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The lavender tree (Lavandula) combines ease with beauty through its bee pollination and purple hues. With this plant, the effortless adaptability and versatility of imagination are endless.
It shines with fragrance and color, growing this landscape superstar in larger containers or a raised garden. This unique topiary is from Spain and boasts showy blooms that stand out with hassle-free care and more eye-catching perks.
Growers cherish this queen of the herbs for its heavenly scent and beautiful purple blooms. What’s more? People use it in all types of recipes – from beverages to desserts to dressings – and various uses for the lavender oil. The plant’s whiff of uplifting aroma will mesmerize you as you go about your day, and it is a useful perennial to have around.
Being a proven performer makes the lavender tree the best choice for many plant enthusiasts. This beautiful plant performs magic wherever you plant it, whether deck or patio or beyond. There is nothing like the promise of great looks and no-nonsense maintenance in your landscape with the lavender tree.
Let’s get to know more about plant magnet for bees and butterflies without further ado!
How to Identify Lavender Tree
The lavender tree is native to India, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. It is a top-heavy, mint family flowering plant that has existed for more than 2,500 years and is known for its floral scent.
The plant’s colors are usually muted purple and green. The lavender has been a favorite plant for experienced or fresher growers for several years. It boasts magnificent fragrance, magenta-purple, gorgeous large flowers, capped by lighter mauve-pink petals, displaying a nostalgia of butterfly wings.
Folks give the lavender tree other names like lavender standard or lavender topiary. With or without flowers, the lavender tree is beautiful with its fresh-smelling leaves and bloom. This plant grows to about three feet and stays relatively petite.
However, your lavender tree can seem a bit taller than this if you contain it in a pot. In addition, it can grow to about two feet wide. With that, you can keep it more in proportion with the height by cutting it.
You will like staring at a beautiful plant like the lavender tree placed on a patio or indoors. As such, satisfy your style by choosing a basket or pot and putting the basic pot your lavender came in inside your choice basket or pit. If you like, you can even grow your lavender tree in raised beds or inside your garden. You will be glad to see their simple and cute look!
Where Does Lavender Tree Grow
Sunny, warm conditions with well-draining soil work best for the lavender tree, even though it can withstand various growing conditions. The plant has its origin in the Mediterranean, and as such, temperate climates will provide healthy growth for the plant.
That is not to say that this strong-scented, bushy perennial cannot tolerate some shades; it will thrive well in plenty of sun and good drainage.
In essence, grow your lavender tree in pots or containers you can bring indoors for the winter or choose cold-tolerant varieties if you garden in the north. It is critical to remember that the lavender tree is native to the Mediterranean when selecting your plants.
The best time to plant the lavender tree is in the spring. By then, the frost threat would have passed, and the soil warmed up to about 60 degrees F. We recommend getting more established, larger plants to ensure their winter survival if planting in the fall.
Uses of Lavender Tree
Plant a lavender tree if you want one of the most soothing, richest scents in your garden. Then, you can enjoy the fragrant herb laden with tiny purple flowers as you walk past your lavender plant.
If you have it in your garden, your lavender tree will attract butterflies and bees once it is established. Ultimately, it is rabbit-, deer-, and drought-resistant, and it is low maintenance. Many people use it for cuisine, medicine, and cosmetics.
If you are wondering about the uses of your lavender tree in your garden, our team has rounded up some fantastic ways this plant with clean, refreshing, and soothing fragrance has its benefits for anyone.
Culinary
The cuisine is one of the unique lavender trees uses, and several restaurants and home cooks sweeten their pastry or dishes using the additional flavor of the lavender tree. As such, lavender has anti-bacterial compositions that will settle an upset stomach, in addition to tasting great—as such, adding lavender to your diet means feeding two birds with one seed!
Skin Health
Have you heard of lavender essential oil and how it can help anyone fight off fungi infections when applied to the skin? Well, now you know. For example, athlete’s foot and eczema are skin ailments that you can treat using lavender. The lavender essential oil also smells good in addition to healing your skin from infection. Thus, people use it in lotion, shampoo, soap, perfume, and other cosmetic products.
Aromatherapy
An aromatherapy’s standard part is the lavender smell. The lavender essential oil has a rich scent that can treat lower stress levels, anxiety and even relieve mild headaches. Lavender can even help you sleep well and enjoy a perfect night’s rest by applying lavender flowers under the pillow at night.
Medicinal
Herbalism and folk medicine rely on lavender for some of their ingredients. According to their belief, lavender can cure or treat various ailments, including clinically proved and tested with the publication of these results in scientific journals.
Ornamental
Many gardens have the lavender tree in them since the tree makes an ideal choice for any flower bed, as the plant’s intense aroma can sweeten your day. Additionally, you will find it relatively easy to grow.
