Hardy Lavenders
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Hardy Lavender Series
Click on a lavender variety below to jump to that section
Lavendula Angustifolia Series
Lavandula Angustifolia Ellagance Series
Lavandula Angustifolia Hidcote Series
Lavendula Intermedia Series
Lavendula Angustifolia Series
Lavendula Angustifolia 'Angustifolia'
This is the original angustifolia. All angustifolia cultivars have this plant in their genealogy. The species is highly variable due to wild interbreeding. A low growing woody shrub, height 40-60 cms, it has flowers of violet-blue to purple. It has narrow grey leaves, on an unbranched stem. The name ‘angustifolia’ means narrow leaves from where the species gets its name. Angustifolias require a cold period to induce good flowering, hence they are very hardy, to -15 degrees.
The colder the winter the better the flowers in the coming flowering period. While each flower is relatively small, when grouped together and opening in succession, over a period of weeks in summer, they provide a striking display. Flowers June and July.
(Hardy to -15 degrees)
Lavandula Angustifolia Arctic Snow
Dense spikes of white fragrant flowers, from late summer onwards. Compact variety with grey-green leaves. Height and spread 50cms.
Lavandula Angustifolia 'Ashdown Forest'
Erect, dense and tidy, this cultivar has fresh bright green leaves. The flowers are pale violet, with a white inner throat, appearing from mid June onwards. Height 60cms, spread 100cms.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Imperial Gem’
This lavender is very similar to Hidcote, but it is a better formed bush. Height and spread 60-70cms, it has dense silver-green foliage with occasional side stems supporting 1-3 flowers, of vibrant violet. Flowers are highly fragrant. Suitable for the front or middle of the border.
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Rosea’
A medium and upright Lavender, which is bushy and dense. Its foliage is of a light green colour, leading to spikes of mauve-pink flowers. The buds are green with bright pink-purple infused within. This is a traditional pink lavender and looks lovely when planted with any dark lavender cultivar.
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Essence Purple’
An upright lavender forming a cushion or mound, maintaining shape all season.
Slender upright stems, giving out a strong fragrance from purple-blueberry flowers. Grey-green leaves. 40x45cm
Lavandula Angustifolia 'Blue Spear'
Neat and bushy, this dwarf variety produces masses of deep blue flower spikes from early to late summer on tall upright stems. The flowers are more bunched together than other varieties, making an impact from distance. Height 25cms.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Maillette’
A medium plant 60-70cms with a bushy habit.
Semi-open mid-green foliage. Violet-blue flowers. Suitable for ornament, fragrance and oil purposes.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Miss Dawnderry’
This lavender is known as a ‘Super Blue’, with its intensely dark purple flowers which look beautiful when they are swaying with a gentle movement in a light breeze. It flowers earlier than other lavenders, and the flowers dry darker. They produce a large head when bunched. The foliage is grey-green.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Nana Atropurpurea’'
This lavender is very similar to Hidcote, but has more flower spikes. It has buds of dark-violet, and vibrant violet flowers. Dense grey-green foliage, with a bushy habit, 60-70cms.
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Peter Pan’
Erect and compact with green-grey foliage, 45-56cm x 80-110cm. This lavender has vibrant violet flowers, paler to white in the centre with an aromatic aroma. This is the shortest dark blue lavender in the UK.
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Royal Purple’
An erect plant with a splayed habit, 70-90 x 65-70cm. It has mid-glossy-green leaves, new foliage is silver-grey, giving an overall look of grey-green. The stems are kinky, but straighten out as the flowers open. The flowers are violet-blue, with paler centres. It is very fragrant and good for drying. It makes an excellent larger lavender hedge.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Loddon Pink’
Medium sized 50-60cms, bushy with dense mid-green foliage, supporting semi stalked side shoots terminating in 1 – 5 flowers. Flowers are pink-mauve/pink. This is a darker pink cultivar with upright growth, which is very ornamental and good for fragrance.
Lavandula Angustifolia 'Cedar Blue'
Small, upright and bushy 50-60cms, this lavender has dense grey-green foliage, with an overall look of fresh green. It has mid blue-pale purple fragrant flowers born on tall stems. Great at the front of a border.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Loddon Blue’
Medium sized 60cms, this rounded bush has dense grey green foliage, frequent lateral stems (side shoots), and bright violet blue flowers.
