Lavender is the herb I most love to grow. I love the smell. I love walking past a plant in the garden and brushing the leaves. I love that it’s practically carefree. That is it’s carefree unless you live in zone 3. Learning how to grow lavender is tricky if you live on a mountain in zone 3. But I’ve been growing lavender in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, in zone 3 where there is frost in July. (I’m not exaggerating!) If I can grow lavender you can grow lavender. In fact, you probably can grow phenomenal lavender.
Zone 3 is on the fringes of lavender society. In town (zone 5), lavender thrives like a weed in the border of the vegetable garden but here on the mountain, my plants struggle to make it through the winter, even a mild winter. The 3-foot plants that need to be pruned in town grow only 12 inches high in my garden, with my shorter season. Thankfully, it turns out that the secret to thriving lavender in zone 3 is in the choice of varieties and a change in expectations.
Why grow lavender?
Lavender is resistant to rabbit, squirrel, and deer damage. Animals don’t like the strong scent that comes not just from the flowers, but the leaves as well. Lavender flowers and leaves can be used in the kitchen, in the apothecary, in crafts, and in aromatherapy. It is also bug repellent but it attracts butterflies and bees, offering nectar to foraging beneficial insects. It grows in specialized planting areas like under black walnut trees.
There are 4 main types of Lavender
When you are wondering which kinds of lavender will be most reliable in your growing zone, you’ll be looking at four basic types of lavender. Briefly, these are English lavender, French lavender, Lavandin which are the crosses between French and English lavender varieties, and “other lavenders” which encompasses the outliers from breeding programs, as well as wild plants.
Spike lavender, falls in this “other” category. Hardy in zones 8 to 9, it is a strongly camphorous lavender used in the soap making industry. This is the variety that is most often used for natural moth repellents. Spanish lavender is the French type, also known for its camphorous essential oil.
While none of the lavenders are toxic, if you are looking for a lavender to use in the kitchen, those with less camphor in their essential oil, are a better choice. The English lavenders have a sweeter fragrance and are more suitable for culinary use.
If you are looking for lavenders to use in sachets those with more camphor in their essential oil, will be more appropriate. These are the lavenders from the Lavandin group or the French lavender group. Those of the Lavandin group are the lavenders that are most in demand for essential oil production. The French lavender group has high camphor, considered undesirable in essential oil production. But you won’t need to worry about that since none of the French lavenders are hardy to zone 3 or 4.
Which varieties can be grown successfully in zones 3 and 4?
In zone 3 and 4, planting these 4 varieties in the border of your vegetable garden will attract butterflies and bees, while repelling varmints that you don’t want feeding in your garden. Plant “Phenomenal” at the back of the border, with Munstead and Superblue in the middle and Hidcote at the front, to take advantage of the various heights from these fragrant plants. With lavender in zone 3 or 4, you don’t have to take just one.
Munstead growing in zone 3
Munstead Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’
Munstead is an English lavender that is hardy from zones 4 to 9. If you get reliable snow cover you can grow it in zone 3, as well. It grows 12 to 18 inches tall and needs little care, other than winter protection. You can start it from seed, propagate it from stem cuttings, or get plant starts from your local nursery. Like other English lavenders, it doesn’t grow 100% true to type from seed.
Munstead has lavender-blue flowers, green, narrow leaves, and a nice lavender fragrance. It is attractive to bees. In my area, it will bloom steadily from July through to frost.
Richter’s Herbs in Ontario carries both seeds and plants for Munstead Lavender
Hidcote Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’
Hidcote is hardy from zones 4 to 9. Like Munstead, you can get by in zone 3 with reliable snow cover or other winter protection. It has silver-grey foliage and the flowers are more purple than blue. The scent is rich, but it is a shorter plant than Munstead, only growing to 12 inches in height.
Grow Hidcote from seed, cuttings, or get plant starts from your local nursery. Richter’s Herbs also carries seeds and plants for Hidcote Lavender. Like other English lavenders, it doesn’t grow 100% true to type from seed.
Don’t confuse Hidcote Lavender with Hidcote Giant Lavender. Hidcote is an English lavender while Hidcote Giant is a lavandin (L. x intermedia).
The flower spikes on Hidcote and Munstead are not long enough to use for weaving lavender wands though. I harvest the 6-inch lavender branches after the flowers are opened and dry them upside down, indoors, away from sunlight. Once they are fully dry I rub the flowers off the stem and use the blossoms for potpourri, for tea, and for flavouring sugar and salt.
