Lavender Varieties

Did you know there are over 553 different cultivars of lavender? I know! Crazy! So let’s get started with the ones that grow well here in the southeast and what we have learned about these different cultivars growing here at our farm.

Before we discuss the varieties- be sure you do not let your newly planted lavender bloom the first year. You must establish a healthy root system and to do so you must clip back the spikes before they can bloom. Let the plant work to grow a good root system instead of flowering. The next year you may let them bloom.

Also lavenders do best when planted in the ground in well drawing soil and a pH of 6.8-7.8. Fast acting lime will help to adjust acidic clay soil. 

Our plants go on sale in mid April - end of June based on availability. We do not recommend planting in any other season, except Spring due to our winter climate getting more ice than snow. We only sell our plants at our farm shop, since transporting tender lavender baby plants is very difficult without especially made boxes for shipping, and we just do not have enough time or funds to add a transportation/shipping department for plants. We are so busy with planting, caring, harvesting, distilling, and producing product. Thank you for understanding.

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Angustifolias (English Culinary): To grow this variety here in the South is most difficult, but can be done if you allow only 4-6 hours of full sunlight and they do best in pots or raised beds. This makes it a perfect type to grow on a porch. These bloom twice a year, but the second bloom in early fall is much less than in first bloom. Let’s explore some of these.

Munstead: Medium purple flowers. 6 - 8 inch stems. 20 - 24 inches in height. Blooms twice a year beginning in late spring. Uses include; culinary herb, fresh cut flower, dried flower, crafts

Intermedias -  long stem and strongest fragrance: 

Grosso: Medium to dark purple flower. 16 - 20 inch stems. 32 - 36 inches in height. Blooms in June and continues through summer if not cut. Most showy. Uses: fragrant buds, high oil content, sachets and crafting. Easiest to grow here in the south. Very hardy.

Provence: Light purple in color. 16-20″ stems. 30-36″ in height. Very fragrant/. Blooms mid-summer bloom, our favorite for making lavender wands, sachets and culinary uses - savory dishes. Has a peppery smell and taste. This light colored, sweet smelling flower is very fragrant in fresh bouquets. The fragrant blossoms when dried fall off the stalk easily, and because of that make great sachet.

Phenomenal: Dark purple flower. Patient - cannot propagate.   5 inch flower spike. 14 - 18 inch stems. 24 - 32 inches in height. Blooms in June and continues through summer if not cut. Most showy. Uses: fragrant buds, borders, sachets and crafting. Very hardy to extreme cold winters and ranges to hot summers, but does. not tolerate very intense heat. Our experience is do not plant near fences or anywhere that will reflect heat.

Bridget Chloe: Nice purple color. Height of 30 inches with span of 5 feet. Patented - cannot propagate. We have found this one to be tolerant of heat, humidity, and summer rains of the Southeast US.Was patented as a sport of Lavandula 'Provence' so has similar characteristics, which means can be used as a culinary. Sweet to taste. Bridget Chloe was awarded the Gold Award of Excellence by the International Perfume Foundation.USes: culinary, hedges, walkways, fresh, dried, crafting. 

Eldelweiss: Large intensely fragrant white blooms. 24 - 36 inches in Height. Blooms in mid Summer through fall with a profuse summer display of snowy white flowers and sweetly aromatic foliage. This mid-sized French hybrid is a unique specimen for any gardener who loves Lavender. Plant in a soothing monochromatic color scheme, or plant with blue flowered cultivars to create a delightful color combination.

Sweet: grows very fast one of the giant. Lavenders growing to 4 feet tall with its blooms which can be up to two feet long. Sweet Lavender is from France and Italy and has a much greener leaf than most other lavenders. Sweet Lavender has proven tough and reliable even when the temperatures dipped briefly to 5 degrees. It is also really drought resistant. If you are in a humid zone 8 climate, you might try Sweet Lavender. It has proven to be a bit more tolerant of heat and humidity. Fast growing, Sweet Lavender is not suitable for cooking because of its high menthol content. It does however have a nice smell and a good form if pruned every year. It can be used in potpourri and its long wands make it a good candidate for arrangements.

Spanish - Stoechas: Not available this year, since we did not want our customers to forget they must be covered and they are. not a true spiking lavender that allow you to bundle them.

Otto Quast: Sold normally at big box stores as an annual since they die off in 32 degree F weather. Bloom is characterized by its deep purple color pineapple head with two pink wings on top. Very pungent scent of camphor. This hardy variety of Spanish lavender is known for its bold, purple-bracketed blooms. 20 - 28 inches in height. 30 - 36 inches wide. last leaf to flower head is very short, so not recommended for bouquets or drying. Flower heads may be pinched off to dry and used in sachets. Otto Quast blooms from early spring until the first hard freeze. It contains attractive foliage during the winter months than some of the other lavender varieties. I do recommend covering plant if temperatures dip below freezing. It features a softer, yet deeply satisfying fragrance that attracts birds, butterflies and humans. It is one that is very hardy for the south conditions and grows well in the south. Uses: Great for hedges and walkways. Sachets. 

Find out how to plant them correctly in the south and for more detailed planting instructions register for our 'Plant and Take' class.