Buds are an even deeper blue, and look very good in craftwork.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Munstead’
Medium sized and bushy, it has dense mid-green foliage, with flowers of dark lavender/violet.
Buds are dark violet. This plant is well suited for hedging, fragrance and ornamental use. Grown from seed there are many variations in the market place.
Lavandula angustifolia ‘SuperBlue’
Bearing large blooms of flowers, SuperBlue offers intense colour. Highly fragranced it is attractive to butterflies. Blooming on short stems over grey-green foliage it is very tolerant to heat and cold and is one of the hardiest lavenders. Height 25-30cm, width 30-36cm. Plant it near a walkway to release the scent as it is brushed past. Lovely for potpourri, and drawer sachets.
Lavandula angustifolia ‘St. Jean’
Originally from the wild it has long spikes of white, pink or blue flowers, pink being the most common in cultivation. It is upright and bushy, with grey-green foliage, in an open habit. Looks wonderful among other darker lavenders. Early flowering.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘No.9’
Dense bush with grey-green leaves. Vibrant mid violet flowers with a strong aroma. Early flowering and prolific, it is often used for oil production. Its stems are sometimes kinky.
Lavandula Angustifolia 'Backhouse Purple'
Erect compact hummocks 60-70cms in height.
Mid green foliage, producing slender buds and dark purple flowers. pleasant fragrance, and good flowering habit. Makes a very dense low hedge.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Lady’
This is a small, bushy lavender 40-50cms with open mid-green foliage. Flowers are bright violet-blue. Produced from seed, it can result in interesting variations. There is a tendency for the bush to split open with older growth, so keep it hard pruned in autumn, remembering the small shoots rule. Suitable as an ornamental or low hedging plant, and effective in pot pourri.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Lullaby Blue’
A medium sized bushy bush, 60cms, with dense mid-green foliage and lavender-violet flowers. Flower buds are green with violet-blue tips. Especially suited to containers for ornamental purposes.
Lavandula angustifolia 'Twickle Purple’
Beautifully shaped when in flower, with open mid-green to grey-green foliage.
45-60cm in height, it is robust with strong stems. Needs regular pruning to maintain shape. Flowers are of a bright violet-blue, fading to dark lavender-violet. Very suited as an ornamental as it is very fountain-like. Its long flower spikes make a sprawling hedge or plant individually as a statement piece.
The Lavandula Angustifolia Ellagance Series
Noted for their ability to flower in the first year. They have a well branched bushy habit, and will produce large flower spikes over a long period in summer.
(Hardy to -15 degrees)
Lavandula Angustifolia Ellagance ‘Sky’
Dense rounded mounds of aromatic green-grey foliage, topped with strong upright stems of pale violet-blue flowers. Height and spread 25-30 cms. Flowers in its first year from summer to early autumn. Ideal in a raised bed or rock garden.
Lavandula Angustifolia Ellagance ‘Purple'
A well branched lavender with a bushy habit, producing large flower spikes over a long period in summer. The flowers are deep purple-blue on short spikes. Flowering in its first year.
Height and spread 40cms. Grey green leaves with unbranched stems
Lavandula Angustifolia Ellagance ‘Snow'
Compact first year flowering lavender with grey-green leaves and spikes of pure white flowers.
Very fragrant. Height and spread 30-40cms. Ideal for a rockery, or front of border.
The Lavandula Angustifolia Hidcote Series
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Hidcote’
It has a dense habit, and is free flowering with deep violet-purple flowers, small in size compared to other lavenders, but numerous. They look beautiful even before the flowers open when in bud. Leaves are a striking silver-grey. This is a very popular lavender. There are lots of seed sown plants on the market today, and seeds are available to purchase from most garden centres, which will not be true to form. So if you want the correct specification, then buy a cutting grown plant for it to be true to type. Seed grown plants are still very attractive though, they will vary in colour and form, but that can add a more cottage garden effect.
Hidcote offers a small erect bush 65-85 cms.
Lavandula Angustifolia ‘Hidcote Blue’
A dwarf lavender only 30cms in height, but looks lovely planted enmasse. It has grey-green leaves, with dense spikes of light-blue flowers, freely flowering all summer. Also very suited to rock and gravel gardens.