English lavender can be used in the place of rosemary for cooking and baking. Since rosemary is grown as an annual in zone 3, lavender makes a lovely substitute.
Phenomenal growing in zone 3.
Phenomenal Lavender
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Phenomenal’
Phenomenal is a hybrid introduction to the hardy lavender class, from the lavandin group. It is hardy from zone 4 to 8, as other hardy lavenders but it has the best traits of both French and English lavenders. It grows 24 to 34 inches tall, much taller than Munstead or Hidcote. It has the long flower spikes typical of hybrid lavenders with hundreds of flowers per stem. Its long stem makes it suitable for many lavender crafts that won’t work with the shorter Munstead or Hidcote varieties.
Phenomenal has silver foliage and lavender-blue flowers with a mounding habit typical of French Lavenders. It also has one of the highest essential oil contents of any lavender variety. It does well in hot, humid summers while still being hardy in winter conditions. If you are trying to recreate the French lavender fields on your homestead, this is the variety you want. It is an excellent choice for ornamental use in gardens, for fragrance, for fresh and dried arrangements, and for essential oil production. Phenomenal was featured in the March/April 2014 issue of Fine Gardening Magazine. Better Homes and Gardens named it a “Must Grow Perennial.”
Phenomenal doesn’t die back in winter. Give it some protection if you lack reliable snow cover, in zone 3.
You’ll need to find plants for this hardy hybrid lavender though. I found plants at Richter’s Herbs in Ontario. There are American sources for plants online.
Introduced in 2013 by Peace Tree Farms, unauthorized propagation is prohibited, (US PP24,193) on this American introduction to the hardy lavender class.
Superblue Lavender
(Lavandula angustifolia “Superblue”)
Superblue is a patented English Lavender from Holland (US PP#24929). It is hardy in zones 4 to 9 and can overwinter in zone 3 with protection. Superblue has deep violet-blue flowers with a compact mounding habit. Superblue is hardy and adaptable to both dryland gardening and wetter conditions. It grows 10 to 24 inches in height. Superblue is not available as seed. Plants are available from Richters.
How to grow lavender
Lavender thrives with lots of light and good air circulation. Choose a well-drained site in full sun. Check your watering patterns and don’t place lavender where it will get the irrigation from your vegetable garden. While the vegetables need a full 2 inches of water each week, lavender thrives in drier habitat and is one of these Mediterranean plants that thrive on neglect.
Prepare the soil by tilling to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Work in some finished compost and add some potash for flower growth and root development. Work the fertilizer into the soil, or let the rain soak it in. Start your plants in pots in April, for planting out when all danger of frost is past. Plant where there is good air circulation, especially if summers are humid where you live. Lavender needs good drainage and good air circulation. Do not over-water, and allow the soil to dry before watering again.
Space Phenomenal plants 36 inches apart. Munstead and Superblue plants should be spaced 18 inches apart. Hidcote plants can get away with 12-inch spacing. Place Phenomenal at the back of a border, with Munstead or Superblue in the middle and Hidcote at the front, to take advantage of the varying spread and height of these 3 hardy lavender varieties. This means you’ll need fewer Phenomenal, than Munstead or Hidcote in a group planting.
In winter, prune back the season’s new growth by 2/3rds of the stem length. Don’t cut into old wood. If you don’t have reliable snow cover, cover the plants with straw or dry leaves and cover with burlap, to protect from drying winds and harsh weather. In Spring, remove the straw and burlap to allow air circulation, and to take advantage of the early warmth.
Don’t think you have to avoid growing lavender just because you live in an area of harsh winters or a shorter growing season. Choosing varieties suitable to your hardiness zone, and giving them full sun and a well-drained placement and you’ll be harvesting fragrant lavender for cooking, for tea, for your herbal remedies, and for crafts in a few months.
Lavender for Warmer Areas
If you live in zones 5 to 9 there are many more varieties of lavenders you can choose from. See the full selection of over 30 Lavender varieties on the Richter’s website. The rules for siting your lavender plants are the same regardless of your growing zone.
When you are ready to clip your first harvest of lavender check out these fun and useful things you can make with lavender.
