Spanish lavender

Questions about Spanish lavender

Does Spanish lavender need sun or shade?

Spanish lavender grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does Spanish lavender grow in?

USDA zones 8 to 9. It is hardy to zone 8, which means it survives winter nights down to about 20 °F (−7 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does Spanish lavender flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early May to late June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should Spanish lavender be planted?

24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is about its full width, so each plant keeps its own outline.

It grows 24 in (60 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Spanish lavender plants do I need?

At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 10 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is Spanish lavender poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to dogs, cats and horses. Contains oils that can cause stomach upset in pets if eaten in quantity.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like Spanish lavender?

These come closest to doing what Spanish lavender does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Culinary sage: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers early June to early July, lavender, not purple.
• Ironweed 'Iron Butterfly': the same job in a bed and the same colour; 8 in taller, flowers late August to early October.
• Aromatic aster 'October Skies': the same job in a bed; 4 in shorter, flowers mid September to late October.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat Spanish lavender?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after Spanish lavender?

Spanish lavender is over by late June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lavender cotton: from late June to late July, 18 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems (a recorded partner).
• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
• Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall.

What does Spanish lavender look like in winter?

Spanish lavender keeps its grey-green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.

Is Spanish lavender good for bees and butterflies?

Spanish lavender is visited by bees and butterflies.