The plant is durable, and you can harvest it to use in potpourri, floral arrangements, and more. Also, you can plant a lavender tree to make informal hedges since it grows in dense, low stands.
How to Grow Lavender Tree from Seed
If you follow some of the steps ahead, you will be able to plant the lavender tree from seeds like a pro. Growing lavender trees from seeds is as easy as putting them on top of sandy soil and covering them lightly with a layer of perlite. Then, your seeds would sprout within two to three weeks.
Growing this plant from seed can be less successful and slower than using cutting to propagate the plant. However, if you want to save or are tight on a budget, you will want to go the seed route. Nevertheless, we recommend not to harvest your seeds as it is more advisable to buy a packet from your local nursery.
The reason for this situation is because you may not get any true seed that will grow from seeds produced by some plants. In other words, you won’t get the same qualities as that of the parent plant, making them inferior most times.
Growing your lavender tree from seeds starts with choosing about six to ten weeks before the seasons turn warmer, and prepare soil that drains well, and filling it in a container. Next, put these seeds on the soil and sprinkle soil over your seeds. It would help if you had enough to cover your seeds with a thin layer.
Ensure to use one seed per cup if you plan to grow your lavender tree seeds in a tray. Next, moisten the soil by misting it and putting it in a sunny, warm place. Your soil must not be soggy but wet, and within two to four weeks, your seeds will begin to sprout. Essentially, allow plenty of direct sunlight to the seedlings.
Lavender Tree Growing Conditions
Before moving on, here is a heartening fact about the lavender tree: it is a hardy perennial that can survive with less attention instead of more. But be careful; unsuitable care can destroy all the effort you put into weeks of nurturing your loving seeds and seedlings.
It isn’t much of a challenge for any gardener to grow lavender, whether experienced or not. However, growers need to keep a few staunch guidelines in mind when planning to grow lavender tree because the plant:
- Requires lean soil
- Requires space
- Hates water
- Loves heat
Understandably, humid or cold weather may not be ideal for lavender since it originates from arid, hot climates like Spain, France, and Italy. Therefore, your lavender tree will fail to survive or not yield as bountiful a harvest if you fail to compensate for the climate.
You will have to deal with long winters, saturated earth, and cold weather if you live in a northern region. While growing a lavender tree in this region will present more of a challenge, you can win with extra patience and love. One way of succeeding is to grow your plant in pots and bring it inside during the winter months.
If you are in the southern region with hot and long summers, a slight shade will be essential during the day’s peak heat and space your plants to aid excellent air circulation. While this plant does not like water, it will need some serious elbow room to prevent disease and ensure maximum airflow if you live in an area with significant humidity.
Whether in the soil or air, water and lavender tree are not friends. As such, effective and fast-drying stone mulch, airflow, and drainage will ensure a healthy harvest.
When to Plant Lavender Tree
The lavender tree grows in the USDA zones 5 through 9 based on cultivar and species. If you live in southern regions with no experience of harsh winter weather, a perfect time to plant your lavender tree is November. Spring planting tends to be quite challenging because of the wet weather. However, the season provides the tree with enough time to strengthen and acclimate before the following winter.
Overall, many lavender experts believe that fall is the best planting time for the plant. It is because the less intense sun, moderate to low rainfall, and cooler temperatures of October work well for growing lavender trees. The plant will be ready to bloom in spring after establishing itself in winter and fall.
How to Plant Lavender Tree
When it comes to planting your lavender tree, you must consider some elements to successfully grow: rich soil and adequate space. A lean, alkaline soil will make for a healthy, happy plant. If your soil is acidic, do not worry. You only need to apply a half cup of a bone meal and lime mixture to your planting hole to sweeten things up a bit. Apply this mixture regularly to the soil every year to promote vigorous growth.
Your lavender tree will reach its peak by its third growing year. Essentially, you may want to test your soil after about three years if your plant does not meet your expectations. Also, you can improve alkalinity by throwing in a bit of crushed oyster shell if you find you need to compensate for acidic soil.
It is strongly recommended to line your hole with gravel after digging it and mound or fill with about 12 to 24 inches above the soil surface before planting. While the mound would do its magic, you can maximize drainage around your lavender tree by piling up the earth before planting. Additionally, circulation is essential as the height will improve airflow.
Adequate spacing and ample room are also critical for your plant to feel the breeze and stretch out. A space with about six or more hours of sunlight is perfect for keeping lavender trees warm and happy. Fertilizing lavender trees may not be highly important, except you have the poorest soil because soil drainage is more vital than soil fertility. Use peat moss to have essential moisture retention and soil drainage.
It will also give your soil slight acid. Also, work the peat moss into the soil using a hoe or rake after spreading about a one-inch layer around the planting area.
