When Do Lavenders Bloom? How Long Does the Season Last?
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Planting lavender in your garden will gift your garden with beautiful bursts of purple flowers and a heavenly scent. They can be picked and placed in a vase, creating a calming and fragrant aroma that will travel around your home. Lavender is also a commonly used fragrance in oils and aromatherapy, thanks to its therapeutic properties.
If you have decided to add lavender to your landscape, you may wonder when their bright purple flowers will bloom and how long they will adorn your garden. Generally, Lavender plants bloom in late spring, and some species rebloom in late summer. They usually bloom for 3–4 weeks.
How Long Do Lavenders Bloom?
Lavender blooms for 3 to 4 weeks. Most lavender varieties bloom during the summer, depending on the variety. Many types flower in the late spring and continue until the late summer before the cycle begins again. Some of them will even bloom continuously throughout the summer.
Lavender, a perennial plant, has been known to thrive in gardens for up to 15 years. A lavender hedge can last a lifetime with proper soil planning, drainage, pruning, and winter protection.
English Lavender
English lavender blooms in mid-June and continues to produce flowers for about 4 weeks. This is the hardiest Lavender species. It can grow in colder climates with frost in winter, and with proper care, it can live up to 15 years.
French Lavender
In the right climate and under ideal conditions, French Lavender can flower as early as May and continue to produce flowers all summer and into the fall. The French lavender is much less cold-hardy and won’t survive frost and cold climates. With proper care, it can live for 4–5 years.
Hybrid Lavender
Lavender hybrids have been developed to combine the hardiness of English lavenders with the more extended flowering season of French lavenders. They bloom in the middle of summer, typically in July, and will continue to bloom for several weeks until the fall.
| Lavender Species | Blooming Month? | How long does it bloom? |
| English lavender | May/June | 4 weeks |
| French Lavender | May/June | Up to 3 months until Fall |
| Hybrid lavender | June/July | Up to 2 months until late Summer |
Does Lavender Bloom More Than Once?
Lavender often blooms more than once, but again, that depends on the variety. English lavender typically blooms twice a year, at the start and near the end of the blooming season. French lavender blooms more than once a year; under the right conditions, Spanish lavender can flower up to 3 times per year.
The Goodwin Creek Grey variety can bloom multiple times, and the Lavender Christiana can bloom all year. Cultivars of lavender bloom only once a year, but the flowers last until late summer or early fall.
The number of blooms you will get from your lavender plant is very much relative to the variety and growing conditions.
How Long Does Lavender Bloom from Seeds?
The majority of lavender is propagated through cuttings, which guarantees that the offspring will have the same characteristics as their parents. Growing a lavender plant from seed is difficult, but some ambitious gardeners will take on the task.
Lavender seeds need sunlight to germinate, and the seeds should not be completely enclosed. Lavender seed germination can take up to a month but can sometimes take up to 14 days. After the seeds sprout about 5-6 inches in length, they must be transplanted into a pot.
When the seedling is in ideal condition, it will take 2–3 months to mature. This means that growing lavender from seed takes 4 to 5 months. And if the lavender blooming season is over, it will bloom the following year.
How to Keep Your Lavender Blooming
All lavender species have similar requirements to thrive. They require plenty of sunlight, a little water, and soil that won’t retain moisture for too long.
- Sunlight – Sunlight is the most critical factor in keeping your flowers healthy. Lavender grows well in direct sunlight; even a tiny amount of shade can reduce its size and the number of flowers it produces.
- Soil – Lavender prefers alkaline soils but will grow in soils with a pH range of 6.5-8. Lavenders grown in overly acidic soils will bloom less and be stressed.
- Water – Lavender requires minimal watering. Water them twice a month during their growing season. You don’t need to water them while they’re dormant because there’s plenty of rain and moisture in the ground. Your Lavender will wilt if it is overwatered. Overwatering can also pose a potential risk of root rot, which can lead to the demise of your beautiful plant
- Humidity – Lavender grows well in areas with low humidity and well-drained soil. Place the plants in an area with enough space for them to breathe. If you live in a humid climate, choose a hardier variety of lavender, such as Spanish or English lavender.
- Fertilizer – Lavenders require low to medium-fertility soil to flower well. Overly fertile soil promotes the growth of foliage at the expense of flowers. However, if you want to help them grow even more, you can fertilize them twice a year during their growing season with a half-strength all-purpose fertilizer.
- Pruning – Pruning dead flowers is an integral part of maintaining your lavender. Removing dead heads off lavender plants during the summer can encourage the growth of beautiful new flowers. The most important aspect is to prune as soon as possible. If the lavender is not pruned within the first 2 years of its life, it will become woody and bloom less frequently.
How to Harvest Lavender
Lavender is a wonderful herb for drying and is commonly used to treat anxiety, stress, and insomnia. If your lavender is blooming, here is how you can harvest it.
- Harvest early in the morning when the oils are most concentrated.
- Cut the stems as long as possible after about half of the flower buds have opened.
- Make bundles and securely tie them together. Hang them to dry in a sheltered, cool, dark place with good air circulation.
- After a few weeks, the flowers will have completely dried and can be gently shaken from the stems into a jar that includes a lid.
- Lavender flowers can be stored in a sealed jar in a cool and dark area or put directly into a sachet to keep the scent.
Conclusion
There are several varieties of lavender, and no matter which one you choose, you’ll be graced with its beautiful blooms and fragrant aroma permeating the air. Not only is it used to beautify gardens, but its therapeutic properties offer some practical uses. If you want to enjoy this beautiful and useful plant successfully, you must recognize its flowering period and the duration of the bloom. While it depends on the variety of lavender you choose to grow, it generally blooms in late spring for about 3–4 weeks.
Featured Image Credit By: VineStar, Shutterstock
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