Illustration
Lavender
Lavandula
Lavender blooms from June through August.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Lavender
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–9. Expect it to reach about 24 in tall and 24 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (a house reading).
Is Lavender toxic to dogs or cats?
- Listed as toxic to dogs by NC State Extension and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
- Listed as toxic to cats by NC State Extension.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Nine facts were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Soil, diseases, pests, toxicity and the plant's own names have not yet been read for this plant, and its trait tags are the ones a feature uses rather than every word a page prints. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Lavender
Plant Lavender in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. Once settled, it blooms from June to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 7, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 7 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Lavender get?
24 intall5 ft 7 inan adult24 inwideSee Lavender in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Lavender
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Lavender about 24 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Lavender to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Lavender's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom color and trait tags were checked against 10 published sources on October 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, bloom months and color and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societysun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- American Meadowsheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- Cornell Cooperative ExtensionCornell University Home Gardening Flower Growing Guidehardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Maryland ExtensionHome and Garden Information Centerheight, sun and trait tags
- extension.colostate.eduColorado State University Extensionsun and trait tags
- Iowa State University Extensionsun and water
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societysun and trait tags
- ipm.ucanr.eduUC Statewide IPM Program (UC ANR)sun
- vhherbs.comVan Hevelingen Herb Nurserytrait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 11 varieties across 4 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
Across the group, bloom runs from May through September: French Lavender opens first (May) and is also the last to finish (September).
Compare every variety in the Lavender group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edelweiss | White | Jun–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 2 ft × 2.5 ft |
| French | Purple | May–Sep | Zones 8–11 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Grosso | Purple | Jun–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Hidcote | Purple | Jun–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 18 in × 18 in |
| Hidcote Pink | Pink | Jun–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 18 in × 18 in |
| Lavenderthis page | Purple | Jun–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Munstead | Purple | Jun–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 18 in × 18 in |
| Nana Alba | White | Jun–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 12 in × 12 in |
| Phenomenal | Purple | Jun–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 2.5 ft |
| Provence | Purple | Jun–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 3 ft |
| Royal Velvet | Purple | Jun–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 20 in |
| Spanish | Purple | May–Aug | Zones 7–9 | Full sun | 1.5 ft × 3 ft |
Good to know about Lavender
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Safety
On the ASPCA toxic list for dogs, cats and horses, though NC State rates severity Low; signs are nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. Concentrated oil is worse. per ASPCA and NC State
Worth knowing
Wet soil, not cold, usually kills lavender. Sharp drainage is the one lever that fixes both winter survival and root rot, so raise the bed and add grit. per Illinois and Colorado
When to prune
Cold-climate guides say prune in spring once new green shows; NC State says shear right after flowering for a possible second bloom. Both work; never cut into bare wood. per NC State and Colorado
English lavender in the South
English lavender is cold-hardy to zone 9 but hates Southern heat and humidity. In the humid Southeast, grow lavandin, Spanish or French lavender instead. per NC State and Clemson
The fragrance chemistry
GC/MS of English lavender oil finds linalyl acetate near 51 percent and linalool near 30 percent, together about 80 percent of the oil: the source of its scent. per PubMed Central and NC State
Mint family but not invasive
It is in the mint family but does not run and colonize a bed the way true mint does; it grows as a tidy, clumping woody mound. per NC State
Deer and rabbit resistant
The aromatic oils make it one of the more reliably deer- and rabbit-resistant plants, but hungry deer or elk in low-forage areas may still sample it. per NC State and Colorado
What pairs well with Lavender
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Creeping Phlox
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Possumhaw Holly
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; stands well above at 12 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Fragrant Sumac
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; taller at 4.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Black Chokeberry
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; taller at 5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Wisteria
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; echoes the purple.
Carolina Jessamine
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; climbs to 15 ft behind it, height without the footprint.
Flowering Crabapple
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Serviceberry
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its white flowers settle the purple.
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