Ensure to remove any rocks from the soil after breaking it up, and then prepare a hole that will contain the lavender root ball easily. The hole must not be deeper than the root ball. Use amended soil to fill any spaces as you put your plant in the hole. Next is to water the plant deeply after planting.
Lavender Tree Water Requirements
Your lavender tree requires regular watering until the plant has established new plants. It is also essential to water your plant if you live in an area with infrequent rainfalls. With that, you can prevent water stress before and after the flowering periods.
When your lavender is newly established, it will need more water than when it is matured. This is because the freshly established plant will develop a robust root system through an artificial water supply. When your lavender is about two to three years, it can depend on rainfalls only when there is more than 450 mm precipitation annually. However, the humidity levels and soil texture will determine this situation.
Fungal diseases and root rot favored by excessive water can harm the lavender tree. Consequently, ensure not to overwater your plant and allow the soil to dry between watering sessions. Growers living in no rainfall and hot summer region may need to add about three to four watering sessions during the summer months. Some growers prefer the drop-by-drop watering method down at the root.
It is not recommended to spray from overhead as it will likely reduce the harvested product’s quality as it even hurts the flowers. If you plant in containers, ensure to water every second day, and avoid watering the foliage.
Lavender Tree Sun Requirements
To have a healthy lavender tree, it is critical to know how you will help the plant through the winter when it needs the shade and how much sun the plant needs. You also need to know if your lavender tree can grow well in shadier conditions, even though the plant does not thrive well in the shade.
When it comes to drainage and humidity, the lavender plant needs drier conditions and full sun. If your lavender tree gets less than six hours of sun in its growing season, it will have poor growth, produce fewer flowers, and even die.
You may end up sacrificing fragrance and flowers when your lavender plant is not in full sun. It is critical to imitate the Mediterranean conditions to grow the plant that flowers and exudes distinctive fragrance even though you don’t live in the Mediterranean. Put your lavender tree in full sun, and never try to compromise with any shadier place in the yard if you want to get the best out of your lavender tree.
If you have a shady backyard or garden, ensure to trim back any trees or bushes, keeping your plant in the shade. Additionally, you can use light-colored or white-colored rocks, fences, or mulch to boost the sunlight in your yard, with the white color reflecting the sunlight to your plant.
As for your potted lavender, move the plant around your yard during the day to receive the required amount of sunlight.
As we emphasized earlier, it is essential to know that your lavender tree will appreciate air circulation. While the lavender tree is prone to a few fungi diseases, the plant is generally disease-resistant. Ultimately, the lavender tree prefers full sun for its growing condition, with about six hours of direct sunlight per day during the summer and spring months.
Best Lavender Tree Fertilizer
The same caution required when watering your lavender tree goes for fertilizing it. In some cases, you can end up killing your plant with too much feeding if you think you’re doing it a favor.
Your plant can also have excess foliage without any flowers when you feed it heavily with nitrogen-rich fertilizers. Again, we are not saying that it is bad to fertilize your lavender tree; you only need to take the right path to success.
The best fertilizer you can feed your lavender tree is low-nitrogen formulated fertilizer. With it, you can promote healthy blooming. Of course, you will have to dilute the general-purpose fertilizer if that is what you intend to use. However, you won’t have to worry about feeding mature and established lavender trees because they don’t need much fertilizer when blooming abundantly and growing well.
However, your lavender tree will benefit from occasional fertilizer applications to promote blooming if you’re growing it in unamended, poor soil or pots. Springtime is the best time for fertilizing your lavender tree at the start of the growing season.
Place about one inch of good compost around your plant to give it plenty of nutrients for the coming year. A slow-releasing fertilizer is an alternative option to feed your plant.
You can also use a 15-15-15 or 7-9-5 fertilizer to feed your lavender tree during the summer and spring months. Mix about ½ teaspoon of fertilizer in one gallon of water and use it once a month to wet the soil until late summer. We recommend stopping fertilizing if you notice decreased foliage or blooming with a soft scent.
Best Lavender Tree Companion Plantings
Rosemary
Rosemary contrasts perfectly with the lavender tree as a shrubby perennial with beautiful deep green foliage. It is ideal for potting up the plant and bringing it indoors when you attempt to overwinter it as it is not cold hardy beyond USDA Hardiness zone 7. The plant will flower when it matures.
African Daisy
African daisy’s vibrant coloring that looks almost hand-dyed makes it a great companion plant for your lavender tree since both require little care and grow well in similar USDA zones 9 to 11 conditions. African daisy requires watering once a week, needs well-draining soil and full sun.
Marigold
Marigold has orange or yellow colors that contrast beautifully with the saturated purple of several lavender types. Marigold is a dependable annual that blooms from spring to a hard freeze.
