Plant Characteristics: One of our best loved scented herbs. Small evergreen shrub growing up to 3 feet in height and spreading 3 feet. Leaves are grayish-green with tiny purple flowers in summer. Propagate by cutting tips in late spring before flowering, expose to bottom heat and misting. Seedlings can take up to 6 months to transplant. Plant seedlings in late spring or early summer to get as much growth as possible before winter. Fall planting in our zone (6-6.5) is OK. Tolerant of poor soils but needs good drainage. Ph 6.5 – 8, full sun and little water once established. Can be grown on slopes to avoid erosion. Usually pest and deer free.
Harvest: Flowers are harvested starting in the second year when in full flower which lasts only about 10 days. Harvest the flower stalk just under the first pair of leaves. Flowers are then dried to use in sachets or for oil extraction.
Primary Benefits: Essential in the fragrance garden, drought tolerant. Lifts depression, brain tonic. Lavender has traditionally been used to treat chest infections, coughs, and colds in an infusion or stream inhalation. Sedative and calming, good for relaxing spasm of the digestive tract and headaches. Beautiful.

Not available for 2010