French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas)
[lah-VAN-dew-lah STOY-kas]

Semi-Evergreen Perennial (usually grown as an annual near you) in the Lamiaceae Family

Lavandula stoechas (French Lavender, Spanish Lavender, Bract Lavender, Butterfly Lavender) is a compact, rounded Mediterranean shrub grown for its distinctive flower spikes: dense, dark purple flower heads topped with four showy, elongated light-purple bracts that resemble rabbit ears or small flags. It blooms over a longer season than English lavender, typically from mid-spring into late summer, and its gray-green aromatic foliage is semi-evergreen. It is noticeably less cold-hardy than English lavender or lavandin and needs real winter protection outside its comfort zone.

Pros

  • Distinctive, showy "rabbit ear" bracts top each flower spike
  • Longer bloom season than most other lavenders
  • Compact, rounded habit good for containers
  • Thrives in lean, dry, well-drained soil

Cons

  • Noticeably less winter-hardy than English lavender or lavandin -- needs a sheltered spot, heavy mulch, or container culture north of Zone 8
  • Can be short-lived and gets woody with age; benefits from regular light pruning
This plant is probably not winter-hardy outdoors where you live.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 36 inches tall. 24 - 36 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 8a - 9b (Usually hardy to 10° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Colorful Foliage, Container, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Edging, Formal Garden, Fragrant Flowers, Fragrant Foliage, Full Sun, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rock Garden, Herb, Medium, Normal Soil, Perennial, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Shrub, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Winter Interest
Bloom Period Mid-Spring to Late Summer
Flower Color Deep Purple With Light Purple Bracts
Foliage Color
 

In The News

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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 02/05 - 05/10
2024 : 02/08 - 07/06
2023 : 04/13 - 06/25


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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!