If you want the best effect, grow marigolds in masses and ensure to choose the taller varieties as they will provide even more even impact when they top out around two feet tall.
Alliums
Pair alliums with lavender is perfect if you have a passion for landscaping—the short blooms of lavender complement allium’s tall bulbs beautifully. You can pair both in pots and borders to create exciting height variations. In addition, both require sandy soil, little water, and full sun.
Lavender Tree Diseases and Common Problems
Wrong Location
Many growers grow their lavender tree where they prefer and not where the plant wants. Find the suitable lavender variety for your region and ensure to grow it in an airy, sunny, and warm location.
Loose your soil as you prepare it and add it to loosen compacted clay soils and encourage much-required drainage. Lack of enough light is another biggest problem when the lavender tree is not getting enough sun. The plant has tons of sun as it comes from a dry climate region.
Shab
Your lavender tree will suffer from shab as the fungi infection kills its branches. When stems turn brown before developing black spots or shoot wilting when there is no drought, you will notice it. You can control this problem by digging up infected plants carefully and burn them.
Alfa Mosaic Virus
Human contact and aphids can spread this infectious virus. The infection is also fatal. You will know your plant has been infected by the alfa mosaic virus when you see yellow patches on the leaves.
Ensure to dig up any infected lavender immediately with extra care. Ensure to wear gloves and wrap the plant in a plastic rubbish sack or an unwanted towel. You must bag up this infected plant if you can make a bonfire.
Aphids
Alfa mosaic virus is the threat aphids pose on the lavender tree as they settle on the plant.
Whitefly
Whitefly may not infest lavender tree fatally since the plant attracts the pest occasionally. However, your lavender tree will suffer less vigorous growth with yellow leaves if you allow the whitefly population to multiply. Again, vigilance and removal by hand is the solution since there are no appropriately effective pesticides available.
You can even use water spray to evict adult whitefly. Many growers believe that lavender trees can deter green and whitefly and even cut down on their number in any given environment. While we think this can be true, we have not seen any reliable scientific research that supports the theory.
Lavender Tree Treatments and Maintenance
One of the best cares you can give your lavender tree is not to overwater it. Many lavender growers typically irrigate twice a year, and that is all! However, frequent and short watering cycles can lead to unhealthy roots that can rot. Therefore, give your plant a long soak to encourage root growth.
Another thing is to check for soil’s pH. You can kiss your plant goodbye if the soil is too acidic. Your plant will look excellent at first, and it will die off randomly after a few years. Trouble can start when the roots grow out into the unamended, native soil. You can use lime to amend your soil to accommodate your lavender trees better.
When planted outdoors, ensure to give your plant a lot of sun, at least about six hours a day. A well-draining soil is also essential. When you dig a hole for your lavender tree, ensure that it is as big as the root ball. Then, put your plant inside the hole and cover the roots with soil. Talking about soil, make sure it dries out completely between watering sessions.
Indoors, use a container twice as big as the root ball as it will keep the soil from staying too wet and causing the root ball. Some pebbles beneath the container will help drain and water the plant when the top one or two inches of the soil surface are dry.
How to Remove Lavender Tree
Mid-autumn or late summer is the best time to remove your lavender tree since it will not be relatively dormant yet. Leave the plant to ensure that most or all the flowers on it have started to die, perhaps a month before the first frost.
The lavender tree is not like turf grass, and since it is shrubby, it has tiny round leaves. Therefore, you must identify the lavender tree as it sprouts in early spring.
When you are ready to remove the plant, water it thoroughly for about three hours before digging up the plant. With that, you can make your digging easier after loosening up the dirt. You may need more water to reach down into the soil if you have a bigger bush.
Use a shovel to cut a circle in the dirt around your plant. Ensure that it is as wide as the bush’s widest part. Angle the shovel blade towards the center after pushing it down and reaches one-half to two-thirds in the soil. Keep cutting around the bush’s circumference. Work around the dirt and root ball your shovel cutting creates until it is loose. After that, scoop out the lavender bush after prying it out with the shovel from underneath.
Alternatively, you can use a little dandelion digger to dig up the lavender tree, leaving several stolons underground. Ensure to loosen the stolons and pull as many of them as possible when pulling up the plant.
Where to Buy Lavender Tree Seeds Online
You can get lavender tree seeds online at:
Where to Buy Lavender Tree Saplings Online
Buy lavender tree saplings online at:
Lavender Tree FAQs
Answer: It can take about two weeks or even more for the lavender tree to germinate and many months to get to the transplantable size. The plant can grow many inches a year.
Answer: Many growers often plant lavender trees outdoors as it needs plenty of sun. In the coldest region, growers plant lavender indoors as a fall-ball position since it is not hardy.
Answer: A lavender tree can get as tall as 20 to 24 inches tall.
Research Citations: