Lavandula Stoechas is the frilly topped lavender variety. It makes a beautiful addition to any garden. Lets take a closer look at this perennial plant and how to care for it.
I think all gardeners should have a lavender in their gardens. These beautiful shrubs are easy to grow, smell amazing, can be dried and used in the home, and most importantly they will attract bees and butterflies to your garden. I mean what could be better than that.
Is Lavandula Stoechas French or Spanish?
Like many other plants this variety of lavender is known by many names so which is right?
Simply it is both. This variety of Lavender has a few names that includes French, Spanish and also butterfly.
What does the name Lavandula Stoechas mean? Lavandula comes from a Latin word to wash, this is because the Romans would add lavender to their baths. The word Stoechas is a Greek word which means arranged in rows or in lines, this refers to the the flower stems that appear to be lined up in rows.
Size and Appearance
This kind of lavender is one of the smaller varieties. The average size is around 2 feet (24 inches) with some cultivars only reaching 1 foot (12 inches) and others growing up to 3 feet (36 inches).
The leaves tend to stay in a low lying mound with the flower stems making up most of the height.
The frilly capped flowers of the French lavender are what makes it stand out as different from other varieties like the English Lavender. It is one of the earlier flowering lavenders with blooms in May right through the summer.
Growing Conditions
Soil. Like all lavender it prefers well draining sandy soil. They do not like to sit in water. Try to avoid planting it in heavy clay.
Water. French lavender is a drought tolerant plant and does not need to be watered every day. But if you have long extended periods of hot dry weather then it will be thankful for a good drink of water every 2 or 3 days. Especially if it is in a pot and not in the ground.
Fertilizer. Does it need fed? Not really but you can feed it a couple of times early in the season if you choose to. Lavender likes poor soil so it doesn’t need a heavy nutrient rich soil.
Light. This is classed as a Mediterranean plant and so it requires full sun. If you live in a very hot climate then I would give it a little afternoon shade. This variety of Lavender is quite sensitive so some shelter from very hot afternoon sun would be beneficial.
How to care for Lavandula Stoechas
Pruning. This can be done at the end of summer once it has finished flowering. A good rule of thumb is to cut it back by a third. You can cut it harder if it needs it but try not to cut into any old wood.
Potting. This variety of lavender grows really well in pots especially terracotta pots. This type of pot warms up in the sun and keeps the soil warm too. Use a loose sandy soil, You can buy any potting soil and then add in some grit or sand to loosen it up.
Winter care. The Lavandula Stoechas is a zone 8 perennial so if you live anywhere that gets cold wet winters then this lavender will either need to be brought in and kept in a cool dry place, an unheated greenhouse is the best. If it can’t be brought inside then it should be covered with landscaping fleece or burlap. This should protect it.
How it compares to other lavender varieties
Fragrance. The fragrance may not be as strong as other varieties it still has a bold rich lavender scent. I wouldn’t necessarily grow it to dry like other varieties though.
Hardiness. This lavender is rated for zone 8 although some cultivars are a zone 9 or above so watch out for those. It can be susceptible to cold weather making them not as hardy as other varieties. If you are wanting a hardier lavender then I would go for an English lavender instead see my English lavender post here to learn more.
Flowers. Unlike other Lavender the flower on the Lavandula Stoechas have wonderful frilly tops. Depending on the cultivar they may be tall short light or dark.
Leaves. There is another French lavender out there called Lavandula Dentata, and the easiest way to tell these two apart is by the leaves. Stoechas lavender has smooth leaves where as Dentata has jagged leaves. In fact Dentata means fringed.
Cultivars of Lavandula Stoechas
Here are a handful of Lavandula Stoechas that you could choose from. There are many more but these are the most common. If you want to learn more about each one then I would highly recommend checking out Gardenia.net they have a wonderful selection and lots of information.
- Anouk (Spanish)
- Hardiest French lavender
- Readily available
- Zone 8
- Up to 2 feet in size
- Dark Purple flowers
- Pedunculata
- Long frills on tops of flowers
- Zone 9
- Unto 2 feet in size
- Ballerina
- Purple flowers with white frilly tops
- Hybrid French
- Zone 9
- The mature plant is up to 2 feet
- Regal Splendor
- Dark pink purple flowers that are skinnier than other varieties
- Zone 9
- Up to around 3 feet in size.
Whichever variety of French lavender that you decide to grow you will never be disappointed by this beautiful shrub. As long as it has what it requires it will thrive.
Leave a Comment