Lavandula Angustifolia 'Hidcote Compact’
This is a very hardy seed raised version of Hidcote. Flowering July to September, it has the same silver-grey foliage and dark lavender flowers as the original variety, but it is more upright and compact in habit. Height and spread 50cms x 40cms.
Lavandula Angustifolia 'Hidcote Pink’
A medium sized plant 70cms, with a bushy to spherical form. Attractive grey-green foliage leading to flowers of mauve-pink. A sweetly fragranced, this is one of the best pink flowered cultivars for ornamental or hedging purposes, and again striking when planted en masse.
Lavendula x Intermedia
Lavandula x intermedia, common name Lavandin, is a lavender that is a cross between Lavandula angustifolia, and Lavandula latifolia. They are a lot bigger and grow faster than the angustifolias’. Their oil is not of as high a quality as the angustifolias, but their flowers are a lot bigger and they still have a nice fragrance.
(Hardy to -15 degrees)
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Abrailii’
Height and spread 80 x 120cm. This is a compact, well shaped, wide spreading lavandin, with upward sweeong branches.
Greenish grey leaves, with grey new growth.
It is very vigorous and disease resistant.
Buds are green with bright violet blue, giving way to violet blue flowers.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Anniversary Bouquet’
A bushy shrub 90 x 90cm, with stout stems.
Grey-green foliage, with blue-purple flowers.
Very vigorous, perfect for hedging, or as a specimen.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Fragrant Memories’
Robust and bushy, but with a compact and neat habit, it grows to 100 x 150 cm.
New growth is of a steel silver-grey, with an overall look of silver grey.
The blooms are of soft violet, quite aromatic.
This bush produces a lovely dome of grey leaves in the winter, and therefore it is excellent as hedging.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Edelweiss’
A sprawling but well-shaped lavender height and spread up to 90 x 135cm.
Grey-green leaves with an overall look of green.
Flowers are pure white, with a strong aroma – sweet and pleasant.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’
Compact, splayed out hedgehog-like a habit, 95 x 160 cm. This lavender has a long lifespan and is very hardy. Leaves are bright green to fresh green, older plants look more grey. New growth grey to grey green. Flowers are conical, giving a taste of elegance, mid to soft violet, with paler centres of violet blue. The flowers have a pungent aroma, and therefore good for dried bouquets and potpourris’
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Gros Bleu’
Taller than it is wide, height and spread 75 x 50 cm. It has a well-branched, erect delicate form, with greenish-grey foliage.
Short spikes of large deep blue flowers, with a pleasant perfume.
Suitable for bouquets, and as an ornamental.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Hidcote Giant’
A vigorous lavender, with large compact hummocks 95 x 185cm. Green to greenish grey leaves. Vibrant violet flowers, deep violet when in bud. Flowers have a strong sweet fragrance, and the foliage smells like camphor.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Impress Purple’
Robust and bushy with sprawling stems. Height and spread up to 100 x 150cm. Mid-green foliage with an overall look of green to greyish green. Vibrant violet flowers. Mild sweet fragrance.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Old English’
Also known as Common Lavender. An erect bush with a spreading habit of 110 x 145cm. Greenish grey leaves, with silvery grey young growth. Flowers are bright violet-blue, paler in the centre. Strong pleasant fragrance. Lovely for hedging and cottage gardens.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence’
Very robust and erect 100 x 190cm. Grey-green foliage, older plants grey. New growth green and whispy. Violet flowers born on long stems up to October, with odd flowers appearing until the first frosts. Very fragrant sweet floral scent, lovely for bouquets.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Seal’
Vigorous, spreading and upswept 150 x 180cm. Grey green foliage, young growth silver grey. Flowers dark violet-blue to violet in the centre. Soft and pleasant aroma. Great for drying for potpourris.
Lavandula x intermedia 'Sussex’
Spreading habit 100 x 150cm.Mid green leaves. Violet blue flowers with a white centre. Very long flower spikes. Plant en masse for greatest effect. Sweet fragrance.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Vera’
Also known as Dutch Lavender. A rounded shrub with branching stems 60 x 90cm. Silvery green leaves. Pale to deep purple flowers. Will grow happily in a container, and makes a good cut flower for vases.