English Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
English Lavender is a woody Mediterranean herb with fragrant foliage and purple flower spikes. It wants full sun and sharp drainage, whether you grow it outdoors or in a sunny indoor planter. Overwatering is the mistake that takes it out most often.
Light
Full Sun
Water
Low
Difficulty
Moderate
Humidity
Low
Pet Warning
Contains linalool and linalyl acetate, which can be toxic to cats, dogs, and horses if ingested in large quantities, potentially causing gastrointestinal upset or central nervous system depression.
Care Notes
Light
Give lavender the brightest spot you have, ideally a south-facing window with 6-8 hours of direct sun. Too little light leads to leggy growth and weak blooming.
Water
Water deeply but infrequently. Let the top 2 inches of soil dry fully before watering again. This plant is drought-tolerant and very sensitive to root rot from wet soil.
Soil
Use a gritty, well-draining mix with perlite, gravel, or sand. A planter with ample drainage holes is essential.
Humidity & Temperature
Low humidity suits lavender. In winter, move it to a cooler room away from heating vents while keeping light high, and cut watering way back. Light pruning after the first flush can encourage another bloom; a harder late-summer prune keeps the plant from getting woody at the base.
Common Issues
Yellow, soft growth usually means too much water. Stretching stems mean it needs more sun.
In-Depth Care & Growth
Feeding & Soil
Fertilizer
Balanced slow-release fertilizer or organic compost
Soil
Well-draining, sandy, or gravelly soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH.
Physical Attributes
Mature Size
1 to 3 feet tall and wide
Growth Rate
Moderate
Propagation
Semi-hardwood cuttings taken in summer or softwood cuttings in spring. Can also be grown from seeds, though germination is slow.
Common Varieties
Munstead
A compact mounded cultivar with narrow silvery-green linear leaves.
Hidcote
Compact, with narrow lance-shaped silver-gray foliage in a dense mound.
Vera
Narrow silvery-gray linear leaves that form a dense, upright mound.
Rosea
Narrow silvery-green linear leaves on a compact, upright frame.
Loddon Blue
This compact dwarf type has narrow silvery-grey foliage that forms a dense, even mound.