French Lavender

French Lavender

Lavandula stoechas

Plant out around your last spring frost. Space plants 12 in (30 cm) apart.

Photo: Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY 4.0 · source

When to plant

Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.

See the dates for your garden

Enter your average last spring frost and first fall frost. Every timing on this site turns into a calendar date. Not sure of yours? Your local extension service or a search for “last frost date” and your town will tell you; the app finds them from your location.

Last spring frost
First fall frost

Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Optimal Transplant (Nursery Stock)

From a plantRecommended from a plant
  1. Plant outaround your last spring frost
  2. First harvestsummer; the first crop about 2 years after planting

Optimal Indoor Start

From seedRecommended from seed
  1. Start indoors10 weeks before your last spring frost
  2. Begin hardening off1 week before your last spring frost
  3. Plant outaround your last spring frost
  4. First harvestsummer; the first crop about 2 years after planting

Optimal Transplant

From seed
  1. Plant outaround your last spring frost
  2. First harvestsummer; the first crop about 2 years after planting

Growing french lavender

Spacing in the row
12 in (30 cm)
Between rows
24 in (61 cm)
Planting depth
1/8 inch or surface
Sun
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained, sandy loam, low to moderate fertility, pH balanced
Germination
14-28 days at 65-75°F
Harvest season
Summer
Years to first crop
2
Mature height
18-30 inches
Hardy to
USDA zone 8
Life cycle
Perennial

Surface sow or very shallowly cover seeds; light aids germination. Maintain consistent moisture.

Watering. Water sparingly once established; highly drought tolerant. Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot.

Neighbours

The companion chart →

Grows well beside

Keep apart from

Feeding

Seedlings
Diluted balanced liquid fertilizer (e.g., 5-5-5) every 2 weeks.
Growing
Slow-release granular fertilizer once in early spring, or dilute liquid feed monthly.
Flowering and fruiting
Optional: low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer to encourage bloom.
How often
Once a year, in early spring, for established plants. Seedlings: every 2 weeks until planted out.
Note
Lavender is a light feeder. Avoid high nitrogen, which promotes leafy growth over flowers.

Your french lavender, planned to the day.

Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.

Add french lavender to your planting calendar →

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