What Does Lavender Look Like In Winter

Written by Victoria

English varieties of lavenders are hardy down to zone 5. French and Spanish lavenders can be perennial down to 5a if proper steps to prune the lavender are taken. On average lavender will survive winter here is a look at how to achieve healthy lavender in cold winters.

Here we include a simple video showing lavender in winter. Toward the end you can see the soft cut and woody cuts described below. For further questions on lavender in winter summit your questions below

Will lavender survive the cold

The short answer is yes lavender will survive winter down to zone 5 if proper precautions are taken. You can increase the odds of lavender surviving winter by picking a cold hardy lavender. For details on lavender temperature tolerance

Here is a list of popular lavenders and there cold hardiness zones:

Lavender Varieties Cold Hardiness zones Hidcote 5b Grosso 5a Provence 5b Munstead 4a Phenomenal French Hybrid 5b Royal Velvet 6a

Refer to more articles:  What Is A False Summit

What does lavender look like in the cold

Lavender is considered an evergreen. Lavender retains some green texter in colder climates but shades of silver are noticeable. Here is a picture of a Hidcote Lavender in January located in a zone 5a.

Is lavender dormant in the cold

Yes in colder climates lavender go into a dormant state. To protect itself portions of the plant may die off. In the pictures below you can see that portions of the lavender plant exposed to frozen snow has died back. We will go into further details on how to prevent this below.

How to protect lavender plant in winter

To protect lavender in winter you need to minimize its exposure to freezing temperatures and boggy conditions. Direct exposure to freezing air can kill lavender in some cases. To solve this you can cover the lavender with a frost blanket after the plant goes into dormancy. Make sure not to cover to early in the winter or the added heat from the cover can trick the plant into waking up because it believes it is spring. If you live in an area that receives a lot of snow than you may not need to cover the plants. Many people don’t know the snow is a great insulator and offers a layer of protection several degrees warmer than the outside air. It is also important to make sure lavender does not sit in wet boggy areas. Lavender prefers it to be well draining and dry. Wet conditions can cause root rot. Planting on the side of a hill as pictured here will help keep water from bogging the roots. Lavender trees require more care find out here.

Refer to more articles:  What Is Aroma Grande

How to prune lavender plants for winter

It is best to avoid pruning lavender in the winter if you live in a zone colder than 7a. Pruning a lavender plant in the winter should only be if necessary. To prune lavender in winter avoid cutting in to the woody base of the stem. Damage to the woody base can lead to Lavender dying even in warm months. If you must prune lavender in winter only cut back the top 1/3 of the plant that is not woody. You can tell the diffrence by looking at the inside of the cut if you see green you are fine. If the interior of the stem is brown stop cutting and move up higher on the stem. Example A shows a green stem Example B is a cut wood base.

Example A:

Example B:

Grow lavender in the cold

  • You can grow lavender in the winter by using frost covers in late winter. Spanish lavender is to warm climate to promote growth in winter, but English lavender and French lavender can have growth in winter. We recommend using heavy oil producing English lavender like Hidcote as they are more cold hardy in winter conditions.
  • Cover the lavender plants with a frost cloth about 30 days before last frost date to start waking English lavender from its winter sleep. After about a week check the stems and soil of your plant to see if they have thawed. If till frozen add a second frost blanket to increase warmth.
  • Take care to mist the plants weekly to keep from drying out winter lacks the humidity to meet the car needs of the plant waking from dormancy.
  • Years ago I started taking care to cover my plants in late winter, I saw budding 3 weeks earlier than previous years.
Refer to more articles:  What Size Tree Skirt For Pencil Tree

Related Posts

What Rags

What Rags

Many industrial facilities still use rags made from textiles for wiping and cleaning tasks, but rags are less optimal than cleaning cloths. Cleaning cloths and rags are…

What Shoes To Wear With Silver Dress

What Shoes To Wear With Silver Dress

Choosing what color shoes to wear with a silver dress, can be a delightful yet challenging task. The perfect pair of shoes can elevate your entire ensemble,…

What Do Circles Represent

Symbols are a universal language. Seeing certain shapes, marks or images conjures up similar understanding in people, regardless of whether they speak the same language or not….

What Is The Difference Between Baptist And Methodist Religion

(Many of the links in this article redirect to a specific reviewed product. Your purchase of these products through affiliate links helps to generate commission for Christian.net,…

What Is So Rare As A Day In June

The quote “What Is So Rare As A Day In June?” may be familiar to most readers (the sentiment certainly is!) but its source is fairly obscure….

What Is A 28 Out Of 36

It’s very common when learning about fractions to want to know how convert a fraction like 28/36 into a percentage. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you…