Lavender is an essential cottage garden plant with intensely fragrant flowers that bloom from early to late summer, depending on the cultivar. It’s perfect for the front of a flower border, to edge a pathway, or as a low hedge. Knowing when to plant lavender is the first step to successfully establishing this popular herb. And while lavender is not difficult to grow, planting at the right time, in the right location, and in the right way gives your plants a strong start. In this article I’ll share advice on when to plant lavender from seeds or seedlings, and offer tips for helping the plants settle in.

Why you need to know when to plant lavender

Lavender is a low care shrub with silvery to green evergreen foliage and deliciously fragrant flower stalks. It’s often grown in an herb garden alongside other kitchen herbs like thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary. Lavender is also excellent for pollinators attracting bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects to your yard. Knowing when to plant lavender is an important step in establishing healthy plants. If you plant too early in the season the young seedlings may be damaged by cold weather and frost. Wait too long and they may not have time to set new roots before winter arrives.

Types of lavender

Before I jump into how and when to plant lavender, let’s first look at the different types of lavender plants you can grow. You’ll also discover that there is a range of bloom colors to choose from including shades of purple, white, and even pink.

English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

USDA zone 5 to 8

A classic component of English gardens, English Lavender is named for its ability to thrive in the cool UK climate. However it actually originates from the Mediterranean, Middle East, and India. For centuries English lavender has been a staple in both perennial and herb gardens. The plants have grey-green leaves topped with spikes of fragrant flowers and bloom color includes lavender, dark purple, white, and pink. Munstead is a traditional lavender variety, but Hidcote, Pink Perfume, and Ellegance Snow are also standouts.

Hybrid lavender (Lavandula x intermedia)

USDA 5 to 9

This hybrid of English lavender and Portuguese lavender blends the best of both species. English lavender is more cold hardy, while Portuguese lavender offers excellent heat tolerance. These versatile plants are not just robust but also beautiful with mid to late summer flowers, blooming sightly later than English lavender. Popular cultivars include Grosso, Hidcote Giant, and Phenomenal.

Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas)

USDA zones 8 to 11

Spanish lavender is a heat-loving, drought-tolerant plant grown for its unique pineapple-shaped flowers topped with vibrant purple bracts. The pretty blooms don’t have a strong scent, but the foliage is quite aromatic. In colder climates, like my zone 6 region, Spanish lavender is sold as an annual plant in a patio pot. Try Anouk or Bandera Pink.

French lavender (Lavandula dentata)

USDA zones 8 to 11

With an extended bloom time that is measured in months, not weeks, French lavender offers a long season of bright purple flowers. Those blossoms are held above the compact plants and while beautiful, are not as fragrant as English lavenders. In cold climates French lavender is grown as a tender annual, but it can be overwintered in a greenhouse.

Where to plant lavender in your garden

In order to grow well and be reliably perennial, it’s important to select the right site for your lavender plants. It must offer full sun with at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. Another important element is soil drainage. Lavender plants don’t thrive when planted in wet soil. Avoid root rot by choosing a bed that provides very well-drained soil. The ideal site for lavender is one with nutrient-poor, sand-based soil. I’ve had the best success growing and overwintering English lavender when I plant in raised beds or low mounds of gravely soil. There’s no need to add compost or other soil amendments. And speaking of gravely soil, lavender is a plant you can grow in rock and gravel gardens, cottage gardens, along pathways, or even on hard-to-plant banks and slopes.

Can you grow lavender in pots?

Because I want my English lavender plants to be perennial and return year after year, I don’t plant them in pots. This is because their roots wouldn’t be able to survive the cold winter temperatures. However you can grow them in pots and treat them like an annual plant, enjoying them for that season, or you can overwintering them by sinking the pots into the ground in autumn. The following spring lift the pots and enjoy your lavender plants once again.

As noted above, tender types of lavender, like Spanish and French, are commonly grown in containers. In warm climates lavender can be left in pots year-round.

When to plant lavender

There are two ways to grow lavender: from seeds or seedlings and your choice impacts when to plant lavender. More on each of these below.

When to plant lavender seeds

Growing lavender from seeds isn’t difficult, but it’s best to start them indoors rather than direct seed them in the garden. This is because they take a long time to sprout, around 21 days and germination can be spotty. Plan on sowing lavender seeds inside around 10 weeks before your last expected spring frost date.

I plant them in cell packs or soil cubes, sowing the small seeds just a scant 1/8” deep. Keep the trays under grow lights or in a sunny window and maintain a lightly damp growing mix until the seeds sprout. Leave your grow lights turned on for 16 hours each day and continue to water as needed. After the seedlings have two sets of true leaves, start to fertilize every 10 to 14 days with a diluted organic fertilizer like fish emulsion or a fish and seaweed product.

When to plant lavender seedlings

If growing lavender from seeds, harden off the seedlings before you move them outdoors into the garden. This process gradually introduces the young plants to sunlight, wind, and other outdoor growing conditions. It takes about 5 to 7 days to harden off seedlings.

If you purchased lavender seedlings from a garden centre or nursery you don’t need to harden them off. They’re ready to plant. Transplant lavender outdoors once the risk of frost has passed in spring. Don’t plant the seedlings too deeply, instead plant so that the top of the root ball is just under the soil surface. Space lavender 18 to 24 inches apart, depending on the mature size of the variety. Proper spacing boosts air flow around the plants which reduces the risk of fungus diseases.

Can you plant lavender in the fall?

Depending on your location, lavender plants can be transplanted in autumn. In hardiness zones 5 and 6 do so at least eight weeks before the ground freezes. This gives the seedlings time to establish roots before winter. In mild climates, like zones 7 to 10, you’re fine to plant in fall.

More lavender growing tips

• Watering – Lavender is very drought-resistant and once established won’t need regular watering. I only water when we have a prolonged summer drought. That said, newly planted lavender benefits from regular watering. For the first month I water weekly and then cut back to once every two weeks, unless the weather has been very dry.
• Pruning – I prune my English lavender plants in spring cutting the new growth back by about one-third. This keeps the plants compact and tidy. Don’t cut into the woody stems unless they’re dead. In that case, prune these back to the base of the plant using a pair of garden shears. I also trim the plants after the first flush of flowers has finished. I don’t cut back into the main plant stems, but just clip off the spent flowers. This can prompt a second bloom a few weeks later.
• Harvesting – The fragrant flowers are used in lavender essential oil, sachets, soaps, lotions, potpourri, and other crafting and culinary uses. Read this article to learn how and when to harvest lavender.
• Pest patrol – Keep an eye on the plants for signs of pest damage. Lavender is resistant to deer and rabbits, but there are a few insect pests that can target the plants. These include whiteflies and aphids. Use insecticidal soap as needed.

For more information on growing lavender and other popular perennials, check out these articles:

• When to cut back lavender plants
• Purple perennial flowers: 24 awesome options
• Herb gardening for beginners: A guide