When to plant and prune Lavender (English)
Lavandula angustifolia
Never cut back hard into old woody stems — lavender does not reshoot reliably from bare wood, and a hard cut can kill the plant. Only ever trim into the current season's green/grey leafy growth.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Pruning is driven by dormancy rather than frost, so it is not shifted by region — the same cut is right in Inverness and in Penzance. Planting windows do move.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| South Coast and Channel | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| South East and Home Counties | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| East Anglia | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| Wales and West Coast | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| Northern England | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| Northern Ireland | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early April to mid May | late June to late August | late August to mid September |
How to prune it
Trim spent flower stalks and ~2.5cm of leaf growth just after flowering; light tidy in spring.
Severity: light.
At a glance
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- H5
- Eventual height
- 0.6 m
- Eventual spread
- 0.8 m
- Years to maturity
- 3
- Spacing
- 90 cm
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil
- Poor to moderately fertile, free-draining, chalky/alkaline soil tolerated; avoid heavy clay or winter-wet ground (mound-plant if necessary)
- Evergreen
- Yes
- Fragrance
- Scented
- Pollinator value
- 5 out of 5
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 10 litres or more
- Difficulty
- Easy
Growing notes
Never plant lavender in winter — young plants rot in cold, wet soil. Best planted in April/May. Lavender does not generally need feeding; rich soil produces lax, less fragrant growth.
What usually goes wrong
- root rot in wet soil
- leggy/woody growth from under-pruning
Related guides
Cross-checked against RHS guidance.