An overview of the length of time that various lavender species bloom:
| Purple Species | How long until it blooms? | How long is the bloom? | Favorite Varieties |
| English lilac | May/June | 4 weeks | Vera; Munstead; Hidcote |
| English Lavender | May/June | 3 months or less until autumn | Regency splendor ‘Anouk’ and ‘Ballerina’ |
| Blended lavender | June/July | two months until the end of the summer | ‘Provence,’ ‘Grosso,’ |
Read on to learn more about the timing and duration of each species’ blooming period as well as tips on how to help your lavender plants reach their maximum potential.
Table of Contents
When does English lavender bloom?
Lavandula angustifolia, also known as English lavender, blooms in the middle of June and continues to produce flowers for about 4 weeks. With proper care, this lavender species can survive up to 15 years and thrive in colder locations with winter frost (hardy in USDA zones 5-9).
English lavenders are thought to have the best smell of any lavenders, hence the common varieties “Munstead,” “Hidcote,” and “Vera” are all cultivated for their oil and aroma in various parts of Southern Europe and the USA as well as ornamentally in gardens.
The foliage of the lavender plant, not only the flowers, emits scent throughout the year.
When does French lavender bloom?
The aroma is more delicate than English lavenders and slightly resembles the aroma of rosemary; lavenders are related to rosemary.
The flowers have a distinctive crown of petals that set them apart from English lavenders. The French lavender is far less cold resistant than English lavenders, and it will perish in environments with winter frost and extremely low temperatures (hardy to USDA zone 7-9). Even with proper care, it only lives for 4 to 5 years.
(To understand more, see my post on the distinctions between English and French lavender.)
When do lavender hybrids bloom?
Commercial growers of lavender grow varieties like “Grosso,” which also has the lovely aroma of English lavender.
Lavender hybrids blossom in the middle of summer, typically in July, and continue to bloom for a few weeks into the fall.
In USDA zones 5-9, hybrid lavender plants are frequently hardy and can withstand winter cold and frost.
For more information about how to take care of Lavender “Grosso,” read my article.
How to ensure that lavenders bloom to their full potential
Climate, weather, and a number of other factors will determine when and how long lavender will bloom according to these criteria.
Lavender plants need to be healthy, disease-free, and given the right care in order to blossom.
These are the main elements that promote lavender blooming.
- Low- to medium-fertility soil is necessary for lavender to flower at its optimum. A soil that is too fertile can cause a lot of foliage to develop instead of blooms. Fertilizer shouldn’t be used as it will produce the same results.
- All varieties of lavender need direct sunlight. Your lavender will produce fewer flowers and live shorter lives the less sun they get.
- A soil amendment with sand or grit will provide the proper porous structure for the lavender plant’s roots, allowing oxygen to reach them and water to drain away rapidly. Read my article on the ideal soil mixture for lavenders for additional details.
- Regular deadheading will promote additional flowers and keep the plant clean throughout the summer.
- Lavenders benefit from a severe pruning in the fall or in the early spring since it will promote new growth that supports the new season’s flowers and keeps the lavender from being lanky.
- During the growing season, just water lavender once every two weeks if there hasn’t been any rain. Lavender is a drought-tolerant plant that does well in arid climates. The lavender plant could die if it receives too much water because root rot will prohibit it from blossoming. Read my article on how to water lavenders to find out more about recommended practices.
- Despite preferring alkaline soils, lavender may survive in soils with a pH range of 6.5-8. Overly acidic soils will cause stress and reduced flowering in lavender plants. Read my article on determining the pH of soil and growing lavender in acidic soil.
- Use of organic mulch around lavender should be avoided since it promotes the damp conditions that can result in root rot. Instead, some industrial producers scatter white stone around the plant’s base because it will reflect sunlight back onto the plant, resulting in more blossoms and scent.
You can enjoy lavenders with robust blooms for many years if you follow these instructions and grow the right lavender species for your climate.