Goodwin Creek        Graves        Gray Lady         Grosso

Plant Name:  Lavender, Goodwin Creek

Botanical Name:  Lavendula ginginsii (hybrid cross between L. dentata and L. lanata, “wooly lavender”)

Origin:  Jim Becker, Goodwin Creek Gardens, Williams, Oregon, 1991

Height/Physical Description:  30 to 36 inches in height, 36 inches wide, stem length 6 to 8 inches, purple flowers, silver-gray velvety leaves.

Special Attributes:  This variety blooms continuously starting in Spring.  The plant size is easy to manage in residential gardens.    

‍Purchasing:  Easy to find in local Southern California nurseries.

Planting Requirements:  Plant in Spring after danger of frost or in the Fall.  Lavenders require good drainage.  If soil is mostly clay, amending and aerating the planting area will ensure better success. Planting in a dome is another way to promote good drainage and keep your lavender from sinking down in clay soil. The preferred mulch at the base of the plant is gravel or a thin layer of compost.  Do not use wood or leaf mulches as this contributes to root rot.

Repotting and transplanting:  To determine your lavender is hardy and ready to repot or transplant, check the bottom of the container for vigorous roots coming out of the drainage holes.  This is a sign of good health.

Watering:  Water at base of plant only.  Lavenders do not like overhead spray.  Use of a drip system is best. Put on a drip line with plants that have similar water needs to avoid overwatering.  Lavenders rot very easily when overwatered.  To avoid this, allow the soil to dry out moderately before next watering.

Fertilizing:  Lavenders are hillside plants that thrive in rocky, good draining soil that is somewhat alkaline (pH of 6.5 to 7.5).  Lavenders do not require a great deal of fertilizer as they prefer neutral soil.  Since this is the case, use of compost or compost tea is all that is needed.

Blooming Time/Harvesting:  Purple flowers continuously blooming starting in Spring. Harvest when flowers first pop open.

Pruning:  Lavenders can live up to 25 years if well maintained.  The time to prune is after the flush of flowers.  The flowers and stems should be gently pruned so the plant is the shape of a ball. Consider it a haircut not a severe pruning.  Removing the flowers in this manner allows the plant to regenerate foliage and avoids it from becoming “woody.”  


Note:  If the plant has become woody, it cannot be reversed.  It will live but will not have the original full shape that it had at the beginning.
Pruning underneath the plant is another way to keep the plant healthy as this promotes good air circulation which prevents root rot.

Pests:  Spittle bugs, grasshoppers, gophers, moles.

Diseases:  Root rot.

Hardiness:  zones 8-10

Additional Comments:  Goodwin Creek is very hardy and thrives in very warm climates.  In low desert climates, however, plant in an Eastern exposure where the lavender receives morning sun and afternoon shade.  In climates with freezing temperatures, provide protection from frost.

Plant Name:  Lavender, Graves

Botanical Name:  Lavendula angustifolia, “Graves”

Origin:  Tucker and Henson, 1985

Height/Physical Description:  30 to 36 inches in height, 36 inches wide, stem length 8 to 10 inches, medium purple flowers that bloom once in the Spring, gray-green leaves.

Special Attributes:  This variety blooms once in Spring for an extended time.  The plant size is easy to manage in residential gardens.

‍Purchasing:  Can be found online.

Planting Requirements:  Plant in Spring after danger of frost or in the Fall.  Lavenders require good drainage.  If soil is mostly clay, amending and aerating the planting area will ensure better success. Planting in a dome is another way to promote good drainage and keep your lavender from sinking down in clay soil. The preferred mulch at the base of the plant is gravel or a thin layer of compost.  Do not use wood or leaf mulches as this contributes to root rot.

Repotting and transplanting:  To determine your lavender is hardy and ready to repot or transplant, check the bottom of the container for vigorous roots coming out of the drainage holes.  This is a sign of good health.

Watering:  Water at base of plant only.  Lavenders do not like overhead spray.  Use of a drip system is best. Put on a drip line with plants that have similar water needs to avoid overwatering.  Lavenders rot very easily when overwatered.  To avoid this, allow the soil to dry out moderately before next watering.

Fertilizing:  Lavenders are hillside plants that thrive in rocky, good draining soil that is somewhat alkaline (pH of 6.5 to 7.5).  Lavenders do not require a great deal of fertilizer as they prefer neutral soil.  Since this is the case, use of compost or compost tea is all that is needed.

Blooming Time/Harvesting:  Medium purple flowers once a year in Spring.  Harvest when flowers first pop open.

Pruning:  Lavenders can live up to 25 years if well maintained.  The time to prune is after the flush of flowers.  The flowers and stems should be gently pruned so the plant is the shape of a ball. Consider it a haircut not a severe pruning.  Removing the flowers in this manner allows the plant to regenerate foliage and avoids it from becoming “woody.”  

Note:  If the plant has become woody, it cannot be reversed.  It will live but will not have the original full shape that it had at the beginning.
Pruning underneath the plant is another way to keep the plant healthy as this promotes good air circulation which prevents root rot.

‍Pests:  Spittle bugs, grasshoppers, gophers, moles.

Diseases:  Root rot.

Hardiness:  zones 5-9

Additional Comments:  Graves is a type of lavendula angustifolia.  Angustifolias are considered “true lavender” and known for being some of the most cold-hardy varieties.  Their colors seem more vibrant, flowers seem more fragrant and taste sweet.  A common name that is used for Angustifolias is “English” lavender.  This is not an accurate term especially since lavenders are grown worldwide.  The best way to identify a lavender or any plant in general is by using its botanical name.

