Does Spanish lavender like sun or shade?
Sunlight: Spanish lavender needs full sun to thrive. Choose a location that receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Soil: It prefers well-drained soil that is poor, light, and sandy. Container Size & Material: While lavender plants can start small, they can grow to be 1-2 feet tall and wide at maturity. Your plants will need enough space to grow but not too much to where they can get waterlogged. Opting for a container anywhere between 12 inches to 16 inches should do the trick.Lavender plants undergo a natural dormancy period every winter. The leaves on your lavender plants will change from their deep, summertime green to a silvery, sage green. Your plants are not dead, merely resting. In cold climates, we advise not pruning nor covering your plants in the wintertime.Lavender is a perennial plant which means it comes up every year. Lavender loves the sun and requires well-drained soil. There are many different types of lavender, this guide will help you choose. Once established, lavender doesn’t require a lot of care.The Spanish Lavender grows into a compact, bushy shrub, typically growing up to 24 inches tall and 3 feet wide. Its rounded growth habit and dense foliage make it an attractive choice for garden borders, containers, and hedges.Always make your pruning cuts above new leaf growth rather than cutting into the woody sections of the plant, since lavender will not form new growth on old wood. The exception is dead or damaged stems, which should be removed right down to the base.
Where is the best place to plant Spanish lavender?
Like other lavender varieties, Spanish lavender requires full sun to thrive and produce its fragrant blooms. Plant these purple blooms in a spot in your yard that gets from 6–8 hours of direct sunlight per day. The keys to success with Spanish lavender are a warm, sunny location with plenty of air circulation and soil that is gritty and drains well. They need little feeding. The plants require regular watering but must not be allowed to stay soggy or stand in water.Spanish lavender is a very colorful plant for use in mixed perennial gardens, in mass groupings and in containers. Like other lavenders, it grows well in sunny locations, in well-drained soils and with low to moderate amounts of moisture during summer. It shows tolerance of temperatures to 15°F.About This Plant The Spanish variety has big, rabbit-eared flowerheads that attract bees and butterflies. Spanish lavender is less cold hardy than other varieties. It makes a pleasing addition to the early spring garden, but often fades in extremely wet (May) or dry (August) weather.Spanish Lavender blooms profusely in the spring and when it finishes it needs a good pruning. The result will be an attractive, fragrant, gray-green shrub throughout the rest of the year.Spanish lavenders are among the lavender varieties that benefit most from deadheading, as they can bloom multiple times throughout the season. However, numerous English lavender varieties, including ‘Sharon Roberts,’ ‘Buena Vista,’ and ‘Hidcote,’ can also experience a second round of blooming after deadheading.
Can Spanish lavender survive winter?
Spanish and French lavenders, on the other hand, are only hardy to Zone 8 and will need to be brought indoors in colder areas. During winter, the plants want to rest and will not produce much, if any, new growth. They are dormant from September until April. Prune lavender only in the spring, while the plant is still in winter dormancy or once green growth is noticed, but prior to bud formation, if possible (usually the month of May). Do NOT prune lavender in the fall in northern climates, as this may kill the plant. Prune up to 1/3 the branch’s length.In the spring, lavender will regrow its foliage from the base mound. Then it will flower in the summer and slow its growth again in the fall. Only an unusually hard frost will kill tender varieties like French, Spanish, or Portugese lavender.Lavender needs regular pruning if you want it to keep flowering, stay healthy and live longer. Properly pruned, some varieties of lavender can last up to 20 years. Left untouched, it soon becomes shapeless and woody with bare stems and few flowers.With proper care, lavender plants will survive for 10- 15 years. Lavender should be pruned every year after flowering. Shear back the plants to half its size to stimulate new growth and a bushier vibrant plant.
What is Spanish lavender good for?
Spanish Lavender (Butterfly Lavender) Uses: Similar to the other lavender varieties, Butterfly Lavender can be used as aromatherapy, cooking and in tinctures and oils. A pro tip to maximize the usage of this plant to its full potential is to dry it. Lavender But along with its soothing floral aroma, this powerhouse essential oil is also effective at battling bugs. Lavender pillows and sachets are wonderful in linen cupboards and dressers and will keep away moths and other insects while leaving a fresh scent.Lavender isn’t just for relaxation; it’s also a powerful spider-repellent. The soothing scent of lavender oil can deter spiders while also adding a calming aroma to your home. To use, mix lavender oil with water and spray it around your home, particularly in areas like closets and under furniture.Lavender is more than just a pretty flower — it’s a plant with many health benefits. Its calming scent can help reduce stress and improve sleep. If you’re looking to improve your mood or sleep, using lavender-infused essential oils and teas may help you feel better.Lavender repels mosquitoes, flies and moths. Lavandula stoechas, aka Spanish lavender and French lavender, is best suited to our humid climate.
Should Spanish lavender be cut back in the fall?
The best time to prune your lavender is in the fall, at least 6 weeks before your first frost date. In our part of the country, that means we start pruning the fields as soon as we’re done with the essential oil distillation at the end of September, with the aim of finishing by mid-October. Lavender needs regular pruning if you want it to keep flowering, stay healthy and live longer. Properly pruned, some varieties of lavender can last up to 20 years. Left untouched, it soon becomes shapeless and woody with bare stems and few flowers.August or September is the best time to hard prune Lavender for great flowers the following year. Late August is the absolute best time to prune your Lavender plants, when the final flush of flowers has died down.Regular pruning is one of the best ways to ensure your lavender is bursting with flowers and keeping them from getting woody and gangly looking. You can prune in the spring or in early fall, but timing is critical. If you are pruning in the fall, make sure your pruning is done 4-6 weeks before your first frost.Make sure that you keep it in a cooler room, with lots of light, and away from drafty windows. As the lavender plant will not be actively growing during the winter, keep your watering to a minimum –letting it dry out between waterings – and do not fertilize until growth starts again in the spring.Lavender will come back after winter if you choose the right variety for your climate. Proper pruning helps lavender prepare for dormancy. French and Spanish lavenders may die after extreme winters. Gardeners in the coldest climates should opt for English and Lavandin hybrid cultivars.