Herbal remedies to make with lavender
Lavender Lotion Bars for Rough Elbows and Calloused Feet
Soothing Oatmeal and Lavender Bath Bombs
DIY Lavender Eye Pillow for Headache Relief
I live in NB and am planning on planting a 1/2 acre of lavender. We are zone 4 here and I am a bit concerned about my soil. We filled rows and the soil looks great but I am worried about it being too moist. What do you suggest doing to achieve good drainage? I am looking to mound the rows and place a geo fabric on the rows. Is there anything you would suggest doing? Also… The lavender is small plug trays and I am wondering if I can plant them directly in ground when this small?
If you are worried about drainage for your lavender, I suggest trying it in raised beds. Usually plug trays need one more year in a pot before planting out the following spring. I’m in the same situation this year, and plan on planting out my plugs in a raised bed (a nursery bed) offering additional winter protection this year, and then transplanting them out next year in their final situation. I hope this helps.
Hi all!
I live near Calgary Alberta where we get a fair number of chinooks over the winter, and the snow/cold isn’t always consistent. My lavender plant has done well over the summer in a pot. Unfortunately the tag that came with it doesn’t state it’s variety. I’m trying to decide if I should bring the plant indoors for winter or plant in the ground to protect and overwinter. It’s tallest stocks are maybe 18” and has lots of new growth happening.
Thanks in advance!
I live in Pincher Creek, south of Calgary, 30 miles east of the Rockies. We get a lot of snow and a lot of chinooks. My lavender (Munstead) comes back every year. It grows about 18 inches tall. I get two cuttings, sometimes three in a season. It is in gravelly soil and gets little water and lots of suns. Too rich soil and too much water thwart the plant’s growth and often kill it. I cut my lavender back to about one-third height in the late fall or left it over the winter to prune in the spring and have had no problems.
Hello, I live in Connecticut in zone 5b. I recently purchased some phenomenal lavender that I want to plant along our south facing wall. I was wondering how far away from the wall I should plant this variety?
What vegetables can you grow with Lavendar? Any, as long as they are x cm’s away?
What does the lavender look like in the winter where you are? Is it bare with the branches sticking out like the hydrangea?
Its usually under snow. But when spring comes and the ground warms up it starts to get new growth. Plants that don’t have new growth by the last frost aren’t going to make it.
Happily discovered my two lavenders survived our Northern Maine winter (zone 3 or 4). They snow was a fantastic cover. We are still getting temps in the low 20s. Wondering if I should cover them with straw until the temps are warmer. What do you think? Think they are safe once the snow melt is gone or is my best bet recovering? Thanks
Two concerns at this time of year are standing water, which can make their roots rot, and frost heaving which can upset them. It wouldn’t hurt to mulch the root zone, unless it might lead to too much dampness, so if you decide to do this do keep an eye for standing water or other kinds of prolonged wet exposure.
Do you recommend phenomenal lavender for culinary use?
Yes, it’s fine for culinary use. Munstead and Hidcote are also fine for culinary use.
Thank you so much for recommending Phenomenal lavender for zone 3. I had surprising success overwintering this lavender in my zone 3a garden in Saskatoon 2018 2019. – with no winter damage at all – emerged fully evergreen from the melting snow – we had consistent snow cover last winter although some very cold temperatures . 2019 was their first year flowering – I cut off the flower stalks in September, but did not actually prune the plants – I was concerned not to stress the plants heading into winter. The plants are much larger than last year and I mulched with straw to protect them before the snow fell. I see your advice to prune in ‘winter’ – could you be more specific – could I prune at the end of winter in early spring – perhaps early to mid April when the snow is gone – I would appreciate your advice – many thanks
Margot
Pruning in early spring is fine.
Is it safe to plant lavander now on the ground in zone 3?
Wait till all danger of frost is passed in your area. Then you’ll be fine.
The hardiness maps put me in zone 5a but we seem to grow everything more along the lines of zone 4. It is weird, we can have a snow storm going here and downtown there are blue skies. I have never tried to overwinter lavender before and it has never come back on its own before. This year I found wonderful seedlings for $2 a 6 pack at our local nursery and it has grown beautifully. I also have one I started from seed but late, it has no flowers but looks very healthy, I am going to pot it and overwinter inside. I am going to care for the English lavender in my garden as you instruct here. I would be so very happy in the spring if my lavender comes back. Thank you!!
I bought a potted lavender plant and followed all the directions on watering and after about 2 week it is almost dead. I’m trying to keep it going. Any advice would be appreciated.