Plant Name:  Lavender, Gray Lady

Botanical Name:  Lavendula angustifolia, “Gray Lady”

Origin:  Wayside Gardens, Mentor, Ohio, before 1967

Height/Physical Description:  This plant variety is 30 to 36 inches in height, 36 inches wide, stem length 6 to 8 inches, medium purple flowers, gray-green leaves.

Special Attributes:  This variety is an early bloomer and  blooms once in late Spring.  It is great for cut flowers and arrangements. The plant size is easy to manage in residential gardens.    

‍Purchasing:  Can be obtained online..

Planting Requirements:  Plant in Spring after danger of frost or in the Fall.  Lavenders require good drainage.  If soil is mostly clay, amending and aerating the planting area will ensure better success. Planting in a dome is another way to promote good drainage and keep your lavender from sinking down in clay soil. The preferred mulch at the base of the plant is gravel or a thin layer of compost.  Do not use wood or leaf mulches as this contributes to root rot.

Repotting and transplanting:  To determine your lavender is hardy and ready to repot or transplant, check the bottom of the container for vigorous roots coming out of the drainage holes.  This is a sign of good health.

Watering:  Water at base of plant only.  Lavenders do not like overhead spray.  Use of a drip system is best. Put on a drip line with plants that have similar water needs to avoid overwatering.  Lavenders rot very easily when overwatered.  To avoid this, allow the soil to dry out moderately before next watering.

Fertilizing:  Lavenders are hillside plants that thrive in rocky, good draining soil that is somewhat alkaline (pH of 6.5 to 7.5).  Lavenders do not require a great deal of fertilizer as they prefer neutral soil.  Since this is the case, use of compost or compost tea is all that is needed.

Blooming Time/Harvesting:  Medium purple flowers once a year, starting in Spring. Harvest when flowers first pop open.

Pruning:  Lavenders can live up to 25 years if well maintained.  The time to prune is after the flush of flowers.  The flowers and stems should be gently pruned so the plant is the shape of a ball. Consider it a haircut not a severe pruning.  Removing the flowers in this manner allows the plant to regenerate foliage and avoids it from becoming “woody.”  

Note:  If the plant has become woody, it cannot be reversed.  It will live but will not have the original full shape that it had at the beginning.
Pruning underneath the plant is another way to keep the plant healthy as this promotes good air circulation which prevents root rot.

‍Pests:  Spittle bugs, grasshoppers, gophers, moles.

Diseases:  Root rot.

Hardiness:  zones 5-9

Additional Comments:  Gray Lady is a type of lavendula angustifolia.  Angustifolias are considered “true lavender” and known for being some of the most cold-hardy varieties.  Their colors seem more vibrant, flowers seem more fragrant and taste sweet.  A common name that is used for Angustifolias is “English” lavender.  This is not an accurate term especially since lavenders are grown worldwide.  The best way to identify a lavender or any plant in general is by using its botanical name.

Plant Name:  Lavender, Grosso

Botanical Name:  Lavandula x intermedia, “Grosso.”  The “intermedia” lavender varieties are cross breeds.  This means they are a cross between two varieties of lavenders:  L. angustifolia and L. latifolia.  Intermedias are also known as “lavandins”.  These plants tend to grow larger, produce numerous long flower stems, have a high oil content and are hardy.

Origin:  Vaucluse District, France, approximately 1972, by Pierre Grosso

Height/Physical Description:  This variety is 32-36 inches in height, 36 inches wide, gray-green leaves, purple flowers. that bloom once in early Summer.  The flower stem length spans 20-24 inches.  Plant grows in a 180-degree dome shape.

Special Attributes:  The flowers are very fragrant, have a high oil content and it is an excellent variety to use for distilling essential oil.  It is both cold and heat hardy which makes it a perfect choice for arid Southern California farms and gardens.    

‍Purchasing:  Easy to find at local nurseries as it is hardy and grows quickly.

Planting Requirements:  Plant in Spring after danger of frost or in the Fall.  Lavenders require good drainage.  If soil is mostly clay, amending and aerating the planting area will ensure better success.  Planting in a dome is another way to promote good drainage and keep your lavender from sinking down in clay soil.  The preferred mulch at the base of the plant is gravel or a thin layer of compost.  Do not use wood or leaf mulches as this contributes to root rot.

Repotting and transplanting:  To determine your lavender is hardy and ready to repot or transplant, check the bottom of the container for vigorous roots coming out of the drainage holes.  This is a sign of good health.

Watering:  Water at base of plant only.  Lavenders do not like overhead spray.  Use of a drip system is best.  Put on a drip line with plants that have similar water needs to avoid overwatering.  Lavenders rot very easily when overwatered.  To avoid this, allow the soil to dry out moderately before next watering.

Fertilizing:  Lavenders are hillside plants that thrive in rocky, good draining soil that is somewhat alkaline (pH of 6.5 to 7.5).  Lavenders do not require a great deal of fertilizer as they prefer neutral soil.  Since this is the case, use of compost or compost tea is all that is needed.

Blooming Time/Harvesting:  Purple flowers once in early Summer.  Harvest when flowers first pop open.

Pruning:  Lavenders can live up to 25 years if well maintained.  The time to prune is after the flush of flowers.  The flowers and stems should be gently pruned so the plant is the shape of a ball. Consider it a haircut not a severe pruning.  Removing the flowers in this manner allows the plant to regenerate foliage and avoids it from becoming “woody.”  

Note:  If the plant has become woody, it cannot be reversed.  It will live but will not have the original full shape that it had at the beginning.
Pruning underneath the plant is another way to keep the plant healthy as this promotes good air circulation which prevents root rot.

Pests:  Spittle bugs, grasshoppers, gophers, moles.

Diseases:  Root rot.

Hardiness:  zones 5-9