Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 7b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | purple |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | mounded |
| Mature height | 3 feet |
| Spread | 4 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun |
| Moisture requirements | dry to average |
| Plant origin | import |
French Lavender
Botanical name: Lavandula dentata
This beautiful and aromatic flowering shrub is covered with purple flowers through summer; scent is more delicate than the species; excellent choice for low informal hedging and in borders and formal gardens.
Other names: Toothed Lavender, Fringed Lavender
Ornamental Features
French Lavender has masses of beautiful spikes of fragrant purple flowers rising above the foliage from early to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has attractive silver-variegated grayish green foliage. The fragrant needles are highly ornamental and turn coppery-bronze in fall. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
French Lavender is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
French Lavender is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Rock/Alpine Gardens, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Planting and Growing
French Lavender will grow to be about 32 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.
This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.
French Lavender makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
