Lavandula dentata

French lavender
French lavender has fringed grey foliage and pale blue-purple flowers. Easily pruned to shape and size. Attracts pollinators. Nearly everblooming in mild climates.
Lavandula dentata
height 3–4ft
width 4–6ft
tolerates Drought, Deer , Gophers, Heat, Pots, Neglect, Wind
water
needs		 Low
water
info		 Since lavender is native to the Mediterranean it adapts effortlessly to the winter rains of California, being one of the easiest and most durable plants we can grow. Water this plant infrequently, when the top two inches or so of soil feel dry. Usually this will mean every week or two in dry weather. If you establish this pattern over several years, then you can cut back to watering every four to six weeks in dry weather. Closer to the coast lavender often thrives without additional irrigation once it has put down a healthy root system.

Lavender is intolerant of consistently wet soil in summer and should not be planted with other plants that will require more than moderate levels of water.

Use drippers, emitters, or a slow stream of water so that it doesn’t run off; allow the water to trickle all the way down through the deepest layers of soil. In a pot slowly water the entire surface until water comes out of the bottom of your pot.
hardy
to		 20F
exposure Part Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Planting Mix, In Pots: Potting Soil, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose
origin Mediterranean
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 8, 9, 12–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Sheer your plant yearly (cutting back by anywhere from one third to two thirds) just after the blooms finish. This keeps your plants dense and tidy; just as important it also removes the persistent dried flower spikes.
Lavender does not want to be in the shade, where it will survive, but look listless and floppy. This is especially true near the coast.
While it is marginally adaptable to clay soil, lavender prefers rich well drained soils.
This plant does not tolerate hot humid summers.
Mass plant lavender using informal hedges to capture that iconic Mediterranean villa look. Mix with olives, grasses and rosemary.

Special Interest

Aromatic oils from this plant are used in a myriad of ways including lavender teas, candles, and soaps. It is also used in medicine where it relieves anxiety and depression, and also is thought to help with digestion (see link below). You can try lavender flavored ice cream (though the species dentate isn’t one of the edible types), and it even has a color named after it!

The historic use of this plant is right there in the genus name of lavender, from the latin word lavre or to wash, a hold over from the Roman Empire when lavender was used as a perfumy bath additive. Even more interesting, Egyptians used lavender during mummification to keep their pharos smelling fresh in the afterlife.