Laura
Sprinkle some cinnamon powder on the soil surface. Stop watering it. Let it dry out between waterings. Only water when the soil surface is dry. Make sure the pot has good drainage and that the pot isn’t sitting in water. Lavender, like rosemary hates to have it’s roots wet. Most winter kill is because of water sitting on the roots after the thaw.
Hi Chris,
Your website is one of my favorites from the 2018 Bundle! It is also one of the reasons I signed on for the 2019 Bundle. Your gardening videos are great (especially this time of year!) my downloading the recipes for is to have them on hand “just in case”. I am a hands on person, too, and love seeing new ideas or variations on things I have done. Thank you for contributing your knowledge to those who may need it someday!
Q
I am so glad to have found your site ! I am in MB on lake Winnipeg & have just begun to try growing my own lavender . I too purchased from Richter’s this spring and was wondering now about the cutting back before covering . We tend to be colder in the springs due to the ice on the lake , yet warmer in Autumn due to the warmth of the lake so a bit different than those living inland . Again I’m so thankful to have found your space here . Thank You for sharing your knowledge .
Thank you so much for this! Its so hard to find gardening info for my zone (3).
I live in zone 9a here on the Texas gulf coast. I have grown both Spanish and French lavender here in pots. Our climate gets really hot and humid starting in may. Should I bring the lavender inside during the summer where the central air dries out the interior humidity? I’ve seen that lavender hates our tropical weather here, mainly the excessive moisture. Can you tell me if it would be feasible to grow lavender in the house in a dry warm and sunny window. What do you suggest? I just had a lot of seedlings come up. I don’t want to kill them too quickly. I plan to grow them on the dry side and maybe add like to the soik. What would you recommend a Texan to do to be able to grow lavender. That’s lime to the soil. Lol.
Lavender needs full sun to grow properly. I would leave it outside. Make sure the pots have a little pea gravel for drainage in the bottom. This article from a Texas grower may help — http://chappellhilllavender.com/grow.htm
I am a very new gardener – we just purchased an average in Calgary Alberta and are learning about the climate here.
We picked up some spanish lavender plants and just put them out in full sun in large pots. My question is ….
1. how do I harvest the lavender and encourage new growth?
2. should I try the straw and burlap method over the winter to see if they can survive calgary weather?
Thanks kindly in advance
HI Rachel, I see no one replied to you. I live in Nova Scotia where we can get easily -30 here with the windchill. Spring 2017 I planted Hidcote & Munstead, both English lavenders and did absolutely nothing to it for last winter. They were beautiful both summers. I will go out this year very soon and cut back some of the new growth, that is all. (Did not do this last year just read it here so will try it). It is now Oct 13 and we have had only 1 frost and there are still flowers on my lavender.
Also, Rachel, I took cuttings in Sept and stuck them in water on my windowsill and they are rooting, although they took 4-6 weeks. This week they will go in pots inside until spring 2019. Best of luck with your lavender Rachel. Hope this was helpful.
Darlene
Hi Darlene , so glad to hear from a Nova Scotia person about how to grow Lavender..I too live in NS and I just bought my lavender this summer to try but I was worried if it would survive our winter’s.. I’m thinking about covering it with a white styrofoam plant protection that I use for my rose bushes and other plants.
I live in Atlanta Ga I have potted lavender plants and they are wilted and dying. How can I spruce them up. I brought them in the house what can I do to save them.
Are they getting too much water? Lavender doesn’t like high humidity. It grows in places like Israel with little extra care. It does need a little water but you should let your pots dry out in the first two inches of soil before adding more water.
This is by far the best article I have read on growing lavendar. It is my favorite herb and I want to grow lots of it here in Manitoba. Fantastic advice. Thank you.
Is it feasible to plant phénoménal or any lavender In équatorial malaysia ? Right now i have citronelle and vertiver and they are flourishing without any fertilizer or watering .
Lavender and rosemary both thrive around the Mediterranean so I can’t see why it wouldn’t do well where you live. But you might want to try a more tropical variety.
First year lavender grower here in zone 5. I’ve got a munstead lavender plant growing in a container on the south side of my apartment building. I’ve noticed a lot of the pruning tips and flower harvesting are geared towards the larger plants. Do you have any tips for the smaller plants? How often can I harvest my flowers? I’m hoping to steam distill the flowers for oil. Wish me luck!
HELP Needed,
I live in Alberta, zone 3 and have two large Hidcote plants which are 10 years old. I regularly prune and add compost, each year. but this spring the plants have no new growth.
Any thoughts on how to bring back by beloved lavender?
