Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
French Lavender
French Lavender is an evergreen lavender with gray-green, toothed leaves and purple flower spikes. It handles low desert heat once it is rooted, and it blooms from spring into fall. The leaves and flowers are both aromatic, and bees and butterflies work the blooms. Use it as a low hedge, to edge a bed or in a patio pot.
Best for: low hedges and bed edging, fragrant herb and flower beds, patio pots, and bees and butterflies in a sunny, well-drained spot.
Set about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center, it makes a low hedge or an edge for a flower or herb bed. Shear it lightly after each bloom to keep the hedge tight, but stay out of old, bare wood. It also works in borders and rock gardens.
The purple flower spikes draw bees and butterflies from spring into fall, and in mild winters almost all year. Rabbits and javelina tend to leave lavender alone, so it holds up where they browse.
It grows well as a container plant, and the leaves and flowers are aromatic. Use a pot with good drainage. In the Valley, set the pot where it gets morning sun and afternoon shade in summer.
Soggy soil rots the roots, and the humid monsoon months are the hardest time. Hard afternoon sun in summer is tough on it, so an east side helps. It does not regrow from old, bare wood.
- Low hedge or edging2-3 ft apart
Water well at planting and again a few days later. Do not let it dry out completely while it roots in, then stretch out the time between waterings.
Water deeply, then let the soil dry before the next soak. In winter, rain is usually enough unless the plant wilts. Soggy roots kill lavender, most of all in the humid monsoon months.
Morning sun with afternoon shade in summer, or an east side, suits it best in the Valley. Potted plants need that shade most.
Shear it lightly after a bloom to keep it compact. Do not cut into old, bare woody stems, since they do not grow back.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Can you grow lavender in Phoenix?
Yes, and French Lavender is one of the kinds that takes low desert heat once it is rooted. The keys are soil that drains fast and a light hand with water.
When is the best time to plant lavender in Phoenix?
Fall, ideally October, so it roots in before summer. Late fall through early spring also works. May through September is the hardest time to plant it, so wait for fall if you can.
How big does French Lavender get?
It grows about 2 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide, as a rounded, bushy mound, at a slow to moderate pace. Give a single plant 3 to 6 feet of room, or set plants 2 to 3 feet apart for a low hedge.
How far apart should I plant French Lavender?
Plant them about 2 to 3 feet apart for a low hedge or bed edge. A single plant needs 3 to 6 feet of room, and the Spacing tab counts plants for a row.
Does French Lavender need afternoon shade in Phoenix?
It wants full sun, but in the Valley it does better out of the hottest afternoon sun in summer. Morning sun with some afternoon shade is a good spot, and potted plants need it most.
How much water does French Lavender need?
Water well at planting and again a few days later, then let the soil dry between waterings once it roots in. In winter, rain is usually enough unless it wilts. Soggy roots are what usually kill lavender, and the humid monsoon months are the riskiest time.
What soil does French Lavender need?
It needs soil that drains well, like a sandy or loamy mix. If you have heavy clay, add drainage before you plant, or grow it in a pot.
When does French Lavender bloom?
From spring into fall, with purple flower spikes. In mild winters it can bloom almost all year. Shear it lightly after a bloom to keep it compact.
How do you prune French Lavender?
Shear it lightly after a bloom to keep it compact. Do not cut into the old, bare woody stems, because they do not grow back.
How cold hardy is French Lavender?
It is rated to about 20°F and usually needs no frost cover in Phoenix. It is less cold hardy than English lavender, so cover it only on the rare nights below 20°F.
What is the difference between French and Spanish Lavender?
French Lavender has narrow leaves with toothed edges and small petals on top of the flower spike. Spanish Lavender has large petals on top that look like rabbit ears. Check the leaf edges to tell them apart.
Do rabbits and javelina eat lavender?
They tend to leave lavender alone, and French Lavender is also listed as deer resistant. It is a good pick for yards where rabbits eat other plants.
Is French Lavender fragrant?
Yes. Both the leaves and the flowers are aromatic, and the flowers are used in sachets and oils. Cut a few spikes when they open if you want to dry them.
French Lavender for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
French Lavender is the lavender with toothed, gray-green leaves. It handles low desert heat once it is rooted, blooms from spring into fall, and draws bees and butterflies. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size and spacing to sun, water, pruning and how it compares with Spanish Lavender.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Can you grow French Lavender in Phoenix?
Yes. French Lavender takes low desert heat once it is rooted. It needs soil that drains fast, light water and full sun, with some relief from the hottest afternoon sun in summer.
How big does French Lavender get?
Plan on about 2 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. It forms a rounded, evergreen mound of gray-green, toothed leaves. Growth is slow to moderate.
How far apart do you plant French Lavender?
Space plants about 2 to 3 feet apart for a low hedge or bed edge. Give a single plant 3 to 6 feet of room to spread.
How often do you water lavender in Arizona?
Water lightly once it is rooted and let the soil dry between waterings. Soggy soil rots the roots. The humid monsoon months are the riskiest time, so go easy on water then.
When does French Lavender bloom?
It blooms from spring into fall with purple flower spikes. In mild winters it can keep blooming almost all year. Bees and butterflies visit the flowers.
How do you prune French Lavender?
Shear it lightly after a bloom to keep it compact and bushy. Stay above the leafy growth, because old, bare wood does not grow back.
French Lavender vs Spanish Lavender
French Lavender has narrow leaves with toothed edges and small petals on top of each flower spike. Spanish Lavender has large petals on top of the spike that look like rabbit ears. French Lavender is less cold hardy than English lavender.
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