
Because of its showy bract - top off blooms , Spanish lavender makes a lovely cut peak . If you harvest the efflorescence when they are in early bud , they should last at least two weeks in a vase . If you want to dry out the heyday , splice the baseball swing straw into bunches and hang them upside down in a dry , well - ventilated space out of unmediated sunlight .