Here in BC my hidcote plants haven’t started to grow yet. The winter was long and my apple trees are about a month behind in blossoming. I’d suggest waiting. Alberta and BC are pretty close in weather conditions and I think you might just be a bit behind weather wise.
Thank you for sharing this! I have seasoned some dishes in the past with culinary lavender purchased from the store. I would much prefer to grow some myself and dry it. I was looking at different varieties of lavender today when I was at the feed and grain where they sell a lot of plants also. There were so many different lavenders to chose from, but none said anything about culinary uses. Now I know what to look for.
Hello There!
I’m a new home owner and a noobie in gardening as well, but I sure love plants. I live in zone 4, but when I look around at these specific lavenders, sometimes companies label them as zone 5 and upwards–is this actually the case and there are “sub” breeds that go to lower zones, or are the companies playing it safe? Thoughts would be appreciated!
Summer
Interested in either seeds or plants of phenomenal lavender.
Live in Alberta Canada (zone 3)
How can I get hold of it?
Richter’s sells plants. Phenomenal is a clone so there are no seeds.
I’m planning to grow phenomenal lavender this summer. I’m in central Ontario – Zone 4a.
I see the recommended distance between plants is 36″, but I’m wondering if they will reach their full growth in my zone. Should I stick with the 36″ or plant them closer together – perhaps 28″.
Thanks in advance
Bill
Hi, Bill I put my plants 20 inches apart. They been in for 3 years and they aren’t really growing that vigorously. I think you’d be fine at a closer placement. I’m in zone 3.
If I bring my Lavender plants inside for the winter what kind of care do they need?
Does Lavender bloom only once a year? I bought two potted Lavenders shaped like trees and they seem to be loosing color in their leaves; also the plants have almost finished blooming. What would you suggest I do to make them healthy? I live in zone 3.
Yes. If you transplant it into the ground it will have a better chance of survival. If they are in pots they may not be getting all the nutrients they need from the soil.
I came across your website last Spring. I live West of Calgary, AB and being zone 3 I was skeptical of ever having perennial lavendar. I found the recommended Phenomenal variety at my local garden centre and planted them with high hopes. I’m happy to say that all 8 of my Phenomenal plants came back this Spring after only having a layer of mulch covering them over the Winter! (They are even in a North location, exposed to all the elements.) I highly recommend the Phenomenal variety! Thank you Joybilee Farm for your recommendation. 🙂
I’m glad to hear that your lavender survived. I did lose one of my plants but it was from over watering. Lavender, like rosemary, doesn’t like too much water, and that plant happened to be in the spray of the sprinkler a lot last summer.
I will try to grow some lavender in Alberta this spring using the three varieties you had written about. I am in the Foothills of the Rockies and likely between Zones 3 and 4. Where do you recommend I can obtain lavender to start growing these varieties in the most affordable way? Thank you.
Your local garden centre would be your first bet. If you need to mail order them I recommend Richter’s Herbs. Links are in the post. Shipping is a bit pricey but the quality is good. I order from them every spring.
I bought the munstead variety at Blue Grass Sod farm and nursery Red Deer Ab.
I am a zone 3 gardener. This year I was successful with many herbs including lavender, sage, and rosemary. I am worried that if the winter does kill them, the freezing, thawing, wetness between seasons will. Is it possible to transplant them from the garden to indoor pots and replant come spring? Thanks for your reply!
Rosemary won’t make it through a frost. But you can definitely transplant all three of these and bring them indoors. Your lavender, if it is a hardy variety, may make it through outdoors, especially if you can offer it some protection and a reliable snow cover. Evergreen branches over this kind of protection.
But rosemary won’t be able to withstand that kind of cold. So you’re best to bring that one inside. Where it won’t freeze.
How late in the season can you plant new lavendar plants, zone 4. Is Aug too late? Thanks!
I think you’d be fine, but don’t fertilize. The soft growth that comes from fertilizing isn’t winter hardy.
I am trying to grow some lavender plants in Minnesota. It is zone 4 but my garden is in a valley so it may be zone 3 there. How do I give winter protection to my lavender plants without them getting too soggy under the snow or straw if I decide to use it. Is it better to transplant them into pots and bring them indoors or is there a way to cover them so the plants do not get too wet from the snow?
You can use evergreen branches to cover them with. The snow covers the evergreens but it allows so air to reach the lavender. Remove the branches once the danger of killing frost is over.